Climate Change Prevention through Community Actions and Empowerment: A Scoping Review

Abstract

As society tries to tackle climate change around the globe, communities need to reduce its impact on human health. The purpose of this review is to identify key stakeholders involved in mitigating and adapting to climate change, as well as the type and characteristics of community empowerment actions implemented so far to address the problem. Published and unpublished studies from January 2005 to March 2022 in English and Portuguese were included in this review. The search, conducted on PubMed, CINAHL, Scopus, MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, SciELO, and RCAAP (Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal), followed a three-step search strategy. Data extraction was performed by two independent reviewers, using an extraction tool specifically designed for the review questions. Twenty-seven studies were eligible for inclusion: six used interviews as a qualitative method, three were systematic reviews, three were case study analyses, three used surveys and questionnaires as quantitative methods, two used integrative baseline reviews, and three utilized a process model design. Six studies targeted local, public and private stakeholders. Community settings were the context target of fifteen studies, whereas twelve specifically referred to urban settings. Seven types of community actions were acknowledged across the globe, characterised as hybrid interventions and referring to the leading stakeholders: local governments, non-governmental organizations, civil society, universities, public health, and private sectors.

Climate Change, Environmental Health, and Challenges for Nursing Discipline

“…In 1995, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) defined environmental health as the absence of illness or injury despite chemical, physical, or biological environmental hazards [3]. Cur-rent data and scientific predictions about the consequences of climate change are accurate in suggesting disaster [4,5]. Between 2030 and 2050, climate change is expected to cause about 250,000 additional deaths per year [6].…”

“…Rising average temperatures and sea levels [5], exposure to sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ), nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ), various fine suspended particles (PM 2.5 and PM 10 ), and modifications to the tropospheric ozone (O 3 ) layer are the main consequences of climate change [8]. Europe is one of the main contributors to the climate crisis, with its healthcare sector alone emitting 4.4% of all global emissions.…”

“…Because of its latitude, altitude, continental positioning, and unique ecosystem, the Alpine region's warming-with maximums of up to 2.5 • C warmer than usual-has been much more pronounced than in the rest of the Northern Hemisphere [15,16]. A significant proportion of Europe's population is also exposed to air pollution levels above national and international air quality standards [5]. Ambient air pollution is the environmental factor with the greatest impact on human health; it is associated with higher mortality and morbidity [8].…”

Nursing Interventions to Reduce Health Risks from Climate Change Impact in Urban Areas: A Scoping Review Protocol

“…Health practitioners such as CPHSNs are fundamental in health promotion, which drives the public health sector, and have recently been considered as key stakeholders when it comes to tackle climate change. CPHSN regularly engage with and lead individuals, groups, families, communities, and governmental institutions, supporting healthier lifestyle choices, advocating for adequate decisions from policymakers in urban settings, and reducing the global carbon footprint [ 9 ].…”

Ethics, care and climate change mitigation: A reflection on what care professionals can do

“…material, financial) and can act independently. 11 Scholars, who delivered keynote addresses at the 2022 nursing ethics conference, drew our attention to the intersections amongst climate change, health vulnerability, care ethics nursing, and politics. They framed climate mitigation and adaptation in relatable and relational ways, to frontline care professionals, by linking it to sustainable development goals (SDGs).…”