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Health impacts of climate change –
lessons from WA
Dianne Katscherian
Contents
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Climate Change in Western Australia
Climate Change and Health
Department of Health activities
Other Health sector activities in WA
Where are we now?
Some lessons learned
Climate Change in Western Australia
 SW WA has experienced reduced
rainfall since the 1970s (10 – 20%
decrease)
 Significant impacts on stream flow,
water availability and soil moisture
 More intense storm events in SW
 NW experiencing more severe
cyclones extending further south
and inland
 Gradual increase in average
temperatures
Climate Change in Western Australia
 Decreases in rainfall in the south-west
since the 70s
500
1976-2003 average: 276 mm
450
mm
400
350
300
250
200
1925-1975 average: 323 mm
150
1925
1935
1945
1955
1965
Year
1975
1985
1995
2005
Climate Change in Western Australia
 The Indian Ocean Climate Initiative (IOCI) was
established by the WA Government in 1998.
 IOCI is a research partnership between the WA State
Government, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial
Research Organisation CSIRO) and Bureau of
Meteorology (BOM).
 The research program aims were to investigate the
causes of the changing climate and develop projections
of future climate in WA
 4 stages to the program:
 Baseline and predictability of WA climate and attribution of
climate change
 Current and future climate of the North west including
extreme events
 Very-high resolution climate change projections for the
South west
 Science leadership and support (current projects)
Climate Change in Western Australia
 The IOCI research program projected (yearly
averages) that for south-west WA:
 by 2030, rainfall will decrease by two to 20
per cent;
 by 2030, summer temperatures will
increase by 0.5 to 2.1°C;
 by 2030, winter temperatures will increase
by 0.5 to 2.0°C;
 by 2070, rainfall will decrease by five to 60
per cent;
 by 2070, summer temperatures will
increase by 1.0 to 6.5°C; and by 2070,
winter temperatures will increase by 1.0 to
5.5°C.
 Sea level rises are also significant (up ~8mm
since 1980s)
 The changes have obvious implications for
people and their activities
WA’s action on Climate Change
 The first publication, WA Greenhouse
Strategy (GHS) was finalised in 2004
 Committed Government and agencies
to respond to measures to address
both mitigation and adaptation in WA
 Climate Change Unit established within
the Department of Environment and
Conservation responsible for advising
Government on government responses to
climate change and climate change policy
 Formation of the Climate Change Policy
Interdepartmental Steering Group
(CCPISG) with representatives from all
Government agencies
Climate Change and Health
 There are many complex interactions associated
with potential environmental changes/impacts and
human health
World Health Organisation (WHO) 2005 (online)
http://www.who.int/globalchange/climate/en/index.html
Climate change and Health
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Climate Change has potential to have
significant impacts to health (+ve and -ve)
Key elements related to:
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Location of people (work and social
environments)
Potential environmental changes (arising from
changes to climatic conditions)
Interaction with the environment (direct
impacts)
Indirect impacts from existing and future
activities and events
Climate Change and Health
Patz, J.A. et al. The potential health impacts of climate variability and change for the United States: executive summary of
the report of the health sector of the U.S. National Assessment. Environ Health Perspect,108(4): 367-76 (2000).
Department of Health and Climate Change
 The GHS committed WA
Health to assess impacts of
climate change on population
of WA
 Undertook Health Impact
Assessment of climate change
in collaboration with the WHO
Centre for Environmental and
Health Impact Assessment at
Curtin University
 Used scenario of probable
circumstances in 2030
Climate Projections for WA
Climate data from IPCC, CSIRO and IOCI
2030 as a starting point for health impact
 Expected average temperature increases of 0.50C to 2.00C
 Increases in the number of days over 350C in:
 South West of +1 to + 20 days (now 27 in Perth)
 North West of +10 to +90 days (now 54 in Broome and156 in Halls
Creek)
 Rainfall changes in:
 South-West of 2 to 20% reduction in annual rainfall with a 17%
reduction in winter rain days and catchment runoff decreases of 5 to
40%
 North-West of annual rainfall decreases of 1.5 to 3.5%
 Sea-Level increases of 3 to 17 cm by 2030 and 25 to 75 cm by
2100
 For Extreme Weather Events the following are generally
accepted:
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Heatwaves – more per year
Droughts – more frequent and severe
Bushfires – increased risk
Flooding – increased intensity
Storms – increased intensity
Tropical Cyclones – increased intensity
The Health Impact Assessment Process
 Health Impact Assessment, like other forms of impact
assessment, is a formalised collaborative process used
to consider potential impacts (positive and negative)
from activities during their planning stages
 The Process follows the format of:
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Screening
Scoping
Profiling
Risk Assessment
Risk Management
Decision Making
Evaluation
Vulnerability
 Vulnerability considered population groups and
interactions of people with regions, infrastructure and
ecosystems.
