Priority focus areas for a sub-national response to climate change and health: A South African provincial case study
Introduction: The intersection of health and climate change is often absent or under-represented in sub-national government strategies. This analysis of the literature, using a new methodological framework, highlights priority focus areas for a sub-national government response to health and climate...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2019-01-01
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| Series: | Environment International |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S016041201831208X |
| _version_ | 1811206431574065152 |
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| author | Christie Nicole Godsmark James Irlam Frances van der Merwe Mark New Hanna-Andrea Rother |
| author_facet | Christie Nicole Godsmark James Irlam Frances van der Merwe Mark New Hanna-Andrea Rother |
| author_sort | Christie Nicole Godsmark |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Introduction: The intersection of health and climate change is often absent or under-represented in sub-national government strategies. This analysis of the literature, using a new methodological framework, highlights priority focus areas for a sub-national government response to health and climate change, using the Western Cape (WC) province of South Africa as a case study. Methods: A methodological framework was created to conduct a review of priority focus areas relevant for sub-national governments. The framework encompassed the establishment of a Project Steering Group consisting of relevant, sub-national stakeholders (e.g. provincial officials, public and environmental health specialists and academics); an analysis of local climatic projections as well as an analysis of global, national and sub-national health risk factors and impacts. Results: Globally, the discussion of health and climate change adaptation strategies in sub-national, or provincial government is often limited. For the case study presented, multiple health risk factors were identified. WC climatic projections include a warmer and potentially drier future with an increased frequency and intensity of extreme weather events. WC government priority focus areas requiring further research on health risk factors include: population migration and environmental refugees, land use change, violence and human conflict and vulnerable groups. WC government priority focus areas for further research on health impacts include: mental ill-health, non-communicable diseases, injuries, poisonings (e.g. pesticides), food and nutrition insecurity-related diseases, water- and food-borne diseases and reproductive health. These areas are currently under-addressed, or not addressed at all, in the current provincial climate change strategy. Conclusions: Sub-national government adaptation strategies often display limited discussion on the health and climate change intersect. The methodological framework presented in this case study can be globally utilized by other sub-national governments for decision-making and development of climate change and health adaptation strategies. Additionally, due to the broad range of sectoral issues identified, a primary recommendation from this study is that sub-national governments internationally should consider a “health and climate change in all policies” approach when developing adaptation and mitigation strategies to address climate change. Keywords: Climate change, Environmental health, Low- and middle-income countries, Adaptation, Sub-national, Climate health impacts |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T03:47:29Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-53f2fd4b511742b2a03cf2813172de00 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0160-4120 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T03:47:29Z |
| publishDate | 2019-01-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Environment International |
| spelling | doaj.art-53f2fd4b511742b2a03cf2813172de002022-12-22T03:49:04ZengElsevierEnvironment International0160-41202019-01-011223151Priority focus areas for a sub-national response to climate change and health: A South African provincial case studyChristie Nicole Godsmark0James Irlam1Frances van der Merwe2Mark New3Hanna-Andrea Rother4Division of Environmental Health, School of Public Health and Family Medicine, University of Cape Town, South AfricaDivision of Environmental Health, School of Public Health and Family Medicine, University of Cape Town, South Africa; Primary Health Care Directorate, University of Cape Town, South AfricaDepartment of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning, Western Cape Government, South AfricaAfrican Climate and Development Initiative, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa; School of International Development, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UKDivision of Environmental Health, School of Public Health and Family Medicine, University of Cape Town, South Africa; Corresponding author at: Division of Environmental Health, Entrance 5 Falmouth Building, Anzio Road, Observatory, 7925 Cape Town, South Africa.Introduction: The intersection of health and climate change is often absent or under-represented in sub-national government strategies. This analysis of the literature, using a new methodological framework, highlights priority focus areas for a sub-national government response to health and climate change, using the Western Cape (WC) province of South Africa as a case study. Methods: A methodological framework was created to conduct a review of priority focus areas relevant for sub-national governments. The framework encompassed the establishment of a Project Steering Group consisting of relevant, sub-national stakeholders (e.g. provincial officials, public and environmental health specialists and academics); an analysis of local climatic projections as well as an analysis of global, national and sub-national health risk factors and impacts. Results: Globally, the discussion of health and climate change adaptation strategies in sub-national, or provincial government is often limited. For the case study presented, multiple health risk factors were identified. WC climatic projections include a warmer and potentially drier future with an increased frequency and intensity of extreme weather events. WC government priority focus areas requiring further research on health risk factors include: population migration and environmental refugees, land use change, violence and human conflict and vulnerable groups. WC government priority focus areas for further research on health impacts include: mental ill-health, non-communicable diseases, injuries, poisonings (e.g. pesticides), food and nutrition insecurity-related diseases, water- and food-borne diseases and reproductive health. These areas are currently under-addressed, or not addressed at all, in the current provincial climate change strategy. Conclusions: Sub-national government adaptation strategies often display limited discussion on the health and climate change intersect. The methodological framework presented in this case study can be globally utilized by other sub-national governments for decision-making and development of climate change and health adaptation strategies. Additionally, due to the broad range of sectoral issues identified, a primary recommendation from this study is that sub-national governments internationally should consider a “health and climate change in all policies” approach when developing adaptation and mitigation strategies to address climate change. Keywords: Climate change, Environmental health, Low- and middle-income countries, Adaptation, Sub-national, Climate health impactshttp://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S016041201831208X |
| spellingShingle | Christie Nicole Godsmark James Irlam Frances van der Merwe Mark New Hanna-Andrea Rother Priority focus areas for a sub-national response to climate change and health: A South African provincial case study Environment International |
| title | Priority focus areas for a sub-national response to climate change and health: A South African provincial case study |
| title_full | Priority focus areas for a sub-national response to climate change and health: A South African provincial case study |
| title_fullStr | Priority focus areas for a sub-national response to climate change and health: A South African provincial case study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Priority focus areas for a sub-national response to climate change and health: A South African provincial case study |
| title_short | Priority focus areas for a sub-national response to climate change and health: A South African provincial case study |
| title_sort | priority focus areas for a sub national response to climate change and health a south african provincial case study |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S016041201831208X |
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