Are You Aware of Climate Change Health Vulnerability and Adaptation Assessments?
I recently embarked upon a journey to understand the work of public health units with respect to the climate emergency. It started with my discovery of a Health Canada Climate Change Health Vulnerability and Adaptation Assessments Workbook which is available to assist health units across Canada with the development of health and vulnerability assessments.
Are you aware of Climate Change Health Vulnerability Assessments? I wasn’t. Now I know they exist. I also now know that they are an expectation of (Ontario) public health units.
What Are Climate Change Health Vulnerability and Adaptation Assessments?
Addressing climate change requires that health units understand the risks and possible impacts facing specific populations, communities or regions, and of effective measures to protect health. Completing a health vulnerability and adaptation assessment (V&A) is a collaborative process that allows health units to identify and interpret information to prepare for the impacts of climate change.
Why this Matters
This past summer has raised the need for community climate action, with Canadians impacted by wildfires and related atmospheric pollution, heat waves and floods. Climate change is also increasing the likelihood of pandemics from respiratory viruses and deadly fungi.
Communities need information to inform and assist people in response to climate change. It makes sense that the information needed most right now relates to public health. Climate change is a looming public health crisis. If people can personalize how climate change will impact them, we have a better chance of mobilizing effective community action at large.
My Search Process
After learning about the Health Canada V&A Workbook, I contacted Health Canada to seek information about how many/which public health units are using it to develop local V&A’s. I was informed that, as a provincial responsibility, I would need to connect directly with provincial health departments or individual health units.
That led me to conduct a search of each Ontario public health unit. I started with Bing AI. No results. Then I entered “Climate Change Health Vulnerability and Adaptation Assessment” in the website search engine of each Ontario public health unit. Still no results. That led me scroll each Ontario Public health unit website to:
1.clarify the apparent absence of information specific to V&A’s, and
2. email each applicable health unit to inquire whether they would be undertaking an assessment.
Search Results
There are 34 public health units in Ontario. To the question “will your health unit be completing a climate change health vulnerability and adaptation assessment?”, I received a personalized response from 14 (41%) health units.
Most of these responses came from specialists who clarified the status of their health unit’s compliance with the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (OPHS) Healthy Environments and Climate Change Guideline, 2018 for health vulnerability assessments. The OPHS Guideline requires health units to monitor the impacts of climate change within their jurisdiction, develop local adaptation plans, promote multisectoral collaboration and communicate identified health risks. To my enthusiastic surprise, 7 of these 14 responses also provided links to detailed reports that have been prepared.
Eight (24%) of the remaining 20 health units forwarded an automated response that further information (still to come at the time of this post) would be forthcoming. I did not receive any response from twelve (35%) health units. This includes three health units that I didn’t contact because I couldn’t locate an email address through their websites. Consequently, I don’t know if there are status updates and/or reports available from these 20 public health units.
Some Report Examples
The following three reports offer a cross section, from the northern Ontario, large urban, and medium urban/central rural contexts, to exemplify the potential application of climate change vulnerability and adaptation assessments being completed by health units across Ontario.
1. Northern Ontario Climate Change Health Collaborative (NOCCH)
Title: Climate Change and Health in Northern Ontario, August 2022
The Northern Ontario Climate Change Health Collaborative (NOCCH) is represented by Algoma Public Health, North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit, Northwestern Health Unit, Public Health Sudbury & Districts, Porcupine Health Unit, Thunder Bay District Health Unit and Timiskaming Health Unit.
“Through identifying specific climate change hazards relevant to northern Ontario, those who will be most sensitive to the impacts, and the current best approaches to adapt, this report provides insight to inform policy, guide future programming, and inspire effective action.” p.35
2. Peel Public Health
Title: Assessing exposure, sensitivity, and adaptation capacity in Peel region. Update to the 2012 Report on health vulnerability to climate change, January 2023 (presentation to Regional Council on September 14, 2023. Full report not yet available on line)
“Peel’s changing climate has the potential to affect human health by:
1. Increasing temperature-related morbidity and mortality;
2. Exacerbating air quality and worsening respiratory and cardiovascular conditions;
3. Increasing the risk of injuries and mortality resulting from extreme weather;
4. Increasing food and water contamination with resulting increases in illness; and
5. Increasing the incidence of vector-borne illnesses associated with the spread of vectors as climate become more favourable to their survival.
Particular population sub-groups may be more vulnerable to ill-health outcomes related to climate change due to differential exposure or particular climate-related sensitivities. In Peel region, these sub-groups include:
§ Seniors (total population expected to more than double by 2030);
§ Children;
§ Those experiencing social isolation;
§ Individuals with chronic conditions, disabilities, or both; and
§ Socially or economically marginalized individuals.
