Climate Change: Preparing for the Health Impacts

Who's Doing What?

Who's Doing What? is a regular column of the Health Policy Research Bulletin that looks at key players involved in policy research related to the theme area. This column highlights some of the governmental committees, research groups and non-governmental organizations working in support of climate change and health policy development in Canada.

Wendelin Galatianos, University of Guelph, and Marcia Armstrong, Climate Change and Health Office, Safe Environments Programme, Healthy Environments and Consumer Safety Branch, Health Canada

Government of Canada

Project Green: Moving Forward on Climate Change

This report outlines Canada's plan for meeting its Kyoto Protocol commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. One key objective is "to contribute significantly to cleaner air for Canada's cities and communities, enhance biodiversity and generally improve quality of life for Canadians." Visit: http://www.climatechange.gc.ca.

Canadian Climate Impacts and Adaptation Research Network (C-CIARN)

C-CIARN ( http://www.c-ciarn.ca) generates new climate change knowledge by bringing researchers together with decision makers from industry, government and non-governmental organizations. Funding is provided through the Canadian Climate Impacts and Adaptation Program
(http://www.adaptation.nrcan.gc.ca). Health Canada's Climate Change and Health Office (visit: http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/ewh-semt/climat/index-eng.php) coordinates five distinct health research networks for the C-CIARN Health Sector:

• Natural Disaster Health Research Network
  http://iclr.org/programs/health.htm
• Climate Change, Air Pollution and Health Research Network
  http://www.climateairhealth.ca/
• The Climate Change, Vectorborne/Zoonotic Diseases Research Network
  http://www.eccho.ca/hirn-vbz.asp
• The Climate Change, Food- and Waterborne Contaminants Research Network
  http://www.eccho.ca/hirn-fwc.asp
• Population Vulnerabilities in Rural and Urban Communities
  http://www.chuq.qc.ca/oms/cc/

Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA)

CIDA administers the Canada Climate Change Development Fund, which helps developing countries meet their commitments to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Visit: http://www.acdi-cida.gc.ca/climatechange.

Networks of Centres of Excellence (NCEs)

NCEs are unique partnerships among universities, industry, government and not-for-profit organizations aimed at turning research and entrepreneurial talent into economic and social benefits for all Canadians. The Centres are supported through Industry Canada and three federal granting agencies - the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

• Canadian Water Network
  One hundred collaborators address critical issues related to clean water and the use of water resources, and protecting human and aquatic ecosystem health. Visit: http://www.cwn-rce.ca.
• ArcticNet
  ArcticNet connects well-established Centres of Excellence in the natural, human health and social sciences field with Inuit organizations, northern communities, federal and provincial agencies, and the private sector to study the impacts of climate change in the coastal Canadian Arctic. Visit: http://www.arcticnet-ulaval.ca/

Non-Governmental Sector

Climate and Health Research Program (CHRP)

This University of Alberta initiative investigates the dynamic relationship between climate and human health, including weather-related mortality, air pollution, tropical vector-borne diseases and traffic-related parti­culate levels. Related projects focus on the relationship between the physical and social environment, and population health inequities. Visit: http://www.ualberta.ca/~ksmoyer/chrp/home.htm

The Ecosystems, Climate Change and Health Omnibus (ECCHO)

The University of Guelph hosts several Canadian and international collaborations, and two climate change and health research networks. Research topics include climate impacts relating to ecosystem health, community resiliency, vector-borne/zoonotic diseases, water- and foodborne illness and climate downscaling. Visit: http://www.eccho.ca.

Canadian Risk and Hazards (Knowledge and Practice) Network (CRHNet)

CRHNet was developed to promote and strengthen disaster risk reduction and emergency management. One of its resources, entitled Assessment of Natural Hazards and Disasters in Canada, provides decision makers and practitioners with information on why and how disasters and emergencies happen, various coping mechanisms and how to create a safer society. Visit: http://www.crhnet.ca/

ClimAdapt

In 2001, the Nova Scotia Environmental Industry Association pioneered this partnership to incorporate climate change adaptation management frameworks into government environmental impact assessments, municipal risk management processes and industry infrastructure development practices, in Canada and internationally. Visit: http://www.climadapt.com/

National Voluntary Health Organizations (NVHOs) Initiative for Emergency Preparedness: The Canadian Red Cross Society

In 2005-2006, with support from NVHOs, the Canadian Red Cross will develop a national volunteer health emergency management system in partnership with St. John Ambulance and the Salvation Army, among others. Visit: http://www.redcross.ca. The International Federation of Red Cross/Red Crescent Societies has also established a climate centre that works to reduce loss of life and damage to livelihoods from climate change and extreme weather events. Visit: http://www.climatecentre.org

International

World Health Organization (WHO)

Since 1998, WHO has provided input to the Inter-Agency Committee on the Climate Agenda, in support of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Joint activities by WHO, the World Meteorological Organization and the United Nations Environment Program focus on three major areas: capacity building, information exchange and promoting research. Health Canada collaborated with this group to produce Methods of Assessing Human Health Vulnerability and Public Health Adaptation to Climate Change (2003).

WHO Regional Office for Europe

The climate Change and Adaptation Strategies for Human health (cCASHh) project examines the health impacts of floods and heat waves (direct effects of weather on health), and foodborne diseases and tick/ mosquito-borne diseases (indirect effects of weather through changes in seasonal patterns of infectious diseases). Visit: http://www.euro.who.int/ccashh

Professional Associations

Canadian Public Health Association (CPHA)

CPHA hosts the Roundtable on Health and Climate Change to review health issues associated with climate change and identify actions that will have immediate beneficial effects. One project is Supporting Public Awareness Initiatives on the Health Effects of Climate Change and Air Pollution. Visit: http://www.ccah.cpha.ca/Start.htm.

Ontario College of Family Physicians (OCFP)

The Report on Public Health and Urban Sprawl in Ontario explores the health impacts associated with climate change. Visit: http://www.ocfp.on.ca/English/OCFP/Urban-Sprawl/