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Environmental and Workplace Health

Adapting to Extreme Heat Events: Guidelines for Assessing Health Vulnerability

Figure 3: Steps for conducting an extreme heat and health vulnerability assessment

A circular figure illustrates how the assessment guidelines are broken-down into six steps. The objective of the each step is shown on the outside of the parameter of the circle: step 1) initiate the assessment; step 2) Describe current vulnerability; step 3) assess future risk; step 4) identify adaptation options; step 5) examine measures in other sectors, step 6) develop performance protocols. The individual tasks associated with each step's objective are included in boxes that form a ring in the circle figure. The task listed for each step read: step 1) identify assessment scope, objectives, and develop work plan; identify and organize stakeholders; step 2) Characterize heat exposure, and heat and air pollution exposure; characterize community vulnerability; characterise individual vulnerability; inventory programs and activities to address heat-health risks; evaluate the effectiveness of existing programs and activities; step 3) describe trends expected to influence heat-related health outcomes; describe projected increase in temperature and extreme heat events; describe possible additional health outcomes due to projected increases in temperature; step 4) inventory possible adaptation options; prioritize adaptation options; assess barriers to adaptation options and how they can be overcome; step 5) assess how changes in other sectors may influence heat-health risks: step 6) develop protocols for evaluating adaptation options; develop protocols for monitoring the burden of heat-sensitive health outcomes. In the centre of the circular figure, the following assessment methods that may be applied during an assessment are listed: literature reviews, inventory of data, surveys and interviews, geographic information systems, public health mapping and climate modelling. Stakeholders are also located in the center of the circular figure to signify that they have an essential role throughout the assessment process.