This latest Climate Council report provides an update of climate change science, impacts and risks. This report draws from the massive body of evidence that human activities - primarily from the burning of coal, oil and gas - are driving dramatic changes in our climate system. The report outlines how the changing climate poses substantial and escalating risks for health, property, infrastructure, agriculture and natural ecosystems in Australia. Compared to our understanding when the last Critical Decade report was published, the risks of climate change for our well-being now look more serious at lower levels of climate change, strengthening the case for urgent action. Finally, the report describes why it is in Australia’s national interest to play a leadership role in the global move for strong climate action leading up to the Paris climate conference at the end of 2015

Provides information, opinions and recommendations relevant to assessing the potential impacts of climate change on public health in Australia, as well as guidelines for decision-making in responding to these impacts. It aims to: draw attention to the potential impacts of climate change on health in Australia; discuss the policies and issues related to the impacts of climate change on health; present prioritised recommendations to decision-makers on policies and practices which may assist mitigation of and adaptation to the most serious of the identified impacts; provide guidance which will assist appropriate people and agencies to allocate resources to the highest priority problems; and provide a comprehensive list of references which provide reliable evidence about the potential impacts of climate change on health in Australia. The immediate and longer-term impacts of climate change have the potential to affect Australian health and social environments seriously, and as such, demand and deserve attention by Federal and State Governments and agencies within the Australian public health sector. Policymakers are faced with pressing issues of funding and delivering health services for an ageing society with an ever increasing burden of chronic disease and expectations of access to high-technology, high cost interventions. However, the impacts of future climate change on public health may potentially generate very large healthcare costs if current strategies for healthcare are inadequate. Successful advocacy of new policies and practices by credible and influential groups must use language which can be understood by the people who are to be influenced. This advocacy must be supported by reliable evidence. Climate-related catastrophes (droughts, floods, cyclones, other storms, bush fires) occur frequently in Australia. The demonstrably high variability in the incidence and severity of such phenomena present a challenge to scientists to discover and demonstrate any correlations between the catastrophes and the slow changes of climatic indices due to climate change. Public health organisations must start to develop alternative, more effective, practices to manage the complex issues related to climate change while continuing to implement their traditional primary, secondary and tertiary preventive models. A new approach, based on ecological principles, will be required to navigate through the complex and interrelating health causes. The public health sector must strengthen existing approaches for effective climate change adaptation strategies, including assessing regional health risks to identify vulnerable and resilient populations, collecting enhanced surveillance data and developing monitoring indicators. This approach must be based on: providing sound scientific evidence for predicting the likely outcomes and thus to take preventive or responsive action; and reorienting the public health sector towards greater comprehension and use of ecological understandings and approaches. Recommendations Politicians, health bureaucrats and other interested parties must formulate comprehensive, coherent policies to address the direct and indirect impacts of climate change on public health, including allocation of appropriate financial resources as part of a National Plan for Health in Responding to Climate Change. The National Health and Medical Research Council should be tasked with ensuring coordinated, comprehensive funding to support research into the health impacts of climate change. Research organisations and health institutions must collaborate to develop cost-effective, long-term, longitudinal studies on the impacts of climate change on the physical, biological and social environments that will affect Australian’s public health. Advocates must develop proposals which demonstrate cost savings to government over three to six years, or one or two electoral cycles. Little will be achieved in the current fiscal environment if proposed policies and practices will incur significant new budgetary expenses to governments or their agencies. Managing the impacts of climate change on public health will also involve several other sectors, such as water, planning, building, housing and transport infrastructure. Appropriate institutions should work towards a multi-level, interdisciplinary and integrated response to raise the importance of the impacts of climate change on public health. A comprehensive surveillance system would monitor the inter-relationship of environmental, social and health factors. Observational studies are important to monitor recent and present disease patterns and incidence to inform modelling of future disease patterns. They could also provide baselines for environmental health indicators, which can periodically be monitored and measured in order to inform program evaluation. The public health sector must integrate planned, evidence-based adaptations into existing preventive activities. Useful methodologies might include: a risk assessment approach such as Health Impact Assessment (HIA); an appropriate range of Environmental Health Indicators (EHIs); a “Driving force-Pressure-State-Exposure-Effect-Action (DPSEEA) framework”; and a systematic ecological health framework. The opposite of vulnerability is resilience – our capacity to respond to challenging or new circumstances. The factors which encourage resilience needs to be better understood. The public health sector must communicate concepts of risk, and develop strategies to encourage greater resilience. To understand how we can minimise vulnerability of individuals and communities to climate change we must identify those populations which are most at risk, including those for whom climate change will act as a stress multiplier for existing public health problems. The health sector must communicate climate change as a human health issue rather than just an “environmental problem”. The focus should be on effective, realistic and sustainable solutions rather than problems characterised as bleak and unresolvable

