ABSTRACT
Human wellness is inextricably linked to planetary health. Human activities, such as urbanisation, changes in land-use and the use of livestock, are linked to both climate change and to disease outbreaks. Melting glaciers and thawing permafrost can release hidden microbes buried in layers of ice for long periods of time. The microbial threats arising from such melting repositories in ice, increasingly relevant to global public health, pose a significant danger to human and animal health. The increasing proximity between humans and animals leads to the emergence of zoonotic diseases such as HIV, SARS, H1N1, avian influenza, Ebola and COVID-19. In fact, the majority of new and emerging infections are of zoonotic origin. This chapter deals with the identification, surveillance and remediation of microbial threats and the emergence of disease pandemics in relation to climate change. Climate change and pandemics are two very different challenges, but have many parallels. Both are global challenges, not limited by national boundaries, and requiring countries to work together for solutions. In both cases, early action saves lives, while delays increase the human and socioeconomic costs. Both pandemics and climate change affect all humans but not equally, as there are disproportionate impacts on the most marginalised in society.
