Climate Change: Preparing for the Health Impacts

Planning Now to Reduce the Health Impacts of Climate Change

The following interview with Paul Glover, Director General of the Safe Environments Programme, Healthy Environments and Consumer Safety Branch, Health Canada, was con­ducted by Jaylyn Wong, Assistant Editor, Health Policy Research Bulletin.

Q. Recent public opinion polls show that 60% to 70% of Canadians are concerned about climate change and its impacts on them and their communities. Is climate change a new phenomenon?

Climate change is not new, but Canadians are right to be concerned. Global temperatures have increased by about 0.6^oC over the past 100 years and are predicted to continue rising over the coming century. While this increase may seem small, it is important to remember that relatively small changes in average global temperature can have enormous consequences. For example, 20,000 years ago, during the last ice age, average temperatures were only about 5^oC colder than they are today.

Q. If climate change is not new, what do you think accounts for the increasing public attention and concern?

I believe there are a number of reasons. First, although climate change is not new, research shows that the rate of change has accelerated in recent decades. We are living it. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has indicated that, globally, the 1990s was likely the warmest decade and 1998 the warmest year since 1861. Second, the severity of environmental consequences and the economic implications are becoming increasingly apparent. Furthermore, people around the world are beginning to experience the effects in their own lives and communities, including effects on their health and well-being.

Q. Given the scope and complexity of climate change and its implications, how are we working together to address this issue?

First, it's critical to recognize that climate change is a global issue. Burning fossil fuels and other human activities that release greenhouse gases (GHGs) have been identified as the main cause of climate change, so strategies to address it must involve the international community as a whole. As well, it will need to involve the collaborative efforts of many sectors - for example, energy, health, transportation, agriculture, industry, tourism and forestry, and all levels of government - as we move forward with our plans to reduce harmful emissions.

At the international level, the world is responding to climate change through the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Kyoto Protocol by working to reduce the release of man-made GHGs into the atmosphere. For its part, Canada ratified the Kyoto Protocol, committing to reduce its GHG emissions to 6% below 1990 levels by 2008-2012. Canada reinforced the issue as a national priority when it was announced we would host the next international climate change conference - the 11th Session of the Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC - and the first meeting of the Parties to the Protocol in December 2005.

On April 13, 2005, Canada released its climate change action plan, Moving Forward on Climate Change: A Plan for Honouring Our Kyoto Commitment, outlining a range of mitigation measures for GHGs, such as enhancing wind power production, developing other renewable energy technologies, increasing fuel efficiency for automobiles and improving the energy efficiency of homes and businesses. The new plan is only the first step our society needs to take to slow down the rate of change for future generations. It aims at mobilizing leadership efforts in key sectors of our economy to develop and implement new ways of sustaining quality of life. The plan also counts on individual consumers and homeowners to make smart, everyday choices to reduce their energy consumption.

Q. You mentioned the need for collaboration among many sectors. How are the various federal departments working together to address the challenges posed by climate change?

In the federal government, climate change is co-managed by the Minister of the Environment and the Minister of Natural Resources. Other key government players in this nationwide effort include Health Canada, the Public Health Agency of Canada, the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), Transport Canada, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and Agriculture and Agri-food Canada.

Environment Canada, through Moving Forward on Climate Change, is leading a national project to create a healthier environment and a stronger economy by combining the efforts of governments, Aboriginal peoples, non-governmental organizations, businesses and all Canadians to build a more sustainable future. Environment Canada's One Tonne Challenge is a good example of how the federal government is reaching out to Canadians on this issue by challenging them to reduce their annual GHG emissions by using less energy, conserving water and resources, and reducing waste.

Natural Resources Canada is leading efforts to reduce Canada's vulnerability to climate change through the Government of Canada's Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation Program, which supports cost-shared research to address gaps in knowledge and provide information to assist in decision making.

Finally, Health Canada is taking a lead role on aspects of climate change related to human health and well-being. Along with our partners, we are striving to enhance understanding about the impact of a changing climate on human health, so we can identify health risks and plan how to adapt successfully.

Q. In recent years, Canadians have become more aware of climate extremes. What is Health Canada learning about the broader relationship between climate change and health?