This report argues that climate change is likely making drought worse in the southeast and southwest of Australia, which are some of our most populous regions. Introduction Drought has deeply affected Australia throughout its history. The Millennium Drought from 1996-2010 serves as a recent reminder of the wide-reaching impacts that drought can have on Australia’s people and environment. Australia is the driest inhabited continent on Earth and drought is an important feature of Australia’s climate. Whilst Australians have always lived with drought and its consequences, it is likely that climate change is making drought worse in the southeast and southwest, some of our most populous regions. We begin this report by describing what a drought is, before considering its consequences for health, the economy, ecosystems and urban water supplies. We then outline the changing drought conditions and increasing drying trends in Australia and explore recent dry conditions in various parts of the country. We conclude by exploring how climate change is influencing drought conditions in the southeast and southwest of the continent as well as drying trends globally

Global climate change is progressing and health impacts have been observed in a number of countries, including Australia. The main health impacts will be due to direct heat exposure, extreme weather, air pollution, reduced local food production, food- and vectorborne infectious diseases and mental stress. The issue is one of major public health importance. Adaptation to reduce the effects of climate change involves many different sectors to minimise negative health outcomes. Wide-scale mitigation is also required, in order to reduce the effects of climate change. In addition, future urban design must be modified to mitigate and adapt to the effects of climate change. Strategies for mitigation and adaptation can create co-benefits for both individual and community health, by reducing non-climate-related health hazard exposures and by encouraging health promoting behaviours and lifestyles.

Each region of the United States experiences climate change and its impacts on health differently. Read about success stories in the Northeast.This fact sheet was prepared by the CDC Climate and Health Program, which empowers communities to protect public health from a changing climate. Information on the health impacts of climate change is provided by the Fifth National Climate Assessment. For more information on the CDC Climate and Health Program, visit https://www.cdc.gov/climate-health/index.html, and the Fifth National Climate Assessment, visit https://nca2023.globalchange.gov/.Publication date from document properties.NORTHEAST__Regional_Factsheet.pdfMaine Department of Health and Human Services -- Massachusetts Department of Health -- New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene -- New York State Department of Health -- Maryland Department of Health -- New Hampshire Division of Public Health Services -- The Northeast Regional Heat Collaborative -- Rhode Island Department of Health

Conferring to the Global Risk Index, Pakistan is ranked as the 7th most susceptible country to the inexorable influence of climate change. Before this century ends, the annual mean temperature in Pakistan is expected to rise from 3°C to 5°C for a focal worldwide discharge situation. Usually, annual precipitation is not relied upon to have a critical long haul pattern. Ocean level is relied upon to ascend further by 60 centimeters. All these climatic events are likely to disrupt the economy, lives, and the socio-political aspects of human life. Pakistan has already witnessed massive loss in terms of human, infrastructural, and economic aspects. The chapter is designed to understand both the direct and indirect health risks associated with frequent climatic events like floods, drought, and heat waves in Pakistan. After analyzing the available literature, it was observed that floods and drought have direct and indirect health risks associated with them while in case of heat waves, health risks cannot be established precisely as multiple variables are involved, playing a significant role.

