The potential role of Health Impact Assessment in tackling the complexity of climate change adaptation for health

Katscherian

McIver

2013

GJHS

Climate change is one of the greatest global challenges and Pacific island countries are particularly vulnerable due to, among other factors, their geography, demography and level of economic development.A Health Impact Assessment (HIA) framework was used as a basis for the consideration of the potential health impacts of changes in the climate on the population of Vanuatu, to assess the risks and propose a range of potential adaptive responses appropriate for Vanuatu. The HIA process involved the participation of a broad range of stakeholders including expert sector representatives in the areas of bio-physical, socio-economic, infrastructure, environmental diseases and food, who provided informed comment and input into the understanding of the potential health impacts and development of adaptation strategies.The risk associated with each of these impacts was assessed with the application of a qualitative process that considered both the consequences and the likelihood of each of the potential health impacts occurring. Potential adaptation strategies and actions were developed which could be used to mitigate the identified health impacts and provide responses which could be used by the various sectors in Vanuatu to contribute to future decision making processes associated with the health impacts of climate change.

Section: Assessment Of Climate Change Health Impactsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Health Impacts of Climate Change in Vanuatu: An Assessment and Adaptation Action Plan

Katscherian

McIver

2013

GJHS

“…Health Impact Assessment (HIA) has been identified as a valuable tool for systematically identifying, and where possible, quantifying the multiple pathways that link climate change to human health [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 ]. There are many challenges in assessing health impacts of climate change, yet estimates of impacts are essential to inform policy discussion on both climate change mitigation and adaptation [ 3 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Health Consequence Scales for Use in Health Impact Assessments of Climate Change

Brown

2014

IJERPH

Self Cite

While health impact assessment (HIA) has typically been applied to projects, plans or policies, it has significant potential with regard to strategic considerations of major health issues facing society such as climate change. Given the complexity of climate change, assessing health impacts presents new challenges that may require different approaches compared to traditional applications of HIA. This research focuses on the development of health consequence scales suited to assessing and comparing health effects associated with climate change and applied within a HIA framework. This assists in setting priorities for adaptation plans to minimize the public health impacts of climate change. The scales presented in this paper were initially developed for a HIA of climate change in Perth in 2050, but they can be applied across spatial and temporal scales. The design is based on a health effects pyramid with health measures expressed in orders of magnitude and linked to baseline population and health data. The health consequence measures are combined with a measure of likelihood to determine the level of risk associated with each health potential health impact. In addition, a simple visual framework that can be used to collate, compare and communicate the level of health risks associated with climate change has been developed.

“…The World Health Organisation and others ( Brown et al, 2011 ; Nelson, 2003 ; WHO, 2003b ) have identified that the HIA process provides an appropriate methodology by which the potential impacts of climate change on human health could be initially assessed to support decision making, especially in the consideration of the implications for health equity ( Patz et al, 2008 ). The HIA methodology was thus used as the basis for the development and implementation of a process to identify, evaluate and prioritise the potential impacts on health of climate change and develop potential adaptation strategies for application in the Solomon Islands.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Health Impacts of Climate Change in the Solomon Islands: An Assessment and Adaptation Action Plan

Katscherian²

2014

GJHS

The Pacific island countries are particularly vulnerable to the environmental changes wrought by global climate change such as sea level rise, more frequent and intense extreme weather events and increasing temperatures. The potential biophysical changes likely to affect these countries have been identified and it is important that consideration be given to the implications of these changes on the health of their citizens.The potential health impacts of climatic changes on the population of the Solomon Islands were assessed through the use of a Health Impact Assessment framework. The process used a collaborative and consultative approach with local experts to identify the impacts to health that could arise from local environmental changes, considered the risks associated with these and proposed appropriate potential adaptive responses. Participants included knowledgeable representatives from the biophysical, socio-economic, infrastructure, environmental diseases and food sectors.The risk assessments considered both the likelihood and consequences of the health impacts occurring using a qualitative process. To mitigate the adverse effects of the health impacts, an extensive range of potential adaptation strategies were developed. The overall process provided an approach that could be used for further assessments as well as an extensive range of responses which could be used by sectors and to assist future decision making associated with the Solomon Islands’ responses to climate change.