Environmental Charictaristics

All environmental characteristics

-Safe water and sanitation

-Adequate housing

-Levels of carbon dioxide emissions

-Adequate infrastructure

-Food security

Safe water and sanitation

High income countries: Safe water is a characteristic of a HIC. Access to safe water and sanitation is responsible for a large proportion of the variations in health and wellbeing between the three groups.

Middle income countries: Safe water is a characteristic of a MIC. Access to safe water and sanitation is responsible for a large proportion of the variations in health and wellbeing between the three groups.

Food security

High income countries: Often have access to quality food supply

Low income countries often lack food security. (Natural disasters have more pronounced impacts on the availability of food in LIC due to lack of resources)

Adequate housing

High income countries: Adequate housing

Middle income countries: countries lack access to adequate housing. often live in substandard housing with

poor ventilation

lack of heating and cooling

poor resistance to infestation of disease-carrying organisms such as insects

running water.

In many low- and middle-income countries, urban slums are also a common feature of cities compared to high-income countries.

Low income countries: countries lack access to adequate housing. often live in substandard housing with

poor ventilation

lack of heating and cooling

poor resistance to infestation of disease-carrying organisms such as insects

running water.

In many low- and middle-income countries, urban slums are also a common feature of cities compared to high-income countries.

Adequate infrastructure

High income countries: usually have adequate roads and transport systems, piped water, sewerage systems, electricity grids and telecommunication systems

Middle income countries: often lack access to such facilities, especially in rural and remote areas and urban slums.

low income countries: often lack access to such facilities, especially in rural and remote areas and urban slums.

Levels of carbon dioxide emissions.

High income countries: Due to the range of industries in high-income countries, these countries emit greater amounts of carbon dioxide (CO₂) per person into the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide emissions have been linked to climate change and the associated effects on sea levels and changing weather patterns.]

Low- and middle-income countries are often the most affected by climate change as they lack the economic resources to effectively deal with the associated impacts.