This fact sheet was prepared by the CDC Climate and Health Program, which empowers communities to protect public health from a changing climate. Information on the health impacts of climate change is provided by the Fifth National Climate Assessment. For more information on the CDC Climate and Health Program, visit https://www.cdc.gov/climate-health/index.html, and the Fifth National Climate Assessment, visit https://nca2023.globalchange.gov/.Publication date from document properties.2024/06/SOUTHWEST__Regional_Factsheet.pdfArizona Department of Health Services -- San Francisco Department of Health, California -- California Department of Public Health -- San Mateo County, California -- Alameda County, California -- Pala Band of Mission Indians -- Greenville Rancheria -- Santa Clara County, Californi

This article examines how social and health inequalities shape the health impacts of climate change in the UK, and what the implications are for climate change adaptation and health care provision. The evidence generated by the other articles of the special issue were interpreted using social justice reasoning in light of additional literature, to draw out the key implications of health and social inequalities for health outcomes of climate change. Exposure to heat and cold, air pollution, pollen, food safety risks, disruptions to access to and functioning of health services and facilities, emerging infections and flooding are examined as the key impacts of climate change influencing health outcomes. Age, pre-existing medical conditions and social deprivation are found to be the key (but not only) factors that make people vulnerable and to experience more adverse health outcomes related to climate change impacts. In the future, climate change, aging population and decreasing public spending on health and social care may aggravate inequality of health outcomes related to climate change. Health education and public preparedness measures that take into account differential exposure, sensitivity and adaptive capacity of different groups help address health and social inequalities to do with climate change. Adaptation strategies based on individual preparedness, action and behaviour change may aggravate health and social inequalities due to their selective uptake, unless they are coupled with broad public information campaigns and financial support for undertaking adaptive measures.

This fact sheet was prepared by the CDC Climate and Health Program, which empowers communities to protect public health from a changing climate. Information on the health impacts of climate change is provided by the Fifth National Climate Assessment. For more information on the CDC Climate and Health Program, visit https://www.cdc.gov/climate-health/index.html, and the Fifth National Climate Assessment, visit https://nca2023.globalchange.gov/.Publication date from document properties.Oregon Health Authority -- Washington State Department of Health -- Lummi Nation -- Swinomish Indian Tribal Community -- Clackamas County Public Health, Oregon -- Seattle-King County, Washington

ABSTRACT Background: Climate change affects human health with those with the least resources being most vulnerable. However, little is known about the impact of climate change on human health and effective adaptation methods in informal settlements in low- and middle-income countries. Objective: The objective of this scoping review was to identify, characterize, and summarize research evidence on the impact of climate change on human health in informal settlements and the available adaptation methods and interventions. Method: A scoping review was conducted using the Arksey and O’Malley framework. The four bibliographic databases PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and the Cochrane library were searched. Eligibility criteria were all types of peer-reviewed publications reporting on climate change or related extreme weather events (as defined by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change), informal settlements (as defined by UN-Habitat), low- and middle-income countries (as defined by the World Bank) and immediate human health impacts. Review selection and characterization were performed by two independent reviewers using a predefined form. Results: Out of 1197 studies initially identified, 15 articles were retained. We found nine original research articles, and six reviews, commentaries, and editorials. The articles were reporting on the exposures flooding, temperature changes and perceptions of climate change with health outcomes broadly categorized as mental health, communicable diseases, and non-communicable diseases. Six studies had a geographical focus on Asia, four on Africa, and one on South America, the remaining four articles had no geographical focus. One article investigated an adaptation method for heat exposure. Serval other adaptation methods were proposed, though they were not investigated by the articles in this review. Conclusion: There is a paucity of original research and solid study designs. Further studies are needed to improve the understanding of the impact, the most effective adaptation methods and to inform policy making.

