Climate change, directly and indirectly, impacts physical and mental health in a number of ways. These include inter alia increasing frequency and severity of extreme weather events, natural disasters, heat waves, and droughts; water and food shortages; increased incidence of respiratory and cardiovascular diseases; increased range of and human exposure to tropical and vector borne diseases; and mental health impacts of displacement, crisis exposure, physical ailment, and environmental destruction.

In its resolution 29/15, the Human Rights Council requested the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) to conduct a detailed analytical study in consultation with relevant stakeholders on the relationship between climate change and the human right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health and to organize a panel discussion on the same subject during the 31st Session of the Human Rights Council.

These inputs are summarised in the document along with preliminary conclusions about the impacts of climate change on the full enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health. This summary of inputs received is intended to inform the Human Rights Council panel discussion which took place on 3 March 2016 and the analytical study which will be submitted to the 32nd Session of the Council. This is an informal document and conference room paper