Tools and methods for assessing health vulnerability and adaptation to climate change: A scoping review

Introduction: The climate crisis and its impact on human health are already being felt around the world, and are projected to worsen in the coming decades. There is a need to address the health vulnerability of populations. Health vulnerability and adaptation assessments are being carried out at var...

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Main Authors: Adithya Pradyumna, Joshitha Sankam
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2022-10-01
Series:The Journal of Climate Change and Health
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667278222000426
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author Adithya Pradyumna
Joshitha Sankam
author_facet Adithya Pradyumna
Joshitha Sankam
author_sort Adithya Pradyumna
collection DOAJ
description Introduction: The climate crisis and its impact on human health are already being felt around the world, and are projected to worsen in the coming decades. There is a need to address the health vulnerability of populations. Health vulnerability and adaptation assessments are being carried out at various scales to contribute towards adaptation planning. Several tools and methods have been developed and applied in different contexts. Methods: This scoping review was able to identify 25 tools and methods for assessing health vulnerability and adaptation to climate change, using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) scoping review guidelines. Data on the methods used, unit of assessment, scope of climatic hazards and health concerns addressed, consideration of climate projections, stakeholder involvement, and tool outputs were extracted. Results: Most of the identified papers were based on assessments conducted in high-income countries (56%). The majority of the approaches assessed health vulnerability at the level of a district or below (72%). Over half of the approaches considered all the relevant climate hazards (52%) and health concerns (52%) during the assessment, while some approaches only focused on one or a few specific aspects such as extreme heat (16%) or dengue (8%). Information about the resources needed for conducting these assessments was unavailable. Conclusions: While health planners may benefit from the description of approaches for health vulnerability assessment included in this review, evaluations of the approaches applied in particular contexts can provide additional rich insights. In addition, these assessment approaches should be piloted in neglected locations, and new approaches should be developed based on contextual needs and identified gaps.
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spelling doaj.art-8910da473e1c469aa302e3033ddf75862022-12-22T03:53:36ZengElsevierThe Journal of Climate Change and Health2667-27822022-10-018100153Tools and methods for assessing health vulnerability and adaptation to climate change: A scoping reviewAdithya Pradyumna0Joshitha Sankam1Azim Premji University, Survey No 66, Burugunte Village, Bikkanahalli Main Road, Sarjapura, Bengaluru 562125, IndiaCorresponding author.; Azim Premji University, Survey No 66, Burugunte Village, Bikkanahalli Main Road, Sarjapura, Bengaluru 562125, IndiaIntroduction: The climate crisis and its impact on human health are already being felt around the world, and are projected to worsen in the coming decades. There is a need to address the health vulnerability of populations. Health vulnerability and adaptation assessments are being carried out at various scales to contribute towards adaptation planning. Several tools and methods have been developed and applied in different contexts. Methods: This scoping review was able to identify 25 tools and methods for assessing health vulnerability and adaptation to climate change, using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) scoping review guidelines. Data on the methods used, unit of assessment, scope of climatic hazards and health concerns addressed, consideration of climate projections, stakeholder involvement, and tool outputs were extracted. Results: Most of the identified papers were based on assessments conducted in high-income countries (56%). The majority of the approaches assessed health vulnerability at the level of a district or below (72%). Over half of the approaches considered all the relevant climate hazards (52%) and health concerns (52%) during the assessment, while some approaches only focused on one or a few specific aspects such as extreme heat (16%) or dengue (8%). Information about the resources needed for conducting these assessments was unavailable. Conclusions: While health planners may benefit from the description of approaches for health vulnerability assessment included in this review, evaluations of the approaches applied in particular contexts can provide additional rich insights. In addition, these assessment approaches should be piloted in neglected locations, and new approaches should be developed based on contextual needs and identified gaps.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667278222000426AdaptationClimate changeHealthMethodsToolsVulnerability assessment
spellingShingle Adithya Pradyumna
Joshitha Sankam
Tools and methods for assessing health vulnerability and adaptation to climate change: A scoping review
The Journal of Climate Change and Health
Adaptation
Climate change
Health
Methods
Tools
Vulnerability assessment
title Tools and methods for assessing health vulnerability and adaptation to climate change: A scoping review
title_full Tools and methods for assessing health vulnerability and adaptation to climate change: A scoping review
title_fullStr Tools and methods for assessing health vulnerability and adaptation to climate change: A scoping review
title_full_unstemmed Tools and methods for assessing health vulnerability and adaptation to climate change: A scoping review
title_short Tools and methods for assessing health vulnerability and adaptation to climate change: A scoping review
title_sort tools and methods for assessing health vulnerability and adaptation to climate change a scoping review
topic Adaptation
Climate change
Health
Methods
Tools
Vulnerability assessment
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667278222000426
work_keys_str_mv AT adithyapradyumna toolsandmethodsforassessinghealthvulnerabilityandadaptationtoclimatechangeascopingreview
AT joshithasankam toolsandmethodsforassessinghealthvulnerabilityandadaptationtoclimatechangeascopingreview