Assessments of the potential human health impacts of climate change are needed to inform the development of adaptation strategies, policies, and measures to lessen projected adverse impacts. We developed methods for country-level assessments to help policy makers make evidence-based decisions to increase resilience to current and future climates, and to provide information for national communications to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The steps in an assessment should include the following: a) determine the scope of the assessment; b) describe the current distribution and burden of climate-sensitive health determinants and outcomes; c) identify and describe current strategies, policies, and measures designed to reduce the burden of climate-sensitive health determinants and outcomes; d) review the health implications of the potential impacts of climate variability and change in other sectors; e) estimate the future potential health impacts using scenarios of future changes in climate, socioeconomic, and other factors; f) synthesize the results; and g) identify additional adaptation policies and measures to reduce potential negative health impacts. Key issues for ensuring that an assessment is informative, timely, and useful include stakeholder involvement, an adequate management structure, and a communication strategy

Extreme weather events including drought, flooding, and wildfires resulting from climate change can impact ecosystems. Various toxic substances are emitted during wildfires, such as particulate matter and volatile organic compounds, as the frequency and intensity of wildfires rise with climate change. This review aims to focus on the effects of wildfires on environmental health covering contaminants in soil, aquatic and atmospheric environment. A thorough literature search was conducted in Web of Science Core Collections with the following keywords: “wildfire” OR “volatile organic compounds” OR “pollution” OR “contamination” OR “terrestrial pollution” OR “aquatic pollution” OR “atmospheric pollution”. PRISMA flow chart was used to highlight the review's content and provide a more thorough synthesis of relevant studies. Various studies have shown how wildfire emissions affect the public health, although handful information available regarding the environmental health impacts of smoke emissions during wildfires. The post-wildfire trace elemental concentrations and speciation are notably linked to plant species, geology, and topography. Recent studies found increased levels of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), dissolved organic carbon (DOC), suspended solids, and water turbidity in lakes within wildfire-burnt watersheds. The response of individual ecosystems to wildfire depends on proximity to the fire, fire characteristics, fuel fee material burned, the effect of fundamental drivers of water quality. The findings of this review will encourage and strengthen collaboration between the scientific community and regulatory agencies to better understand how erratic weather events, such as wildfires, may affect the health of people and animals.

This fact sheet was prepared by the CDC Climate and Health Program, which empowers communities to protect public health from a changing climate. Information on the health impacts of climate change is provided by the Fifth National Climate Assessment. For more information on the CDC Climate and Health Program, visit https://www.cdc.gov/climate-health/index.html, and the Fifth National Climate Assessment, visit https://nca2023.globalchange.gov/.CS 349210-DPublication date from document properties.MIDWEST_Regional_Factsheet.pdfMarquette County Health Department, Michigan -- Minnesota Department of Health -- Michigan Department of Health and Human Services -- University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health and Illinois Department of Public Health -- Wisconsin Division of Public Health -- Calhoun County Health Department, Illinois -- Franklin County Public Health, Ohio

Climate change-related exposures such as flooding and ambient air pollution place people’s health at risk. A representative UK survey of adults investigated associations between reported flooding and air pollution (in the participants’ local area, by the participant personally, and/or by family and close friends) and climate change concerns (CCC) and perceptions of its health impacts (PIH). In regression analyses controlling for socio-demographic factors and health status, exposure was associated with greater CCC and more negative PIH. Compared to those with low CCC, participants who reported local-area exposure were significantly more likely to be fairly (OR 2.07, 95%CI 1.26, 3.40) or very concerned (OR 3.40, 95%CI 2.02, 5.71). Odds of greater CCC were higher for those reporting personal and/or family exposure (‘fairly concerned’: OR 2.83, 95%CI 1.20, 6.66; ‘very concerned’: OR 4.11, 95%CI 1.69, 10.05) and for those reporting both local and personal/family exposure (‘fairly concerned’: OR 3.35, 95%CI 1.99, 5.63; ‘very concerned’: OR 6.17, 95%CI 3.61, 10.55). For PIH, local exposure significantly increased the odds of perceiving impacts as ‘more bad than good’ (1.86, 95%CI 1.22, 2.82) or ‘entirely bad’ (OR 1.88; 95%CI 1.13, 3.13). Our study suggests that public awareness of climate-related exposures in their local area, together with personal exposures and those of significant others, are associated with heightened concern about climate change and its health impacts.