Before considering how climate change affects our health, we need to understand that climate itself has a direct link with health because it is a key element of our broader physical environment. While many factors influence health, research shows that our interactions with the physical environment have a multitude of direct and indirect impacts, through the air we breathe, the food we eat and the products we use (see article on page 16).

One of the most interesting aspects of our work focuses on the complex relationship between climate change and health, and the many pathways by which health is affected. As discussed throughout this issue of the Bulletin, Health Canada and researchers across the country have been exploring how climate change will affect our health - for example, through heat waves and cold snaps, water- and foodborne contamination, vector-borne and zoonotic diseases, ozone depletion, and the frequency and severity of extreme weather events.

Q. Are all Canadians expected to experience the health effects of climate change?

Yes, but the research suggests that while we are all touched by climate change, some of us are affected more than others. The impacts of climate change vary by geographical location and population group. For instance, the recent Arctic Climate Impact Assessment shows that Canada's northern populations are clearly being affected more directly than others, and changes in the North are so dramatic that cultures and livelihoods are at risk (see the article on page 22).

Extreme Weather Events in Alberta, a recently completed study funded by Health Canada's Health Policy Research Program, has helped us to better understand which population groups - for example, seniors, children, people with chronic illness and people with low incomes - are likely to be the most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change (see the article on page 22).

Q. While working to slow the rate of climate change, how can we plan for health impacts and reduce their effects?

This is an important question because mitigation measures will not halt climate change; they are expected only to slow it down and reduce its severity. The degree to which climate change will disrupt our societies, dislocate our economies or erode our quality of life will depend on our willingness to plan for the changes and take the required actions to adapt.

Although there are still many uncertainties about the impacts of climate change on health, one thing is certain: the longer we wait, the more difficult the task and the greater the cost of adapting. The Government of Canada has adopted the "precautionary approach" as a policy principle. Simply put, it means that the absence of scientific certainty doesn't mean you don't act; it means that you take prudent action based on the evidence that is available.

Our first line of defence is already in place. These are the policies and programs that protect Canadians from various health risks associated with current weather, such as smog and heat health alerts, boil water advisories, vector-borne disease surveillance, health emergency response programs, and so on.

Planning for climate change means that communities, public health agencies and governments should take account of climate-related health effects in their public health policies and programs. Building healthy, resilient communities that can withstand the effects of climate change will be our best defence in coping with the many consequences of climate change.

Q. Acting now to prevent or adapt to climate change seems key to protecting our health. What is Health Canada doing to advance research in this area and to transform research into action?

Climate change touches many parts of the federal health portfolio, and requires a collaborative approach with research institutions and all levels of government across the country. The Department plays an important role in setting the research agenda, developing strategies and making sure they are reflected in government policy and programs, and informing Canadians and industry so they can react accordingly.

To help expand the knowledge base, Health Canada has established five external climate change and health research networks as part of the Canadian Climate Impacts and Adaptation Research Network (C-CIARN), which is led by Natural Resources Canada. Additionally, under its Health Policy Research Program, Health Canada has issued two calls for proposals for policy research on climate change, one in 2003 and the other in May 2005. These collaborative efforts are generating important advancements in our understanding of climate change and health issues. Once we have the information, we have a collective responsibility to translate it into policies, strategies and actions.

Measures we adopt to reduce greenhouse gas emissions will also bring changes in our society and in the environment. As we move forward to adopt new technologies and processes, such as bio-diesel fuels, carbon sequestration, clean coal technology, wind power and domestic emission trading, it is important that we fully understand them so there are no unforeseen or unintended threats to human health. The new climate change plan for Canada calls for a federal framework or mechanism to ensure that the health impacts of new technologies or other mitigation measures are adequately assessed before they are widely deployed or commercialized.

There are still many uncertainties, however, which is why the Climate Change and Health Office in Health Canada's Safe Environments Programme is leading the Canadian Climate Change and Health Vulnerability Assessment 2007. This project will encourage experts across Canada to contribute to a better understanding of just how vulnerable communities and individuals are to climate change, to gauge the capacity of Canadians and their institutions - particularly the health sector - to adapt to the risks associated with increased climate change, and to report on our efforts internationally as part of Canada's commitment to this issue.