ADVANCEMENT OF THE SCIENCE
Open Access
The Health-Related Consequences of Drought in the Po and Colorado River Basins
Christopher A. Carter, MPH Kansas State University Ellyn R. Mulcahy, MPH, PhD
Department of Diagnostic Medicine and Pathobiology, Kansas State University
Thomas Platt, PhD Division of Biology, Kansas State University Justin Kastner, PhD
Department of Diagnostic Medicine and Pathobiology, Kansas State University
diseases, malnutrition, migration, and mental illness. Poor air quality causes and aggravates numerous conditions including upper respiratory tract infections, asthma, and cardiovascular disease (Li et al., 2023; Lippmann, 2020). Exposure to airborne pol- lutants also increases rates of diabetes melli- tus and adverse birth outcomes (Feng et al., 2016). Drought inhibits the removal of air- borne pollutants from the air via precipita- tion, alters the generation rate of pollutants such as ozone, and extends the suspension time of airborne particulates (Wang et al., 2017). Dry conditions also favor wildfires and the resuspension of soil, both of which are common sources of airborne pollutants (Bo et al., 2020; Šmejkalová & Brzezina, 2022). These mechanisms can increase concentrations of coarse particulate matter (PM 10 ), fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ), and nitrogen oxide despite reductions in anthro- pogenic emissions (Hu et al., 2019). Con- versely, periods of high precipitation reduce concentrations of PM 10 (Baltaci et al., 2019). Through these reductions in wet scaveng- ing and changes in pollutant dynamics, the negative health consequences of air pol- lutants worsen during drought conditions and exemplify the direct consequences of drought on health. Particulate matter often includes soil-resid- ing pathogens such as Coccidioides immitis and C. posadasii , the causative agents of coc- cidioidomycosis (Valley fever). Coccidioides mycelia reside in the soil and produce spores that, when inhaled, cause fungal pneumo- nia in a variety of hosts such as humans, dogs, and aquatic mammals (Nguyen et al., 2013). Soil moisture provided by winter pre-
Abstract Global climate change will continue to expose more communities to drought, a prominent environmental health hazard. Droughts directly and indirectly aect the health of communities through reduced air and water quality, increased incidence of infectious disease, malnutrition, and mental illness. The Po River Basin region in Europe and the Colorado River Basin region in the U.S. illustrate how geography and policy aect the prevalence of health-related consequences of drought. Our study quantifies the relevant health-related consequences of drought in these two regions and identifies the most salient public health challenge in each region. The most salient risk in the Po River Basin is the heavy industry and natural geography that result in poor air quality. In the Colorado River Basin, the emerging disease coccidioidomycosis (Valley fever) poses the most salient risk. By identifying these prominent health-related consequences, public health practitioners and policymakers can more strategically target interventions and policies to reduce the health burden of drought. Keywords: drought, air quality, coccidioidomycosis (Valley fever), health consequences, Colorado River Basin (U.S.), Po River Basin (Italy)
Introduction Global climate change threatens a variety of environmental resources, including water. Rising temperatures and altered weather patterns aect the volume of existing sur- face water, groundwater, and precipitation (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [IPCC], 2023). Globally, climate change is expected to increase freshwater resources due to increased precipitation, runo, river dis- charge, and flooding (Oki & Kanae, 2006). In some regions, however, weather variability
compounded with higher temperatures will lead to periods of drought interspersed with flooding (IPCC, 2023). Currently, one half of the global population experiences water scar- city for at least part of the year (IPCC, 2023). As climate change persists, water availability will continue to decline, especially for those already living in water-scarce environments (Gosling & Arnell, 2016). Water scarcity is associated with nega- tive health outcomes, including reduced air quality, waterborne and vectorborne
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Volume 87 • Number 10
https://doi.org/10.70387/001c.140440
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