India is a large developing country, with the Great Himalayas, the world's third largest ice mass in the north, 7500 km long, and densely populated coast line in the south. Developing country populations, particularly in small island states, arid and high mountain zones, and in densely populated coastal areas are considered to be particularly vulnerable. The Third Assessment Report (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change-2001) concluded that vulnerability to climate change is a function of exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity. The impacts of climate on human health will not be evenly distributed around the world. Overwhelming evidence shows that climate change presents growing threats to public health security – from extreme weather-related disasters to wider spread of such vector-borne diseases as malaria and dengue.
