Impacts on human systems
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Question
Define food security.
Answer
Food security is when all people have reliable access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food.
💡 Hint
Access + sufficient + safe + nutritious.
Question
List four major ways climate change can impact human systems.
Answer
Food security, water security, human health, infrastructure damage, economic costs, and displacement are major impact areas (any four).
💡 Hint
Think: food, water, health, infrastructure, displacement.
Question
Give two examples of heat-related health impacts linked to climate change.
Answer
Examples include heatstroke, dehydration, and increased cardiovascular stress during heatwaves.
💡 Hint
Pick any two heat impacts.
Question
How can climate change increase the risk of vector-borne disease?
Answer
Warmer temperatures and changed rainfall can expand the range and season of vectors (e.g., mosquitoes), increasing diseases such as malaria or dengue in new areas.
💡 Hint
Vectors expand range.
Question
Define water security.
Answer
Water security is reliable access to adequate quantities of acceptable quality water for health, livelihoods, ecosystems, and production.
💡 Hint
Quantity + quality + reliability.
Question
For a 9-mark “discuss impacts on societies” answer, what structure usually scores best?
Answer
Organise by sectors (food, water, health, infrastructure, economy). For each: describe impact, explain mechanism, add an example, then include equity/climate justice.
💡 Hint
Sector-based paragraphs + examples.
Question
Give two ways climate change can damage infrastructure.
Answer
Examples include coastal flooding damaging roads/ports, stronger storms destroying buildings, and permafrost thaw destabilising foundations and pipelines.
💡 Hint
Flooding/storms/permafrost.
Question
Give two ways climate change can reduce crop yields.
Answer
Examples include more frequent drought/heatwaves causing water stress, increased flooding/storm damage, and expansion of pests/diseases into new areas.
💡 Hint
Any two: drought/heat, floods/storms, pests/disease.
Question
Give one example of an indirect health impact of climate change.
Answer
Malnutrition from reduced crop yields, mental health stress after disasters, or increased disease spread are indirect health impacts.
💡 Hint
Not injury from storm directly.
Question
What is saltwater intrusion and why can sea level rise increase it?
Answer
Saltwater intrusion is seawater moving into coastal aquifers. Sea level rise increases pressure and allows seawater to push further inland, contaminating freshwater.
💡 Hint
Coastal groundwater becomes salty.
Question
Why are LEDCs often more vulnerable to climate change impacts than HICs?
Answer
They often have greater exposure (e.g., agriculture dependence), fewer resources for adaptation, weaker infrastructure, and limited healthcare and insurance coverage.
💡 Hint
Exposure + sensitivity + low adaptive capacity.
Question
What is meant by “climate refugees” (climate displacement)?
Answer
People forced to move because climate impacts (e.g., sea level rise, drought, extreme storms) make their home unsafe or livelihoods impossible.
💡 Hint
Forced movement due to climate impacts.
Question
Why are climate change impacts often described as a climate justice issue?
Answer
Those who contributed least to greenhouse gas emissions (often LEDCs and small island states) tend to face the greatest impacts and have fewer resources to adapt.
💡 Hint
Low responsibility, high impact.
Question
State one way warmer temperatures can reduce water quality in lakes and reservoirs.
Answer
Warmer water can increase algal blooms; decomposition/respiration can reduce dissolved oxygen, increasing hypoxia risk.
💡 Hint
Warming → blooms → lower oxygen.
Question
State one way climate change can affect economic productivity.
Answer
Heat reduces labour productivity and increases cooling costs; disasters damage assets; insurance costs rise and supply chains are disrupted.
💡 Hint
Heat + disasters = economic losses.
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Full study notes for Impacts on human systems
Topic 6.2 hub
Climate change—causes and impacts
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