One of the largest concerns associated with climate change is its potential to worsen existing health inequities by increasing the health burden on already vulnerable groups, particularly among those with lower amounts of social support, education, or economic resources.” p.8
3. Waterloo Region, Wellington County, Dufferin County and City of Guelph
Title: Climate Change and Health Vulnerability Assessment Full Report, 2022
“This report is an initial step in understanding baseline vulnerabilities to climate change in the study areas of Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health and Region of Waterloo Public Health. It focuses primarily on identifying climate-related health impacts, analyzing baseline health information, identifying vulnerable populations of concern, and outlining existing adaptive capacity. It is anticipated that the information synthesized in this report will be used to support a variety of public health and community-led adaptation interventions in the future.” p.22
The Immediate Challenge
The information presented in the reports I received from the 7 health units is impressive and of significant potential value to communities. The word “potential” is necessary at this time because the reports, as recognized by the health units, are only a foundation for greater public awareness and work necessary for effective community climate action.
The reports provide a lot of complex and detailed information. The immediate challenge involves communicating, sharing and applying this information in a way can raise public awareness and connect specific action with community organizations, businesses and institutions.
The Potential Connection with School Districts
There is universal acknowledgement in the health unit reports that climate change has a more significant impact on vulnerable populations. Children are particularly susceptible. Mental health is a necessary area of focus. There is a strong likelihood of future pandemics due to climate change.
Health units want to work with school districts to connect the Ontario curriculum with climate change for students. But school districts also need to be activated as practitioners and advocates of climate change V&A’s as a means to overall community health. This falls under two key areas:
· Physical Adaptation involving school facility upgrades, availability of school space for community uses, and other operations such as student transportation, and
· Social Adaptation involving student needs assessments, partnerships with local organizations, businesses, and Indigenous peoples, and updates to district and school education plans.
Addressing the adaptation needs of school districts is akin to mobilizing community climate action at large. People identify with community schools. School districts have governance structures that can engage public debate and participation. They employ large numbers of people committed to the lives of students and the community at large. They have the capacity to develop deeper working relationships with community service organizations. Schools will be looked upon to provide community shelter during extreme weather events.
Getting Things Started: The Community Planning and Partnership Guidelines
With an objective to “strengthen relationships between school boards and community partners and the public” and “provide a foundation for improved service delivery for communities”, the Ontario Ministry of Education Community Planning and Partnership Guideline, 2015 requires school districts “to hold at least one meeting per year to discuss potential planning and partnership opportunities with the public and community organizations.”
The Guideline also states that, when inviting entities to the annual CPP meeting, school boards must clearly request that organizations prepare to bring relevant planning information. “The school board is to listen to what needs or plans community partners may have. The invitation list, the entities in attendance at the annual CPP meeting and any information exchanged should be formally documented by the school board. The CPP meeting may be a stand-alone meeting or may be held as part of a scheduled board meeting. Boards that cover a large geography may want to consider holding meetings in more than one community over time.” p.7
It can be seen that the annual CPP meeting hold enormous potential for health units to share climate change V&A information with their local school districts and community at large.
A Call for Strategic Provincial Support and Coordination
Ontario health units are busy and resource challenged, particularly due to Covid-19. The Ministry of Long-term Care guidelines for Health Assessments are well intentioned. But there is an apparent need for strategic provincial support and coordination to address the unique needs of health units to undertake this work.
Some of the reports received from the seven health units were funded through the federal healthADAPT program. Others do not indicate any external financial support. Some health units are closely aligned with municipal Official Planning processes while others appear to operate independently. Some reports are the result of multi-health unit cooperation.
Now is the time for strategic provincial support and coordination to ensure that every community has equitable access to climate change health vulnerability and adaptation assessments.
Some Reflections Moving Forward
This quest began with an effort to learn more about V&A’s and their potential application with community climate action. I have been pleasantly surprised to learn that a large amount of detailed and valuable work has already occurred. Many health units are now trying to understand how this information can be communicated, understood and applied.
Communication and collaboration will be of critical importance moving forward. In promoting the objectives of the Healthy Environment and Climate Change Guideline, the OPHS could benefit from an informed effort to solidify supports that are responsive to the unique needs of health units already under unprecedented stress.
Health units need to know that they can engage deeper working relationships with school districts. Doing so will help to raise awareness and participation for community climate action at large. The legislated requirement of school districts to receive climate change health vulnerability and adaptation information via their annual CPP meetings is an opportunity in waiting.
As a next step, I will continue to seek clarification from health units about the status of their V&A’s. This information could be formatted to provide a cross section of the V&A work happening across Ontario. I will also try to assist and promote health unit connections with local school districts via their annual CPP meetings.
Interested in discussing this further? Feel free to reach back through the contact page.
Phil Dawes, September, 2023