How Vulnerable are New Brunswickers and Their Health to Climate Change?
Author: NB-IRDT Staff
Posted on Mar 2, 2022
Climate change impacts our weather systems, our food supply, our natural resources, and more – but how could it impact the health of our communities? And how can plans to adapt to climate change modify these impacts?
In partnership with the Climate Change Innovation Bureau of Health Canada and the Government of New Brunswick, researchers at NB-IRDT are contributing to the province’s HealthADAPT project by tracking changes in health-related vulnerabilities to help New Brunswick’s health sector prepare for and respond to the impacts of climate change.
In a recently released set of reports, they explore vulnerability to climate hazards in 33 NB Health Council Communities, looking at hospitalizations over time due to
- Heat
- Cold
- Extreme weather events and accidents
- Air quality
- Ultraviolet radiation
- Vector-borne diseases
- Food and water-borne diseases.
Increases in hospitalizations related to extreme weather events, for example, are expected as these events become more frequent, with anticipated changes in our climate. However, some communities may be more sensitive to these events than others, especially if they have a high burden of chronic diseases.
By focusing both on hospitalizations and the burden of disease across NB communities, this project provides a starting point to help track health impacts related to climate change into the future.
Related Pages: Climate change sensitivity profiles for New Brunswick Health Council communities