Your Health and a Changing Climate: Newsletter - Volume 2

The Social Impacts of Climate Change on Canadians and their Communities

In support of the Canadian Climate Change and Health Vulnerability Assessment 2006, being led by Health Canada, researchers at the University of Toronto have joined the Health Sector of the Canadian Climate Impacts and Adaptation Research Network (C-CIARN) to identify research gaps and to develop a conceptual framework for investigating the socio-economic impacts of climate change on health and well-being. This framework will take into consideration the impacts of climate change and climate variability (such as increased frequency and severity of extreme weather events, changes in patterns of diseases transmitted by insects and animals, and influences on air and water quality) on the social and economic determinants of health within a population health context.

To date, much of the climate change impacts and adaptation research has been focussed on specific regions and sectors. In the Health Sector, the recent publication by the World Health Organization - Climate Change and Human Health: Risks and Responses (McMichael et al., 2003 http://www.who.int/globalchange/ publications/cchhbook/en/) - brings together the current knowledge on climate change and health into a single volume. It is comprehensive in nature, but provides little information on the socio-economic impacts affecting the climate change/health relationship. Despite the fact that there is "widespread recognition that climate can affect ecologic and sociologic processes and factors" (Chan et al., 1999:334), few studies have been conducted specifically on the social impacts of climate change. Social impacts of climate change are typically covered with economics under an umbrella of 'socio-economics.' Discussion of the economic impacts of climate change has been primarily resource based and has stopped short of linking these economic impacts with the simultaneous and ensuing social and health impacts.

One of the key findings of an expert panel workshop examining the implications of climate change for health and well-being in Canada, held at the University of Ottawa in 2002, was that "climate change will place greater demands on the social infrastructure (including emergency services and social support systems) supporting public health and well-being. These health and social impacts will result in significant costs to Canadian society, including increased health care costs, loss of productivity, and broader damages to the well-being of Canadians."

In November 2004, the University of Toronto will be organizing a workshop on how to develop an integrated understanding of the web of factors affecting human health, how climate change disturbs this web, and what research is required to further our understanding of this relationship.

>>> For more information, contact Dr. Doug Macdonald at douglas.macdonald@utoronto.ca

Understanding the Nexus of Health, Social, and Economic Impacts of Climate Change on Canadians

A Workshop for Professionals and Academics
Novotel Hotel, 33 Nicholas Street, Ottawa, Nov. 30 - Dec. 1, 2004

This workshop is being organized by Health Canada (Climate Change and Health Office), C-CIARN Health Sector, and the University of Toronto (Division of Environment, Institute for Environmental Studies and Innis College Environmental Studies Program).

The starting point for discussion at this workshop will be a paper by Dr. Marcy Erskine of the University of Toronto entitled "A Conceptual Framework for Research on Socio-economic Impacts Associated with Climate Change Health Impacts". The paper is available upon request at socioec.climate@utoronto.ca or by visiting: http://www.utoronto.ca/envstudy/socioeconomic Researchers, practioners, and policy makers intersted in attending should contact Doug Macdonald, Director, Innis College Environmental Studies Program, University of Toronto, to register at douglas.macdonald@utoronto.ca

Registration is limited