you and your environment

MAN had in all ages adapted to weather and climate by providing  for himself and his family shelter, food
and energy, as well as engaging in practices which are in harmony with his environment. Plants and animals are usually adapted to their environment, to their local weather and climate. However, in recent years the many weather-related disasters have focused the attention of the world on the effect of weather and climate on both the environment and socio-economic development which largely depend on human health and comfort.

  Health or human well being, is the moving force of human existence on the earth surface. Here we are defining health to include not only freedom from physical disease and illness but also of mental derangement. Accordingly, it may be sage to argue that the links between vector born diseases (VBOs) are felt through the impacts of various climate elements on the physiology of pathogens and their vectors-atmospheric temperature, humidity, wind, solar vindicator and air pollution. Although, human beings have the capacity to adapt to climate and environment. Yet problems normally set in when there is a dramatic change in both climate and environmental elements beyond the level it can readily adjust.

  Before discussing the links between climate and environment on the one hand and human physiology and psyche on the other, we shall make a distinction between weather and climate.

  According to Dan.O. Chukwu, a lecturer in the general studies division of Enugu State University of Science and Technology, described weather as the day to day metrological conditions prevailing at a place or an area of about 30km across. It is produced by atmospheric processes. Quite often weather is determined by factors of temperature, cloudiness, rainfall, etc, which vary over a short period of time and from place to place. Climate is the average condition of the weather of a place for an upward of 30 years.

Although climate changes from place to place, it does so more slowly than weather, hence climatic regions are generally extensive.

  Climate is often described as the average state of weather taken over a period of 30 to 40 years. In order words, climate is the mean of aggregate or composite weather.

  The atmosphere which produces both weather and climate is composed of gases: oxygen, nitrogen, organ, carbondioxide, and other cases whereas the first three gases form almost 100% proportion of all gases in the atmosphere, carbondioxide is only 0.63% approximately. Atmospheric conditions like temperature; pressure wind, waves, rainfall and forces redistribute these gases as well as particles in the atmosphere such as pollen, fungal spores and toxic emissions which affect health and human comfort.

  The link between weather, climate and health could be direct as in the case of heat wave, death and heat stroke or indirect as when changes in weather and climate affect the range and transmissibility of vector-born infectious diseases.

  Incidentally, in Nigeria, vector-born diseases are major causes of illness and death.

  High temperatures and flooding increases the occurrence of non-vector-borne diseases like salmonellosis, cholera and giardiasis. However, exact computation of health impact here is difficult to make because the extent of climate induced health disorder depends on other factors such as migration, sanitation, nutrition, water, the extent of disease-vector control measures, resistance of vector organisms to insecticides, the extent to which pathogens respond/resist certain drugs and more availability of health care.

  The air around us contains particles, which we have earlier mentioned, as well as pollutants of which nitrogen dioxide, ozone, carbon monoxide, sulphur, dioxide and particulate are the main culprits. Theses gases affects human health and are implicated in the increasing incidence of respiratory diseases such as emphysema and asthma. Most of the respiratory infections like pneumonia and asthma attacks become more serious on exposure to cold damp environment.

  Another serious health hazard associated with weather and climate system is ultra violet radiation from the sun which is harmful to animals and plants exposed to it. It affects light skinned people including those who use bleaching cosmetics. Ultraviolet radiation is a high energy radiation from which we are naturally shielded by the zone layer found in the stratosphere. (ozone is also found in the troposphere where it constitutes a pollutant). The most dangerous ultra violent radiation (UV) are UV-Band UV-C UV-B which causes skin cancer and destroys DNA. This genetic code is present in all living cells and causes the cells to mutate and become cancerous. It also suppresses immune system in plants and animals even inside water.

  There are many weather related natural hazards like cyclones, hurricane and tornadoes. In Nigeria, we are getting used to several storms following  squall lines. Although we know these storms strike generally at the beginning and towards the end of the rainy season, we do not know the exact time the locations are at risk and the severity of those storms.

  Flood is another climate related hazard, and often times can spell disaster in places where it strikes. It can affect any place especially where land use planning is poor, and where the necessary flood thresholds are exceeded. We remember the flood disaster in Ogbaru and Atani in Anambra State in 2012.

  One of the worse drought episodes in recent times took place in this period. This was the great drought which affected many parts of Anambra, taking toll on crops, animals and man. It gave rise to an unprecedented migration of people towards Delta and other parts of the state, it impoverished farmers, and brought stifling famine.

  Climate change will bring most parts of Nigeria to the drought region a south ward advance of desertification in the North and a sea level rise in the South. These impact will decrease the availability of potable water; drought will lead to the greater concentration of pathogens in the available water and the citing of reservoirs. Flooding will lead to water contamination, while sea level rise will introduce salt into fresh water.