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Climate Change

What is climate change?

Climate change is defined as a significant long-term change in current climate conditions, such as temperature, precipitation, extreme weather events, and snow cover. Scientific evidence shows our climate is changing, which causes our weather to change.

Weather and climate change impact the health of all people. Potential health impacts can be direct or indirect.

Direct health impacts of climate change

Temperature-related illness or death
Extreme weather events
Poor air quaility
Food and water contamination
Increasing risk of vector-borne infectious diseases (e.g., Lyme disease, Westnile virus)
Food insecurity

Indirect health impacts of climate change

Psychosocial impacts (e.g., stress, seasonal depression)
Population displacement.

What is KFL&A public health doing to reduce health risks associated with climate change?

Extreme temperatures

Unusually hot or cold temperature and high Humidex readings as compared to the typical regional average for that season.

KFL&A Public Health:

Monitors rates of cold and heat related emergency department visits via the Public Health Information Management System (PHIMS).
Works with local governments to support tree canopy preservation to mitigate against extreme heat and Ultraviolet (UV) radiation protection.
Promotes UV radiation protection to reduce skin cancer.
Designates Public Health Inspectors to enforce the skin cancer prevention act.

Resources

Extreme cold response plan - KFL&A Public Health
Extreme heat response plan - KFL&A Public Health
Extreme heat - KFL&A Public Health - Preventative measures to take during extreme heat.
Extreme cold - KFL&A Public Health - Preventative measures to take during extreme cold.
Skin Cancer - KFL&A Public Health
Sun Safety - KFL&A Public Health

Extreme weather

Includes unexpected, unusual, unpredictable or unseasonal weather; weather at the extremes of the range that has been seen in the past. These extreme weather events include flooding, drought, tornadoes, forest fires, and winter storms.

KFL&A Public Health:

Monitors extreme weather events forecasted by Environment Canada.
Participates in municipal emergency response planning.

Contamination and availability of food and water

Changes in precepitation and temperature can influence the quality and quantity of food.

KFL&A Public Health:

Monitors public beaches for water safety.
Inspects facilities where food is prepared, served, and sold.
Collaborates on blue green algae.
Provides food safety education.
Runs safe water programs, including well testing and small drinking water system s.
Works with local governments and community partners to support a sustainable food system that is resilient to climate change.

Vector-borne infectious diseases

Changes in climate can lengthen the transmission seasons of certain vector-borne diseases and expand their geographic range e.g., Lyme disease.

KFL&A Public Health:

Completes annual active tick surveillance.
Monitors for West Nile Virus.
Tracks the incidence of vector-borne diseases.

Air quality

The degree to which the ambient air is pollution-free.

KFL&A Public Health:

Promotes active transportation with individuals, community partners, and local governments.
Monitors air quality index.

Resources

My Community, My Health (video) - Ottawa Public Health