This chapter will discuss what climate science projects will happen this century. The focus will be on the so-called business-as-usual case, which assumes no significant global action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions trends in the foreseeable future. The primary source will be the latest scientific...

This report identifies major constraints to the adaptive capacity of food organisations operating in Australia. This report is about food security, climate change and risk management. Australia has enjoyed an unprecedented level of food security for more than half a century, but there are new uncertainties emerging and it would be unrealistic – if not complacent – to assume the same level of food security will persist simply because of recent history. The project collected data from more than 36 case study organisations (both foreign and local) operating in the Australian food-supply chain, and found that for many businesses,  risk management practices require substantial improvement to cope with and exploit the uncertainties that lie ahead. Three risks were identified as major constraints to adaptive capacity of food organisations operating in Australia:  risk management practices; an uncertain regulatory environment – itself a result of gaps in risk management; climate change uncertainty and projections about climate change impacts, also related to risk management

Climate change is a “ threat multiplier and a prime cause of universal threat to health in the 21st century, including 4 th industrial revolution. The health effects of climate change will increase dramatically over the next few years and pose a risk to human life and the well-being of billions of people. As we all know, the milieu is fundamental to our sustained earth survival and environmental changes (natural and artificial) affect it either to the benefit or detriment of humans. Climate change is one of such changes in the physical environment which has grave consequences for the existence of mankind. Climate change is interestingly, no longer a speculative subject. There is a good international scientific consensus existing to show that this phenomenon is real and if recent global warming movements continue, temperature rise, ocean levels and more frequently weather conditions that is extreme (storms, heat-waves, droughts, floods, cyclones, etc . ) may perhaps cause severe food shortages, loss of shelter, water, livelihoods, extinction of flora and fauna species. In the recent past, the earth has witnessed devastating weather-related events in different portions of the globe including hurricanes (e.g., Katrina and Rita in USA), tsunamis, typhoons, flooding especially in the Asian Continent, wild fires especially in Australia, USA , etc. Currently, the on-going flood incident in Pakistan that has so far claimed about 1,600 lives and rendered another four million people homeless is a sad reminder of the ugly and devastating consequences of global warming on the environment. There is no gainsaying the fact that humankind is paying dearly for the massive alterations in the environment that have induced changes in climate. This is because of frequent incidence of changes in climate related disasters in the world today. There is hardly any month that passes without an incident occurring in one part of the globe or another since the advent of the 21 st century. Changes in climate has significant and potentially devastating health consequences, whether through direct actions (e.g. , deaths resulting from heat wave and weather disasters) or disruption of complex biological methods (e.g. , changes in infectious diseases patterns, supplies in fresh water and production of food). The report of the fourth assessment of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) have globally submitted that “it is estimated that the health of millions of people is affected, for instance, malnutrition increases; deaths increase, diseases and injury; burden of increase diarrheal diseases; frequency of increased cardio-respiratory diseases caused by high levels of ground-level ozone in cities due to climate change; besides altered spatial distribution of some communicable diseases”. The association amongst changes in climate, its drivers, systemic effects, health and socioeconomic growth, mitigation and adaptation has been specified.

Climate change poses a major threat to society, human health and health inequities. The health and social impacts of climate change are becoming clearer. There is a general consensus that climate change will negatively affect health and social wellbeing. The distribution of health impacts will be inequitable with the most vulnerable communities experiencing the worst effects. Responses to reduce vulnerability to the effects of climate change must therefore be equity-focused, and are necessarily mutli-sectoral given that the majority of health impacts will arise via other sectors, such as planning, water and agriculture