Exploring 167 years of vulnerability: An examination of extreme heat events in Australia 1844–2010

Coates, Lucinda; Haynes, Katharine; O’Brien, James F.; McAneney, John; Oliveira, Felipe Dimer de

doi:10.1016/j.envsci.2014.05.003

Cited by 239 publications

(186 citation statements)

References 35 publications

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“…It is beyond the scope of the present study to attempt to tackle this list of questions (such a response is deserving of an entire publication in its own right). However, we note here that considerable research is on going to address these questions that builds upon a long scholarship in Australia focused on hazards and their accompanying disasters31323334353637383940. Such studies, as well as many others, have laid important foundations about the what, where, when, how and why of hazards and their accompanying disasters, against which more contemporary analyses and trends might be investigated and benchmarked.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Disaster declarations associated with bushfires, floods and storms in New South Wales, Australia between 2004 and 2014

Sewell

Stephens

Dominey‐Howes

et al. 2016

Sci Rep

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Australia regularly experiences disasters triggered by natural hazards and New South Wales (NSW) the most populous State is no exception. To date, no publically available spatial and temporal analyses of disaster declarations triggered by hazards (specifically, bushfires, floods and storms) in NSW have been undertaken and no studies have explored the relationship between disaster occurrence and socio-economic disadvantage. We source, collate and analyse data about bushfire, flood and storm disaster declarations between 2004 and 2014. Floods resulted in the most frequent type of disaster declaration. The greatest number of disaster declarations occurred in 2012–2013. Whilst no significant Spearman’s correlation exists between bushfire, flood and storm disaster declarations and the strength of the El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) phase, we observe that bushfire disaster declarations were much more common during El Niño, and flood disaster declarations were five times more common during La Niña phases. We identify a spatial cluster or ‘hot spot’ of disaster declarations in the northeast of the State that is also spatially coincident with 43% of the most socio-economically disadvantaged Local Government Areas in NSW. The results have implications for disaster risk management in the State.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Disaster declarations associated with bushfires, floods and storms in New South Wales, Australia between 2004 and 2014

Sewell

Stephens

Dominey‐Howes

et al. 2016

Sci Rep

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Heat waves have caused more deaths in Australia since European settlement than all other natural hazards combined, and are predicted to increase in frequency, duration, and intensity, with a doubling of the number of HW-related deaths in the next 40 years (1, 2). Currently, there is no standardized definition for HW internationally or among different jurisdictions in Australia.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…With large populations and limited resources, many jurisdictions lack the precision to target the most at risk populations with appropriate public health interventions, and many HW plans are based on assumptions and research from other states and countries. There has been little verification of whether a particular population group is at higher risk or even resilient to HWs, although acclimatization, individual susceptibility, and community and geographical characteristics all affect heat-related effects on mortality and morbidity (2, 4–7). Past epidemiological studies have established consistently identifiable vulnerable groups to extreme heat.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Variation in Population Vulnerability to Heat Wave in Western Australia

Xiao

Spicer

Jian

et al. 2017

Front. Public Health

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Heat waves (HWs) have killed more people in Australia than all other natural hazards combined. Climate change is expected to increase the frequency, duration, and intensity of HWs and leads to a doubling of heat-related deaths over the next 40 years. Despite being a significant public health issue, HWs do not attract the same level of attention from researchers, policy makers, and emergency management agencies compared to other natural hazards. The purpose of the study was to identify risk factors that might lead to population vulnerability to HW in Western Australia (WA). HW vulnerability and resilience among the population of the state of WA were investigated by using time series analysis. The health impacts of HWs were assessed by comparing the associations between hospital emergency department (ED) presentations, hospital admissions and mortality data, and intensities of HW. Risk factors including age, gender, socioeconomic status (SES), remoteness, and geographical locations were examined to determine whether certain population groups were more at risk of adverse health impacts due to extreme heat. We found that hospital admissions due to heat-related conditions and kidney diseases, and overall ED attendances, were sensitive indicators of HW. Children aged 14 years or less and those aged 60 years or over were identified as the most vulnerable populations to HWs as shown in ED attendance data. Females had more ED attendances and hospital admissions due to kidney diseases; while males had more heat-related hospital admissions than females. There were significant dose–response relationships between HW intensity and SES, remoteness, and health service usage. The more disadvantaged and remotely located the population, the higher the health service usage during HWs. Our study also found that some population groups and locations were resilient to extreme heat. We produced a mapping tool, which indicated geographic areas throughout WA with various vulnerability and resilience levels to HW. The findings from this study will allow local government, community service organizations, and agencies in health, housing, and education to better identify and understand the degree of vulnerability to HW throughout the state, better target preparatory strategies, and allocate limited resources to those most in need.

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“…Bushfires, cyclones, droughts, and floods are familiar scenarios in the story of life on a harsh continent. Yet, exposure to heat kills more people nationally than all other natural hazards combined . Despite its significance, extreme heat remains relatively difficult to identify, communicate, and govern.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Heat, health, and humidity in Australia's monsoon tropics: a critical review of the problematization of ‘heat’ in a changing climate

Oppermann

Brearley

Law

et al. 2017

WIREs Climate Change

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Exposure to heat has killed more people in Australia than all other natural hazards combined. As the climate warms, temperatures are projected to rise substantially, increasing the impact of heat stress and heat illness nation-wide. The relation between heat and health is profoundly complex, however, and is understood differently across multiple sectors. This paper thus provides a critical review of how heat is currently measured and managed in Australia, highlighting how humidity, exposure, and exertion are key elements that are not consistently incorporated into 'problematizations' of heat. The presence or absence of these elements produces different spatial and temporal geographies of danger, as well as different governance practices. In particular, the invisibility of humidity as having a significant impact on heat and health shapes whether Australia's tropical monsoon zone is visible as a region at risk or not, and whether prolonged periods of seasonal heat are treated as dangerous. Similarly, different populations and practices become visible depending on whether the human body (its exposure, exertion, cooling, and hydration) is included in accounts of what constitutes 'heat.' As a result, the outdoor, manual workforce is visible as a population at risk in some accounts but not others. A brief review of key policy areas including housing, public health and work health and safety is presented to demonstrate how specific problematizations of heat are critical to the identification of, and response to, current and future climatic conditions. This has implications for how populations, places, and practices are constituted in the region.

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Exploring 167 years of vulnerability: An examination of extreme heat events in Australia 1844–2010

Cited by 239 publications

References 35 publications

Disaster declarations associated with bushfires, floods and storms in New South Wales, Australia between 2004 and 2014

Disaster declarations associated with bushfires, floods and storms in New South Wales, Australia between 2004 and 2014

Variation in Population Vulnerability to Heat Wave in Western Australia

Heat, health, and humidity in Australia's monsoon tropics: a critical review of the problematization of ‘heat’ in a changing climate

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