A climate expert offered a sobering take on Arctic ice loss and its powerful impact on communities around the globe. 

What's happening?

As the World Economic Forum observed, the Arctic is warming faster than any other region on the planet. 

This is primarily due to Arctic amplification, a process driven primarily by the ice-albedo feedback, or when melting ice exposes darker water that absorbs more heat. This creates a powerful positive feedback loop, accelerating the region's warming beyond the global average. 

Gail Whiteman, professor of sustainability at the University of Exeter Business School, explained that the impacts of this phenomenon aren't just limited to the Arctic. 

"People tend to think that what happens in the Arctic, stays in the Arctic," Whiteman said, per the World Economic Forum. "Or what happens in the Antarctic stays there. And it doesn't, of course. It's a larger system."   

Why are warming temperatures in the Arctic concerning?

As a result of rapidly warming temperatures in the Arctic, regions across the globe are experiencing increases in extreme weather events and vector-borne diseases. 

This is due to changes in global temperatures and even rising humidity levels, creating the perfect living conditions for pests such as mosquitoes, ticks, and fleas. 

"We've got West Nile. We've got Zika virus. We've got dengue, and we've got Lyme disease, which comes from ticks," added Whiteman, per the World Economic Forum. 

As the Arctic experiences changes in its climate, regions all over the world have experienced outbreaks in a number of these diseases. This includes countries in Africa, Southeast Asia, and even North America.       

West Nile virus and dengue fever are two vector-borne illnesses that can often cause similar symptoms, such as fever, headache, body aches, and rash. In each disease, severe complications can lead to life-threatening neurological conditions that can lead to death.    

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What's being done about outbreaks of vector-borne diseases?

The development of severe complications can be especially common in communities that lack specialized care. 

"Northern Europe and the health care system are not used to diagnosing cases of West Nile or of dengue, that's for sure," said Whiteman, per the World Economic Forum. 

However, health care providers in Europe are often "robust" and are better suited to treat vector-borne diseases. 

The same can't be said about "marginalized areas" around the world that may not be equipped to handle outbreaks. Whiteman explained that these health care systems will likely be "overcome with surges in vector-borne diseases," which may be where the "real risk comes in."

To combat this ongoing concern, Whiteman has urged governments to take the threat of disease outbreaks seriously by developing concrete "risk and response plans" as well as investing in "cross-national, multilateral vaccine preparedness, and medication."

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