Climate change related impacts on mountain ecosystems could affect population health by creating favorable conditions for the spread of germs and diseases. Such impacts can be caused by disasters; such as earthquakes, avalanches, heavy snowfalls, major storms, floods, and droughts. In addition, the depth and duration of the snow cover and length of the snow free season, plus changes in cloud cover and sunlight available, all contribute to hardships in the people’s lives and foster deadly diseases in the villages of the Himalayan region.

Due to exposure to extremely harsh weather, poverty, malnutrition and lack of basic facilities, the people of these areas are very vulnerable to all kinds of contagious, chronic and seasonal diseases. These diseases include tuberculosis, extremes in blood pressure, arthritis, hepatitis B and C, heart diseases, bronchitis, inflammation, gastric trouble, pneumonia, influenza, diarrhea, typhoid, anemia, cough, eye and skin diseases. Women and children are especially anemic and susceptible to these diseases; therefore, the mortality rate for children is 35%.

Moreover, in many mountain regions, the change in runoff from snowmelt and glaciers can directly and indirectly affect the quantity of water-related infectious diseases. Diarrhea has more than one means of transmission and all means of transmission are likely in mountain regions.

To further complicate the situation, malnutrition resulting from an interruption in food production or distribution, caused by losing farmlands due to flash floods and resulting in soil erosion, are major reasons why diseases are produced. It is consequently no surprise that the average life expectancy is 55 years of age in that area of the Himalayas.