Impacts on Human Being
Health & Motality
The cold waves cause problem in northern latitudes in a very few hours but over long periods. Exposure to cold temperatures can cause various negative health problems such as death, disease, or other health complaints. There are health problems, which are related with cold waves, such as ischemic heart disease, frostbite, and hypothermia (they are explained at the below gray box). The cold waves have serious health effects currently, especially mountainous regions in Russia, Canada and Alaska. Below figure is about the relationship with temperature and daily incidence. As the figure, we can find that lower temperature causes higher incidence.
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Ref; <Extreme weather and climate events and public health responses>, Report on a WHO meeting in Bratislava, Slovakia, 09-10 February 2004. |
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Above health problems could cause deaths also. In most European countries, mortality in winter are higher than in summer. Increases in mortality due to cold waves are less in cold regions in Europe than in warmer ones.
Also motality which are related with the cold waves, are more serious to people who are vulnerable to the cold such as very young or old ages, outdoor people, alcoholics, and having other diseases.
Social Problems (Transfer & Economy)
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Damage to infrastructure ranges from the breakdown of power plants, power supply and telecommunication systems and drinking water supplies, reduced oil and gas production and, in some areas, the isolation of human settlements from the outside world for weeks on end. Extreme winter cold often causes poorly insulated water pipelines and mains to freeze. Even some poorly protected indoor plumbing ruptures as water expands within them, causing much damage to property and costly insurance claims. Demand for electrical power and fuels rises dramatically during such times, even though the generation of electrical power may fail due to the freezing of water necessary for the generation of hydroelectricity. Some metals may become brittle at low temperatures. Motor vehicles may fail as antifreeze fails and motor oil gels, resulting even in the failure of the transportation system with consequent reductions in economic activity and in the delivery of supplies to the population. Road traffic accidents increase. Agriculture and forestry are confronted with a loss of profits, even extending to total losses of field crop, fruit and vegetables.
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