Climate Change in Eastern Europe

The health of people

Riga

Changes in the environment can cause an increase in cardio- vascular, respiratory, infectious and other diseases, and cancer. Higher levels of precipitation and excess moisture in the soil can create conditions ideal for malaria and other mosquito-transmitted infections. Changes in air temperature can provoke fungal diseases. High temperatures in summer 2010 caused the number of dermatological diseases in Europe to increase, in Eastern Europe by 25% compared to 2009. The habitat boundaries of the carriers of infectious diseases characteristic of warmer and more humid climates are moving northwards. For example, a longer hot season makes ticks more active, and hastens the spread of the infections they carry. Changes in temperature can provoke the appearance of new diseases. Abnormally high temperatures are the most dangerous for elderly people, children and those suffering from cardio- vascular problems.

LATVIA

Moscow

LITHUANIA

R U S S I A

Vilnius

Minsk

B E L A R U S

Warsaw

Shift of forest border to the north

POLAND

Kyiv

U K R A I N E

MOLDOVA

Chisinau

R O M A N I A

Bucharest

BULGARIA Impacts of climate change on forests and ecosystems

Forest Reduced area of spruce Degradation of black alder and ash forest Overgrown by shrubs Desertification Drying of spruce Subtropical thorn woodlands Increasing forest productivity, especially birches, pines, spruces, oaks and ashes

High water and floods Increase in forest fires

Map produced by ZOÏ Environment Network, July 2011 Sources: Fifth National Communication of Republic of Belarus, 2009; Fifth National Communication of Ukraine, 2009; Second National Communication of Republic of Moldova, 2009; Global Land Cover 2000 database. European Commission, Joint Research Centre, 2003 (→ http://bioval.jrc.ec.europa.eu/products/glc2000/glc2000.php)

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