Climate Change and Health & Well-Being: A Policy Primer for Canada's North

Human Health & Well-being Impacts of Climate Change

Efforts are underway in Canada to better understand the causes and long-term patterns of climate change and climate variability, and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through the development and use of cleaner technologies. However, the first mitigation efforts will not totally eliminate the risks of climate change. Even if the provisions of the Kyoto Protocol are fully met by all participating countries, the date at which CO2 will double in the atmosphere will simply be pushed back, but this will still occur. Canada will have to cope with, and adapt to, the many climate-related environmental changes which have already begun, particularly in the North, and which will affect the future health and well-being of Canadians.

Health Canada has identified eight significant direct and indirect climate change induced health issues which are expected to increase in the future in this country (chart below). Northern communities will face many of these health effects as climate change increases. They include health and well-being issues related to increased smog episodes, heat waves, water-and food-borne contamination, vector-borne diseases, stratospheric ozone depletion and extreme weather events. These effects are expected to be particularly severe for vulnerable populations such as children, the elderly, the poor, disabled people, immigrant populations, Aboriginal Canadians and populations living in the North. A host of broad socio-economic issues related to climate change are also of considerable concern including changed determinants of health and well-being, vulnerability of community economies and the health and social risks of climate change mitigation actions.⁸

Canada's Health Impacts From Climate Change And Variability

Health Issues	Examples of Health Vulnerabilities
Temperature-related morbidity and mortality	Cold and heat related illnesses Respiratory and cardiovascular illnesses Increased occupational health risks
Health effects of extreme weather events	Damaged public health infrastructure Injuries and illnesses Social and mental health stress due to disasters Occupational health hazards Preparedness and population displacement
Air pollution-related health effects	Changed exposure to outdoor and indoor air pollutants and allergens Asthma and other respiratory diseases Heart attacks strokes and other cardiovascular diseases Cancer
Water- and food-borne contamination	Enteric diseases and contamination
Vector-borne infectious diseases	Changed patterns of diseases caused by bacteria, viruses and other pathogens carried by mosquitos, ticks and other vectors
Stratospheric ozone depletion and increased exposure to ultra-violet radiation	Skin damage and skin cancer Cataracts Disturbed immune function
Population vulnerabilities in rural and urban communities	Seniors Children Poor health Low income and homeless Traditional populations Disabled Immigrant populations
Health and Socio- Economic Impacts on Community Health and Well-being	Changed determinants of health and well-being Global burden of disease Vulnerability of community economies Health co-benefits and risks of GHG reduction technologies

The health effects of climate change on northerners will vary within the region. There are considerable differences in patterns of warming, precipitation and extreme events. Some areas or population groups in the North may be able to adapt to these changes more easily than others.

The Climate Change and Health Office (CCHO) at Health Canada is the focal point for the Government of Canada for health and climate change issues. The role of the CCHO is to collaboratively facilitate the development of health policies for assessing and managing the risks to health from climate change and climate variability. The CCHO also facilitates the development in Canada of a foundation of interdisciplinary evidence to support development of public health adaptation strategies to respond to the effects of climate change. In addition, it facilitates open dialogue that includes all stakeholders, as well as access to the knowledge generated by these activities.

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⁸ For an examination of climate change and health issues in Nunavik and Labrador see C.M. Furgal et al., "Climate Change and Health in Nunavik and Labrador: What we Know from Science and Inuit Knowledge", February 2002.