Climate change affects us all, with rising temperatures and the increased frequency of extreme weather events like heat waves, floods, and wildfires posing significant health risks to people living in Canada. These changes are expected to worsen existing health problems including heat-related illnesses, cardiovascular and respiratory conditions, and mental health issues, as well as introduce emerging hazards, such as food safety and security issues, and vector-borne illnesses like Lyme disease. These impacts pose significant risk to public health and amplify existing challenges. The “Health of Canadians in a Changing Climate: Advancing our Knowledge for Action” report emphasizes that these health risks will escalate with ongoing warming, affecting everything from respiratory and cardiovascular health to mental well-being. This underscores the urgent need to promote health systems that are both low-carbon and resilient to the impacts of climate change.
Chapter 1 of Health of Canadians in a Changing Climate (led by Health Canada, released in 2022) describes how the health impacts of climate change are already being felt across Canada and are expected to worsen in the coming decades. The report identifies that the direct and indirect impacts of climate change on health are interlinked with social, economic, and environmental factors. For instance, marginalized populations are more likely to suffer severe consequences due to existing inequalities, limited access to healthcare, and heightened exposure to climate risks.
The report also discusses how climate change threatens food security, air and water quality, and mental health, particularly in rural, remote, and Indigenous communities. It highlights how these impacts can lead to cascading effects on health systems, increasing demand for medical services, while simultaneously straining resources. Addressing these multi-dimensional risks requires integrating climate change considerations into public health planning and building adaptive capacity within communities.
HealthADAPT, a Health Canada initiative, assists health authorities in adapting to climate-related risks. Launched in 2018 as a pilot program, HealthADAPT provided funding to support health authorities in addressing climate risks to their operations and the health of the communities they serve.
After the pilot concluded, the Government of Canada launched several climate resiliency programs, research, and initiatives, including the 2022 Health of Canadians in a Changing Climate which informed Canada’s first National Adaptation Strategy (NAS), released in June 2023. Now, as the HealthADAPT program enters its next phase, it will continue to provide guidance and resources tailored to the evolving needs of health systems to enhance climate preparedness and planning.
Recognizing the importance of tailored adaptation strategies, the transition from HealthADAPT’s support to actionable first steps is crucial. Adaptation frameworks and Vulnerability and Adaptation (V&A) assessments represent the next level of detail in this process, offering structured approaches to developing resilience against climate impacts. These frameworks are essential for not just identifying risks but for assessing vulnerabilities and implementing targeted measures to mitigate these risks effectively.
As part of Health Canada’s commitment to capacity building within the health sector, the Climate Change and Health Vulnerability and Adaptation Assessments: Workbook for the Canadian Health Sector was released. This resource is designed to guide health authorities through a 6-step assessment process:
As outlined in the steps above, step three in the V&A assessment involves finding and making sense of future climate data to understand future health risks. Platforms like ClimateData.ca can play a role in helping health professionals find and make sense of information pertaining to risks that their systems and assets may face because of a changing climate, even without expertise in data or climatology.
A great place to start is ClimateData.ca’s Health Sector Module, which aims to build climate literacy among health professionals and inspire adaptation actions through health case studies, health-related climate indices, and climate data tools. If you are just getting started on your climate change journey, there are also key learning resources available in the Learning Zone, including topics like how to use climate information for decision making and understanding climate projections.
There are also key variables, data products, and tools available that directly serve the health sector. For example, recent climate patterns have seen humidex values rise in regions previously untouched by such extremes. As a result, health professionals may want to consider future Humidex projections (available for Humidex values >30, 35, and 40 degrees Celsius) in their V&A assessments.
To explore the full range of resources available for health sector professionals on ClimateData.ca, refer to our recent Get Climate Smart: Protecting Health and Wellbeing article.
As the HealthADAPT program moves into its next cycle, the focus will remain on capacity building across the health sector to prepare for and respond to the health impacts of climate change. Insights gained from the pilot program underscore the need for ongoing support, resources, and guidance for health authorities engaged in climate change and health adaptation work.
Climate change is an important challenge to public health, and immediate and sustained action is needed to adapt and build resilience. By using initiatives like HealthADAPT and climate data and tools, health authorities and other health organizations can equip themselves to safeguard health and well-being from the impacts of a changing climate.
Visit Health Canada’s website for more information.