Impacts of climate change and environmental degradation on children in Malaysia

Abstract

The impacts of climate change and degradation are increasingly felt in Malaysia. While everyone is vulnerable to these impacts, the health and wellbeing of children are disproportionately affected. We carried out a study composed of two major components. The first component is an environmental epidemiology study comprised of three sub-studies: (i) a global climate model (GCM) simulating specific health-sector climate indices; (ii) a time-series study to estimate the risk of childhood respiratory disease attributable to ambient air pollution; and (iii) a case-crossover study to identify the association between haze and under-five mortality in Malaysia. The GCM found that Malaysia has been experiencing increasing rainfall intensity over the years, leading to increased incidences of other weather-related events. The time-series study revealed that air quality has worsened, while air pollution and haze have been linked to an increased risk of hospitalization for respiratory diseases among children. Although no clear association between haze and under-five mortality was found in the case-crossover study, the lag patterns suggested that health effects could be more acute if haze occurred over a longer duration and at a higher intensity. The second component consists of three community surveys on marginalized children conducted (i) among the island community of Pulau Gaya, Sabah; (ii) among the indigenous Temiar tribe in Pos Kuala Mu, Perak; and (iii) among an urban poor community (B40) in PPR Sg. Bonus, Kuala Lumpur. The community surveys are cross-sectional studies employing a socio-ecological approach using a standardized questionnaire. The community surveys revealed how children adapt to climate change and environmental degradation. An integrated model was established that consolidates our overall research processes and demonstrates the crucial interconnections between environmental challenges exacerbated by climate change. It is recommended that Malaysian schools adopt a climate-smart approach to education to instill awareness of the impending climate change and its cascading impact on children's health from early school age.

Climate and Adolescence Mortality: Exploring the Linkages

“…The study found that the majority of the respondents had limited knowledge about the impact of climate change on health, with only 37% of the respondents correctly identifying the link between climate change and health. The study also found that the majority of respondents had positive attitudes towards climate change and health, indicating a willingness to take action to mitigate the impact of climate change on health [8].…”

“…The study found that exposure to air pollution was associated with increased respiratory symptoms, including coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath, among children and adolescents in Malaysia. Exposure to air pollution was also associated with decreased lung function and increased incidence of asthma and other respiratory illnesses [8]. The review further highlighted that the adverse effects of air pollution on respiratory health were more pronounced in urban areas and among vulnerable populations, such as low-income families.…”

Seasonality, food security, diet quality and nutritional status in urban poor adolescents in Malaysia

“…In Malaysia's context, the climate is characterized by the Southeast Asia Maritime Continent Monsoon, which consists of the Southwest monsoon (dry monsoon) that occurs from late May to September and the Northeast monsoon (wet monsoon) that occurs from November to March 29 , 30 . Global warming and climate change are becoming increasingly noticeable in Malaysia and causing rise in temperature, fluctuations in precipitation and rising sea levels 31 , 32 . These climate variability have substantial impacts on biological and agricultural systems at a range of scales and on human health and nutrition 31 .…”

“…Global warming and climate change are becoming increasingly noticeable in Malaysia and causing rise in temperature, fluctuations in precipitation and rising sea levels 31 , 32 . These climate variability have substantial impacts on biological and agricultural systems at a range of scales and on human health and nutrition 31 . This impact is further exacerbated by poverty particularly among urban poor communities 31 .…”

“…These climate variability have substantial impacts on biological and agricultural systems at a range of scales and on human health and nutrition 31 . This impact is further exacerbated by poverty particularly among urban poor communities 31 . Despite the above, to date there is currently no information that provides the understanding on how seasonality affects household food security status, diet quality, and nutritional status in Malaysia.…”