Health and climatic hazards: Framing social research on vulnerability, response and adaptation

Gendered vulnerabilities to climate change: insights from the semi-arid regions of Africa and Asia

“…The IPCC fifth assessment report has acknowledged the overlapping and intersecting nature of risks -geophysical, agro-ecological and socioeconomic -when it states with 'very high confidence' that differences in vulnerability and exposure arising from non-climatic factors shape differential risks to climate change (Field et al, 2014). Hence, developing a broad-based understanding of gendered vulnerability as emerging from poverty and social discrimination, and socio-cultural practices in different political, geographical and historical settings, apart from climatic variability and environmental/natural risks (Blaikie, Cannon, Davis, & Wisner, 1994;Few, 2007) is central to understanding people's capacities to cope with and adapt to change.…”

Sensitivity of health sector indicators' response to climate change in Ghana

“…The readiness of public health systems to adapt to the impacts of climate change has been described as facing delays because of limitations on the inclusion of social-ecological concepts in the planning process (Deppisch and Hasibovic, 2013;Downes et al, 2013;Few, 2007;Folke, 2006;Gallopin, 2006). For example, large-scale environmental changes such as biochemical pollution, extreme temperature events, loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services occur simultaneously, and will have cumulative and interactive adverse impacts on population health (Houghton and English, 2014;Sheridan and Allen, 2015;Zell, 2004).…”

“…This study therefore was not intended to showcase Ghana's milestones on climate change but to scale up understanding of key findings in health based on new analytical framework in a global context. Differences in available economic assets to support social networks, physical infrastructure, and planning or maintenance of diagnostic and early warning protocols in public health may not be fully understood due to the complex interactions and widened disparities in vulnerability (Berkes, 2007;Few, 2007).…”

Social vulnerability and climate change: synthesis of literature

“…The authors also noted that socioeconomic status affects vulnerability, considering its influence on exposure to toxins, nutrition, and access to resources and health care. Few (2006) described the social differentiation of health risks in the context of climate change, particularly during natural hazards, as a function of the coping capacity of individuals and health systems and institutions. Davidson et al (2003) stated that smoke from forest fires and potential heat waves could cause a problem for rural, forest-based communities in northern Canada.…”