 People potentially at greater risk of harm from climate
change include:
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The old, especially >65 years
The young, especially <2 years
The pregnant and breastfeeding
The obese
Those who are not acclimatized e.g. new arrivals
Those who have underlying medical conditions, especially
cardiovascular disease
 People living in higher risk environments
 Manual labourers, outdoor workers, outdoor recreation
participants
Health impacts identified:
 The impacts from environmental
changes include:
 Health impacts of extreme events
 Health impacts of temperature related
events
 Air Quality Health Impacts
 Food-borne diseases
 Health Impacts from Food Production
 Social/Community/Lifestyle Impacts
 Vector-borne diseases
 Water-borne diseases
Department of Health and Climate Change
 Participation by stakeholders from across
Government, NGOs and industry
 Three significant components:
 Identification of health impacts and
assessment of current coping capacity
 Risk assessments
 Development of adaptive responses
that could provide Government with
the basis for future decision making
 Published results in Health Impact
Assessment of Climate Change:
Adaptation strategies for Western
Australia
Department of Health and Climate Change
 Important that WA Health engaged with climate
change responses
 Formation of the Health and Climate Change Steering
Group (HCCSG) in February 2008
 Chaired by Executive Director Public Health with
support from the Environmental Health Directorate
 15 members with representation from all sectors
across WA Health
Role of the Steering Group
 Provide leadership on climate change
mitigation and adaptation across the WA
Health sector
 Support the development of policies
 Develop and implement appropriate
governance mechanisms
 Raise awareness
 Liaise with stakeholders
 Respond to new initiatives and strategies
Role of the Steering Group
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These roles include consideration of:
1. The implications of climate change on the WA
community
2. The ability of the Department to respond to
emergencies associated with climate events
3. The preparedness of the health care system to care
for people affected by climate events
4. The requirements of the health system to reduce its
greenhouse emissions and environmental footprint
5. Responses to state and national policy on climate
change
1. Implications of climate change to the WA community
 Processes and adaptation strategies
for:
 Assessment of specific sector
vulnerabilities
 Formulation of priorities and timetable for
action
 Collaboration in whole of Government
responses
 Heat strategy
 Working with other sectors to consider
social vulnerabilities including:
 FESA
 Agriculture and Food
 Fisheries
2.
Ability of the Department to respond to
emergencies associated with climate events
 Disaster Preparedness and
Management Unit (DPMU) set up in
2004
 The Unit has been enhancing WA
Health's capability, in terms of
equipment, facilities and trained
personnel since 2004.
 Is important member of State
Emergency Management Committee
 Considers climate change as key
component within planning activities
Preparedness of the health care system to
care for people affected by climate events
 Activities include:
3.
 Identification of potential improvements
to existing practices
 Assessment of surge capacity:
 “..a health care system’s ability to
manage a sudden or rapidly progressive
influx of patients within the currently
available resources at a given point in
time”.
 Confident capable of dealing with large
(>500 patient) incident.
 Participation in activities to enhance the
national capability to respond to disasters
4. The requirements of the WA Health to reduce its
greenhouse emissions and environmental footprint
Review of current WA Health practices revealed:
 Employs over 37 000 employees
 Annual budget of over $6.6 billion (2011)
 Accounted for 44% of the government’s
stationary energy use and spent over $25
million on energy (2006/2007)
 One of the biggest emitters of greenhouse
gases, with over 213,000 tonnes of CO2
emitted in (2006/2007)
 Hospitals consumed over 1.3 mega litres of
water in (2007) and
 One of the biggest generators and disposers
of single use waste (including single use
non-recyclable wastes).
Enhancing Sustainability
 Activities include:
 Proactive planning for future, for
example:
 New hospitals/facilities must meet
Green Star ratings
 Identification through reporting of
potential improvements to existing
practices
 Appointment of dedicated staff for
Energy policy
 Waste policy reduction/reuse/recycling
 Greenhouse gas emissions
inventory and reporting
Enhancing Sustainability
 Metropolitan travel and transport
policy
 Sustainable procurement policy
 Formation of Health Environment
Awareness (HEAT) teams in many
facilities
 Greening WA Health Intranet
 Sustainable September activities to:
 Raise awareness about
environmental, social and economic
sustainability in action.
Other activities involving Health sector
 Local Government:
 Health involved in raising awareness about
impacts and providing input to risk
assessments
 Many regional collaborations
 National responses:
 NCCARF
 Human Health management team (2 WA
reps)
 Raise awareness within resource sector of
risks and co-benefits
 Health cluster research project (7 in Aus)
 Input to National Adaptation Research Plan
Other activities involving WA Health sector
National
 enHealth and Dept Health and Aging
 National Adaptation Action Plan
 AUSAID Pacific program
International
 Curtin University WHO Collaborating
Centre for EHIA
 WHO Climate Change and Health in
Pacific program
 UNFCCC V&A training (Africa, Middle
East and Latin America)
Where are we now?
 Development of Business Case within WA
Health for more FTEs to address sustainability
 State Gov Policy Steering group working with
Climate Change Unit to :
 Develop Climate Change Adaptation and
Mitigation Strategy
 Plan and implement next Science program
for IOCI
 Emphasis on partnerships/collaboration
in research projects with Gov
 Specific Project: Climatologies of heat
stress and fire danger indices for WA
 Undertake stock take of WA research
Lessons Learned
 Health is major element of all CC activities involving
people
 Climate change is exacerbating existing health issues
linked to environmental changes
 Those most vulnerable are also those least likely to be
able to respond
 Impacts from mitigation activities should also be
considered
 Governments should provide leadership in addressing
sustainability
 Climate change responses require whole of
Government involvement
 Assessments of impacts and development of adaptation
responses should be integrated
Thank You