Towards Improved Linkage of Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation in Health: A Review

Abstract

Climate change and climate-sensitive disasters significantly impact health. Linking Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) is essential for addressing these ever present, complex and increasing risks. Recent calls have been made to build these links in health. However, there is a need to clearly articulate why linking DRR and CCA is important in health. Furthermore, little is known about how DRR and CCA should be linked in health. By extensively examining relevant literature, this review presents the current state of knowledge of linking DRR and CCA in health. This includes the potential for maximising conceptual synergies such as building resilience, and reducing vulnerability and risk. Additionally, technical and operational synergies are identified to link DRR and CCA in health, including: policy, Early Warning Systems, vulnerability and risk assessment, health systems strengthening, infrastructure resilience, disaster preparedness and response, and health impact pathways. Public health actors have a central role in building these links due to their expertise, work functions, and experience in addressing complex health risks. The review concludes with recommendations for future research, including how to better link DRR and CCA in health; and the opportunities, challenges and enablers to build and sustain these links.

Population Health Adaptation Approaches to the Increasing Severity and Frequency of Weather-Related Disasters Resulting From our Changing Climate: A Literature Review and Application to Charleston, South Carolina

“…Comprehensive literature reviews have been recently performed to assess the current state of the science regarding climate change 2,8 , associated adverse health outcomes from weather-related disasters 15,16,38,39,66,67 , public health disaster research 68,69 , and disaster epidemiology 70 . However, we are unaware of any systematic literature review of the intersections between climate change, adverse weather-related disasters, and population health adaptation strategies.…”

“…38,39,52–65 Recent high profile incidents have exposed gaps in knowledge about the health impacts of disasters or the benefits of specific interventions. Much of the public health dialogue regarding climate change and its impact on human health has been focused on large-scale mitigation strategies to reverse the trends in climate change.…”

Informação Sobre Seca E Saúde: Subsídio Para Ações Preventivas

“…Nesse contexto, é importante adotar um processo de formação baseada na capacidade crítica de avaliação, de análise e de síntese, tanto dos problemas e ameaças que afetam à população local, considerando a projeção de riscos futuros, quanto da capacidade de sua resposta a esses desafios (UNISDR, 2015;UNCCD, 2016;BANWELL et al, 2018). Os riscos para a saúde (apresentados na figura 2), desde os mais imediatos até os de longo prazo, devem ser incluídos no processo de avaliação de respostas e no planejamento de ações futuras de seca.…”

Disaster Risk Reduction Including Climate Change Adaptation Over South Asia: Challenges and Ways Forward

“…Various researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and organizations focused on the similarities and differences between CCA and DRR, and on the process for integration (Kelman and Gaillard 2008;Alexander et al 2013;Hasan et al 2013;Mercer et al 2014;Banwell et al 2018;Brewer et al 2018;Dias et al 2018;Raza 2018;Vij et al 2018;Xu et al 2018;Zuccaro and Leone 2018). Suggestions of increases in the frequency, intensity, and severity of climate-related disasters call for better integration of DRR and CCA in order to reduce vulnerability and increase population resilience, especially over the South Asian region (Seidler et al 2018).…”