Final answer:
Waterborne diseases and extreme heat increase are likely to disproportionately affect developing countries due to their limited adaptive capacity and reliance on agriculture. Hotter temperatures can lead to drought and crop failures, exacerbating food insecurity, while increased rainfall and warmer climates can foster environments suitable for disease-carrying insects.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student has asked which of the following climate change impacts is most likely going to affect developing countries more than industrialized countries: 1) urban air pollution 2) waterborne diseases 3) extreme heat increase 4) glacial retreat 5) psycho-social wellbeing. From the given options, while each of these impacts affects both developed and developing nations, waterborne diseases and extreme heat increase are particularly likely to have disproportionate adverse effects on developing countries.
Developing countries frequently lack the infrastructure and resources necessary to adapt to and mitigate the effects of climate change. For example, an increase in extreme heat can intensify the consequences of drought and lead to food insecurity due to crop failures, significantly impacting nations with agriculture-dependent economies. Moreover, hotter temperatures and increased rainfall can foster environments favorable to the breeding of disease-carrying insects, resulting in a higher incidence of waterborne diseases.
Additionally, as climate change exacerbates resource scarcity, developing nations might experience intensified social tensions and conflicts over limited resources such as drinking water and arable land. The potential for increased human displacement due to climate change further compounds these challenges, placing additional stress on the socio-economic structures within developing nations.
While urban air pollution, glacial retreat, and psycho-social wellbeing are concerns under the climate change umbrella, the immediacy and directness of the impact of waterborne diseases and extreme heat increase are more critical for developing countries. The relative lack of adaptive capacity in these nations makes them more vulnerable to these specific consequences.