Climate & Health Workshop Series

Transcription

1 Climate & Health Workshop Series Vulnerable Popula-ons and Co- Benefits of Climate Change Adapta-on Joseph Hoover; Ph.D. Candidate University of Denver Tamanna Rahman, MPH; Dr.PH. Student UCLA Fielding School of Public Health Copyright 2014, UCLA Fielding School of Public Health. The Regents of the University of California. All Rights Reserved.

2 Learning Objectives Describe at least two vulnerable populagons in your jurisdicgon who may be disproporgonately burdened by climate change- related impacts. Describe at least two climate change measures that have health co- benefits List at least three groups or organizagons in your jurisdicgon that should be at the table when discussing climate change adaptagon policies

3 What is Vulnerability? Exposure Frequency Magnitude DuraGon Human factors Vulnerability Place Based Assessment Human condigons Environmental condigons Hazard SensiGvity Resilience Impact Coping AdaptaGon Vulnerability: The degree to which a system is likely to experience harm due to exposure to a hazard Sensi-vity: The degree to which a system is affected, either adversely or beneficially, by climate variability or change. Resilience: The ability of a social or ecological system to absorb disturbances while retaining the same basic structure and ways of funcgoning Turner, B.L. et al A Framework for Vulnerability Analysis in Sustainability Science. Proceedings of the NaGonal Academy of Sciences, 100:

4 Climate Change Impacts Extreme Heat Poor Air Quality/ Air PolluGon Wildfires Severe weather, extreme rainfall, floods, water issues Increased average temperature Agricultural changes Drought Examples of Popula-ons Vulnerable to Climate Change Elderly; children; diabegcs, poor, urban residents; people with respiratory diseases; agricultural workers; those acgve outdoors Elderly; children; poor, urban residents; people with respiratory diseases; agricultural workers; those acgve outdoors; people with allergies People with respiratory diseases; transit- dependent Coastal residents and those living in flood- prone areas; elderly, children, low income Elderly; children; poor, urban residents; people with respiratory diseases; agricultural workers; those acgve outdoors; people with allergies agricultural workers; rural communites, low income, elderly; children Low income, elderly, children, agricultural workers, rural communiges. Adapted from CDPH 2012, Climate AcGon and Health: IntegraGng Public Health into Climate AcGon Planning.

5 Mapping Vulnerable Populations Mapping Example: People living below the poverty line in Los Angeles County Source: US Census, 2000 SpaGal analysis results illustragng hot spots around the county Predominately located inland and downtown Numerous statewide inigagves to idengfy and map these groups Data source: US Census, Analysis by Joseph Hoover

6 Mapping Vulnerability To Climate Change Combines 19 socioeconomic, health and climate change impacts into a single index Evaluates vulnerability at the census tract level, populagons ranging from 1,500 to 8,000 people Study results: High vulnerability to EHEs and sea level rise for Los Angeles region Low social vulnerability in Los Angeles Region hdp:// maps- social- vulnerability- to- climate- change- in- california- and- idengfies- need- for- adaptagon- planning/

7 Climate Change Population Vulnerability Tool Climate change vulnerability index from the California Department of Public Health Many high risk areas in LA County including coastal, downtown and south LA ASTHO Climate Change PopulaGon Vulnerability Screening Tool. (2012). California Department of Public Health California Environmental Health Tracking Program.

8 Addressing Climate Change Impacts MiGgaGon AcGons that reduce the emissions that contribute to climate change AdaptaGon AcGons that minimize or prevent negagve impacts of climate change hdp:// en.html

9 Climate Planning Offers Co- Benefits When miggagon and strategies have secondary public health benefits Improve Health Increase Sustainability Build resiliency of popula-ons

10 Strategy to Reduce GHG Emissions Reduce vehicle miles traveled (more transportagon opgons, Reduce emissions through land use changes Reduce residen-al building energy use Urban greening Reduce energy intensity in local food systems (reduce food miles traveled, promote local agriculture, encourage less meal consumpgon, expand farmers markets and community/ backyard gardens) Increase produc-on of some types of biofuels Adapted from CDPH 2012, Climate AcGon and Health: IntegraGng Public Health into Climate AcGon Planning. Poten-al Health Co- Benefits/Co- Harms increase physical acgvity Reduce air pollugon Reduce cardiovascular morbidity/mortality, asthma/other respiratory diseases, and developmental disorders increase physical acgvity Reduce cardiovascular morbidity/mortality, asthma/other respiratory diseases, and developmental disorders Reduce household energy costs (good for low- income households) Promote healthy homes Create local green jobs Promote cooler communiges (e.g. white/cool roofs) Reduce temperature and urban heat island effects Reduce air pollugon Reduce noise Enhance safety Increase access to healthy, fresh foods Reduce cardiovascular disease Reduce air pollugon Increase local social cohesion Increase resilience Food insecurity and malnutrigon

11 Promoting Active Transport is Good Environmental Health Policy A study in the Bay Area demonstrated that a shim in acgve transport from a median of 4.4 to 22 minutes/day per person (2% to 15% mode share) would result in: Improvements in air quality: ~15% reducgons in CO 2 emissions Disease reducgons: ê 14% in heart disease, stroke, and diabetes ê 6-7% in demenga and depression ê 5% in breast and colon cancer Net public health impacts: Adds about 9.5 months of life expectancy $1.4 to $22 billion annual Bay Area health cost savings Maizlish et al Health Co- Benefits of TransportaGon- Related ReducGons in Greenhouse Gas Emissions in the Bay Area. CA Dept of Public Health

12 Active Transport is Not Only Good Policy, Senate Bill 375 (2008) & Sustainable Communi-es Strategy But is Also Required Requires metropolitan planning organizagons (MPOs) to reduce transportagon- related GHG emissions to state- mandated levels by integragng land use, housing and transportagon planning inigagves hdp://

13 Opportunity for Smart Reinvestment for Disadvantaged Communities Senate Bill 535 AB 32 Greenhouse Reduc-on Fund Sets aside porgon of money from cap and trade revenues to miggate climate change in disadvantaged communiges Requires allocagon of: 25% of available cap and trade revenue to projects that provide benefits to disadvantaged communiges and 10% (minimum) of available money to projects located in disadvantaged communiges. hdp://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billnavclient.xhtml?bill_id= sb535&search_keywords=

14 Recommended Readings & Resources Recommended readings: California Environmental Health Tracking Program (CEHTP). ASTHO Climate Change Popula-on Vulnerability Screening Tool California Department of Public Health. K. Ebi et al. An Approach for Assessing Human Health Vulnerability and Public Health Interven-on to Adapt to Climate Change Environ Health Perspect 2006, 114, M. Younger et al. The Built Environment, Climate Change, and Health: Opportuni-es for Co- Benefits Am J Prev Med 2008, 35(5), Web Resources: Na-onal Climate Assessment hdp://nca2014.globalchange.gov/ California s Climate Change Research Portal hdp://cal- adapt.org/