Social, environmental and health vulnerability to climate change in the Brazilian Northeastern Region

Mapping human vulnerability to climate change in the Brazilian Amazon: The construction of a municipal vulnerability index

“…In addition, these authors also showed that although the focus and availability of data in each study using CVA varied greatly, the method was able to assess the vulnerability and capabilities of the populations studied with considerable breadth and depth. Likewise, in Brazil, there are studies applying and improving the same conceptual model of vulnerability proposed, initially, to evaluate the vulnerability of the municipalities of the state of Rio de Janeiro to climate [ 2 ], to other regions of the country, such as the municipalities of the state of Minas Gerais [ 28 , 58 ] and the Paraguay River Basin [ 58 ]. Although several methodologies are available to carry out vulnerability assessments (i.e.…”

“…A methodology involving synthetic indicators was developed and refined by the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation since the 2000s, which began with the construction of an indicator of vulnerability of the Brazilian population to climate impacts on health [ 26 ]. Development of this methodology included the study of social, environmental and health vulnerabilities of the Northeast Region of Brazil [ 27 ], of the municipalities of the state of Rio de Janeiro [ 2 ] and, more recently, of the state of Minas Gerais [ 28 ].…”

“…The variables chosen to compose the methodological scheme possessed the following criteria: 1) should be mainly of free access; and 2) should be systematically updated. Most of these variables were selected based on what has been established by other studies developed for Brazil, whereas other variables were specific to this study [ 2 , 27 , 57 , 58 ]. All variables passed through validation by a panel of experts comprising managers, decision makers, non-governmental organizations and researchers from various parts of the country who had expertise in the thematic areas studied–disasters, social indicators, adaptation, climatology and health, among others.…”

Analyzing Spatial Patterns of Health Vulnerability to Drought in the Brazilian Semiarid Region

“…Local studies have shown possible effects related to nutritional deficiencies, mental health, water and air quality, compromised quality and access to health services, and slower gains in population health, perpetrating long-lasting consequences of drought to human well-being [8,14]. Water and food security, social capital, and social determinants have also been related to health vulnerability to droughts in different regions, including semiarid places [14,15,21,[26][27][28]. However, especially in Brazil, these studies are often limited to the biophysical and epidemiological impacts of disasters, failing to produce a bigger picture on the theme [8,[13][14][15]17,[29][30][31].…”

“…In this sense, the use of indices focused on understanding health risks in all its dimensions may be valid for a better understanding of the distribution of local health outcomes and can add valuable information to identify health vulnerabilities useful for disaster risk reduction [32]. Indices related to social vulnerability, human health, climate change, and infectious diseases are a common practice in disaster risk and public health approaches, adding to the comprehension of important underlying health risks, highlighting inequalities in the epidemiological profiles of populational groups, and prioritizing public health resources for slow onset disasters in specific areas [14,27,[32][33][34][35][36][37][38][39][40][41][42].…”