Older people are at much higher risk of dying during
extreme heat events.136, 50,241,233 Pre-existing health conditions also make older adults susceptible to cardiac and respiratory impacts of air pollution25 and to more severe consequences from infectious diseases; 257 limited mobility among older adults can also increase flood - related health risks.258 Limited resources and an already high
burden of chronic health conditions, including heart disease, obesity, and diabetes, will place the poor at higher risk of health impacts from climate change
than higher income groups.25, 50 Potential increases in food cost and limited availability of some foods will exacerbate current dietary inequalities and have significant health ramifications for the poorer segments of our population (Ch.
* 20 to 30 % of plant and animal species likely to be at increased risk of extinction * many millions more people
than today projected to experience floods every year due to sea level rise * increases in malnutrition; increased deaths, diseases and injury due to
extreme weather events; increased
burden of diarrhoeal diseases; increased frequency of cardio - respiratory diseases due to higher concentrations of ground - level ozone in urban areas * hundreds of millions of people exposed to increased water stress