Expert Contributor/ Family FlavoursMagazine

When people speak about climate change, they often picture melting ice caps, rising sea levels, or extreme weather on the news. But the effects of climate change are far broader and closer to home than you may think.

A Human Issue Too

From heatwaves in Europe and prolonged droughts in Africa, to floods in South Asia, wildfires in California and rising temperatures and water scarcity in the Middle East, climate change quietly shapes our everyday health. These changes may not always be dramatic or immediately felt, yet they influence how we breathe, eat, sleep and feel, often in ways we barely notice.

Climate change is not only an environmental issue, but a human one too; its effects are already present in our bodies and communities, even if we do not always recognise them.

A Changing Climate, A Changing Body

Our bodies are tuned to our surroundings. Temperature, air quality, water availability and food systems all influence how well we function. As the climate shifts, these foundations are becoming less stable.

Hotter summers, milder winters, unpredictable rainfall and more frequent extreme weather place new pressures on the human body. Even seemingly moderate changes, such as a few extra hot days in summer or an unusually wet season, can strain organs and increase the risk of heat-related illness or infections. Over time, these subtle effects accumulate, quietly influencing overall health and wellbeing.

A Strain on Your Health

Rising temperatures are one of the most direct ways climate change affects health. Heatwaves around the world are becoming more frequent and intense, even in regions that were once milder. In Jordan, for example, summer temperatures in Amman now often climb above 40 degrees Celsius; a shocking fact that, sadly, has become almost unsurprising.

Higher temperatures place extra stress on the heart and kidneys, particularly in older adults, young children and people with chronic health conditions. As well as making it harder for the body to cool down and disrupting sleep during unusually warm nights, heat can lead to dehydration, heat exhaustion, or even heat stroke and can worsen pre-existing health problems.