Climate change and its impact on global health is a crucial topic that has been gaining increasing attention in recent years. As an IELTS examiner and instructor, I’ve noticed a significant rise in the frequency of this subject appearing in Writing Task 2 questions. Based on past exam trends and current global concerns, it’s highly likely that you’ll encounter a question related to this theme in your upcoming IELTS test.
Let’s explore a relevant IELTS Writing Task 2 question and provide sample essays to help you prepare effectively for this important topic.
Analyzing the Question
Here’s a typical IELTS Writing Task 2 question on this topic:
Climate change is considered by many to be the most serious threat to global health in the 21st century. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?
This question requires you to:
- Understand the concept of climate change and its potential impacts on global health
- Form an opinion on whether climate change is indeed the most serious threat to global health
- Provide reasons and examples to support your viewpoint
- Structure your essay coherently, addressing both sides of the argument
Now, let’s look at two sample essays that address this question, targeting different band scores.
Sample Essay 1 (Band 8-9)
Climate change has emerged as one of the most pressing issues of our time, with far-reaching consequences that extend beyond environmental concerns. While there are numerous threats to global health in the 21st century, I strongly agree that climate change poses the most serious and pervasive danger to human well-being worldwide.
Firstly, climate change directly impacts human health through extreme weather events and natural disasters. Rising global temperatures lead to more frequent and intense heatwaves, floods, and storms, which not only cause immediate fatalities but also long-term health issues. For instance, the 2003 European heatwave resulted in over 70,000 excess deaths, demonstrating the devastating potential of climate-related events on human life.
Secondly, climate change indirectly affects health by altering ecosystems and exacerbating existing health problems. As temperatures rise, disease vectors like mosquitoes expand their range, leading to increased transmission of malaria, dengue fever, and other infectious diseases in previously unaffected areas. Moreover, changes in precipitation patterns and rising sea levels threaten food and water security, potentially causing widespread malnutrition and water-borne illnesses.
Furthermore, the health impacts of climate change disproportionately affect vulnerable populations, exacerbating global health inequalities. Developing countries, which often lack robust healthcare systems and infrastructure, are particularly susceptible to the adverse effects of climate change. This disparity in impact further underscores the severity of climate change as a global health threat.
While other issues such as antibiotic resistance and emerging pandemics also pose significant risks to global health, climate change stands out due to its pervasive and long-lasting nature. It acts as a “threat multiplier,” exacerbating existing health challenges and creating new ones across various sectors. The scale and complexity of its impact make it uniquely challenging to address and mitigate.
In conclusion, the evidence overwhelmingly supports the notion that climate change is indeed the most serious threat to global health in the 21st century. Its wide-ranging and interconnected effects on human well-being, coupled with its potential to amplify other health risks, make it an unparalleled challenge that requires immediate and concerted global action.
(Word count: 345)
Sample Essay 2 (Band 6-7)
Climate change is a big problem that affects many aspects of our lives, including health. I agree that it is one of the most serious threats to global health in this century, but I’m not sure if it’s the only most serious one.
One reason why climate change is a big threat to health is because it causes more extreme weather. For example, heatwaves are becoming more common and can be dangerous, especially for old people and children. Floods and storms also happen more often because of climate change, and they can hurt people directly and cause problems like dirty water that makes people sick.
Another way climate change affects health is by changing where diseases can spread. As the Earth gets warmer, mosquitoes that carry diseases like malaria can live in new places. This means more people might get sick from these diseases. Also, climate change can make it harder to grow food in some places, which could lead to more people not having enough to eat.
However, I think there are other big threats to global health too. For example, new diseases that spread quickly around the world, like COVID-19, can be very dangerous. Also, problems like not having clean water or enough doctors in some countries are still big health issues.
Even though these other problems are serious, I think climate change is probably the biggest threat because it affects so many different parts of health and the environment. It’s also a problem that gets worse over time if we don’t do anything about it.
In conclusion, while there are many threats to global health, I mostly agree that climate change is the most serious one. It affects health in many ways and can make other health problems worse. We need to take action to stop climate change to protect people’s health around the world.
(Word count: 309)
Key Points to Remember When Writing
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Structure: Both essays follow a clear structure with an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. The Band 8-9 essay has more sophisticated paragraph transitions and a more nuanced thesis statement.
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Vocabulary: The Band 8-9 essay uses more advanced vocabulary and phrases, such as “pervasive danger,” “exacerbating,” and “threat multiplier.” The Band 6-7 essay uses simpler language but still effectively communicates the main ideas.
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Grammar: The higher band essay demonstrates a wider range of complex sentence structures, while the Band 6-7 essay uses simpler constructions but maintains grammatical accuracy.
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Task Response: Both essays address the question directly, but the Band 8-9 essay provides more detailed examples and a more comprehensive analysis of the issue.
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Coherence and Cohesion: The Band 8-9 essay shows better use of cohesive devices and logical flow between ideas. The Band 6-7 essay is also coherent but with less sophisticated linking.
Useful Vocabulary for This Topic
- Climate change (noun) /ˈklaɪmət tʃeɪndʒ/ – Long-term shifts in global weather patterns and average temperatures
- Global health (noun phrase) /ˈɡləʊbl helθ/ – The health of populations in a global context
- Exacerbate (verb) /ɪɡˈzæsəbeɪt/ – To make a problem or situation worse
- Vulnerability (noun) /ˌvʌlnərəˈbɪləti/ – The quality of being easily hurt or damaged
- Mitigation (noun) /ˌmɪtɪˈɡeɪʃn/ – The action of reducing the severity or seriousness of something
- Ecosystem (noun) /ˈiːkəʊsɪstəm/ – A biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment
- Vector-borne disease (noun phrase) /ˈvektə bɔːn dɪˈziːz/ – Illnesses caused by parasites, viruses, or bacteria transmitted by insects or other animals
- Food security (noun phrase) /fuːd sɪˈkjʊərəti/ – The state of having reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable, nutritious food
- Extreme weather events (noun phrase) /ɪkˈstriːm ˈweðə ɪˈvents/ – Unusually severe or unseasonal weather phenomena
- Biodiversity loss (noun phrase) /ˌbaɪəʊdaɪˈvɜːsəti lɒs/ – The decrease in the variety of plant and animal life in a particular habitat or on Earth generally
In conclusion, the impact of climate change on global health is a critical topic that is likely to appear in future IELTS Writing Task 2 questions. To prepare effectively, practice writing essays on related themes such as:
- The role of individual actions in combating climate change
- Government responsibilities in addressing global health challenges
- The economic impact of climate change on healthcare systems
- Technological solutions for mitigating climate change effects on health
Remember to structure your essays clearly, use a range of vocabulary and grammatical structures, and provide specific examples to support your arguments. Feel free to practice writing an essay on the given topic and share it in the comments section for feedback and discussion. This active practice will significantly improve your IELTS writing skills and prepare you for success in the exam.