By Abdullahi Lukman
Climate change in Earth’s polar regions is increasingly being recognised as a major yet overlooked threat to global health, according to a new study led by Professor Gail Whiteman of the University of Exeter Business School.
Published in Ambio: A Journal of Environment and Society, the study presents the first comprehensive framework linking physical changes in the Arctic and Antarctic to rising health risks worldwide.
Researchers warn that melting ice sheets, sea-level rise, and shifting weather patterns could amplify global health crises ranging from malnutrition and infectious diseases to mental health issues and pregnancy complications.
Lead author Netra Naik, a Research Fellow at Arctic Basecamp, described polar change as “not a distant crisis,” stressing that the effects extend far beyond the Arctic and Antarctic to influence food security, disease spread, and health infrastructure globally.
The study finds that as the polar regions warm faster than the global average, feedback loops and “tipping cascades” are reshaping climate systems.
These disruptions—such as weakened jet streams and altered ocean currents—are expected to trigger more extreme weather events, causing injuries, fatalities, and psychological distress.
Indirect effects include saltwater intrusion into drinking water from rising sea levels, potentially leading to pregnancy complications and higher cancer risks.
Changes in precipitation and temperature may reduce agricultural yields, increasing malnutrition, while the spread of insect- and water-borne diseases like dengue, cholera, and vibriosis is projected to reach new regions.
In the Arctic, melting permafrost threatens infrastructure and could release ancient pollutants and pathogens, while ocean changes are eroding traditional food sources, worsening health outcomes among local communities.
Professor Whiteman called for stronger international collaboration between climate scientists, health professionals, and policymakers to integrate polar-related risks into global health planning.
The research, conducted with Arctic Basecamp and the World Economic Forum and funded by the Wellcome Trust, aims to build new tools to assess and mitigate the health impacts of polar climate change.
“Ignoring these potential drivers of disease and death is not an option,” Whiteman said.
“We must act now to strengthen resilience and protect the world’s most vulnerable populations,” he said.
