Bridging the North and South: climate science and practice

摘要

Background: The health risks of climate change are a consequence of the interactions of a changing climate with the specific regions and peoples exposed to those changes, and their susceptibility and response capacity. A wide range of data and tools are available to explore the possible magnitude and extent of possible impacts under different assumptions of future socioeconomic development and greenhouse gas emissions pathways, and to inform adaptation activities. Methods: Data and tools for understanding current and future climate hazards, exposure, and vulnerability include: • National and international meteorological services provide data on weather and climate variability. • Exposure maps, such as storm surge or vector distribution maps under current and future weather patterns, help identify regions and populations more likely to be exposed to potentially conditions or situations that could increase the burden of climate-sensitive health outcomes. • Public health and disaster risk management programs can use vulnerability mapping of sub-groups and studies to identify susceptible groups to more effectively target those most at risk of adverse health outcomes. Program evaluation can identify where and how response capacity can be improved. Results: National and local adaptation assessments use information on climate, exposure, and hazards to identify modification of current and implementation of new policies and measures to address current and projected health impacts. Challenges with using these data and tools include the mis-match between the time scale of climate projections and the time scale of interest for decision makers (often a decade or less), and the limited projections for factors that underlie vulnerability, such as the roles of institutions and governance. For many climate-sensitive health outcomes, countries in the South have more experience with managing risks that may emerge or re-emerge in the North, because of current health burdens and also because of longer experience with adaptation. Sharing experiences between the North and South on the key components of health risks and approaches to their management will facilitate effective and efficient adaptation.