Extreme Weather and Climate Change: Population Health and Health System Implications

Extreme weather and climate events, such as heat waves, cyclones, and floods, are an expression of climate variability. These events and events influenced by climate change, such as wildfires, continue to cause significant human morbidity and mortality and adversely affect mental health and well-being. Although adverse health impacts from extreme events declined over the past few decades, climate change and more people moving into harm's way could alter this trend. Long-term changes to Earth's energy balance are increasing the frequency and intensity of many extreme events and the probability of compound events, with trends projected to accelerate under certain greenhouse gas emissions scenarios. While most of these events cannot be completely avoided, many of the health risks could be prevented through building climate-resilient health systems with improved risk reduction, preparation, response, and recovery. Conducting vulnerability and adaptation assessments and developing health system adaptation plans can identify priority actions to effectively reduce risks, such as disaster risk management and more resilient infrastructure. The risks are urgent, so action is needed now. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Public Health, Volume 42 is April 2021. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.

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At the Water's Edge: Coastal Settlement, Transformative Adaptation, and Well-Being in an Era of Dynamic Climate Risk

Annual Review of Public Health ◽

10.1146/annurev-publhealth-090419-102302 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 42 (1) ◽

Author(s):

William Solecki ◽

Erin Friedman

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Climate Adaptation ◽

Well Being ◽

Community Change ◽

Annual Review ◽

Publication Date ◽

Science Literature ◽

Climate Risks ◽

Climate Resilience ◽

Transformative Adaptation

With accelerating climate change, US coastal communities are experiencing increased flood risk intensity, resulting from accelerated sea level rise and stronger storms. These conditions place pressure on municipalities and local residents to consider a range of new disaster risk reduction programs, climate resilience initiatives, and in some cases transformative adaptation strategies (e.g., managed retreat and relocation from highly vulnerable, low-elevation locations). Researchers have increasingly understood that these climate risks and adaptation actions have significant impacts on the quality of life, well-being, and mental health of urban coastal residents. We explore these relationships and define conditions under which adaptation practices will affect communities and residents. Specifically, we assess climate and environmental stressors, community change, and well-being by utilizing the growing climate change literature and the parallel social science literature on risk and hazards, environmental psychology, and urban geography work, heretofore not widely integrated into work on climate adaptation. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Public Health, Volume 42 is April 2021. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.

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Has the climate become more variable or extreme? Progress 1992-2006

Progress in Physical Geography Earth and Environment ◽

10.1177/0309133307073885 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 31 (1) ◽

pp. 77-87 ◽

Cited By ~ 44

Author(s):

Neville Nicholls ◽

Lisa Alexander

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Extreme Events ◽

Climate Extremes ◽

Extreme Weather ◽

Extreme Weather Events ◽

Intergovernmental Panel ◽

Weather Events ◽

Weather And Climate ◽

Analyse Data ◽

Climate Events

In 1990 and 1992 the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), in its first assessment of climate change and its supplement, did not consider whether extreme weather events had increased in frequency and/or intensity globally, because data were too sparse to make this a worthwhile exercise. In 1995 the IPCC, in its second assessment, did examine this question, but concluded that data and analyses of changes in extreme events were ‘not comprehensive’and thus the question could not be answered with any confidence. Since then, concerted multinational efforts have been undertaken to collate, quality control, and analyse data on weather and climate extremes. A comprehensive examination of the question of whether extreme events have changed in frequency or intensity is now more feasible than it was 15 years ago. The processes that have led to this position are described, along with current understanding of possible changes in some extreme weather and climate events.

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Restoring Degraded Lands

Annual Review of Environment and Resources ◽

10.1146/annurev-environ-012320-054809 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 46 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Almut Arneth ◽

Lennart Olsson ◽

Annette Cowie ◽

Karl-Heinz Erb ◽

Margot Hurlbert ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Land Degradation ◽

Well Being ◽

Annual Review ◽

Publication Date ◽

Mitigation And Adaptation ◽

Climate Regulation ◽

Wide Range ◽

Change Mitigation ◽

Degradation Problem

Land degradation continues to be an enormous challenge to human societies, reducing food security, emitting greenhouse gases and aerosols, driving the loss of biodiversity, polluting water, and undermining a wide range of ecosystem services beyond food supply and water and climate regulation. Climate change will exacerbate several degradation processes. Investment in diverse restoration efforts, including sustainable agricultural and forest land management, as well as land set aside for conservation wherever possible, will generate co-benefits for climate change mitigation and adaptation and more broadly for human and societal well-being and the economy. This review highlights the magnitude of the degradation problem and some of the key challenges for ecological restoration. There are biophysical as well as societal limits to restoration. Better integrating policies to jointly address poverty, land degradation, and greenhouse gas emissions and removals is fundamental to reducing many existing barriers and contributing to climate-resilient sustainable development. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Environment and Resources, Volume 46 is October 2021. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.

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Extreme weather and climate events in China under changing climate

National Science Review ◽

10.1093/nsr/nwaa069 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 7 (5) ◽

pp. 938-943

Author(s):

Weijie Zhao

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Heat Waves ◽

Extreme Weather ◽

China Meteorological Administration ◽

Atmospheric Physics ◽

Group I ◽

Weather And Climate ◽

Chinese Academy Of Sciences ◽

Academy Of Sciences ◽

Climate Events

Abstract In the summer of 2003, a heat wave swept Europe and caused more than 70 000 additional fatalities [J.-M. Robine et al., C. R. Biologies331 (2008)]. Global warming and climate change is no longer a prophecy to be fulfilled, as strong heat waves and typhoons, as well as severe rainfalls, are becoming more severe. Extreme weather and climate events in the world, especially over Europe and North America, are widely studied and frequently reported in the media. These events may be related to the ongoing climate change. In this NSR forum, active researchers specialized in this field gather to discuss the climate and weather changes in China. They present the current changes, identify knowledge gaps, discuss the research difficulties, and propose ways forward to better serve the society with climate science. Ying Sun Professor at the National Climate Center of the China Meteorological Administration, China Qiuhong Tang Professor at the Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, China Zhongwei Yan Professor at the Institute of Atmospheric Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, China Jing Yang Professor at the Academy of Disaster Reduction and Emergency Management, faculty of Geographic Science of Beijing Normal University, China Panmao Zhai Professor at the Chinese Academy of Meteorological Sciences of the China Meteorological Administration, and the current Co-Chair of the IPCC Working Group I, China Tianjun Zhou Professor at the Institute of Atmospheric Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, China Deliang Chen (Chair) Professor at the University of Gothenburg, NSR Editorial Board member, Sweden

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Anxiety, Worry, and Grief in a Time of Environmental and Climate Crisis: A Narrative Review

Annual Review of Environment and Resources ◽

10.1146/annurev-environ-012220-022716 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 46 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Maria Ojala ◽

Ashlee Cunsolo ◽

Charles A. Ogunbode ◽

Jacqueline Middleton

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Public Discourse ◽

Negative Emotions ◽

Well Being ◽

Environmental Problems ◽

Narrative Review ◽

Annual Review ◽

Publication Date ◽

The One ◽

Climate Crisis

Climate change worry, eco-anxiety, and ecological grief are concepts that have emerged in the media, public discourse, and research in recent years. However, there is not much literature examining and summarizing the ways in which these emotions are expressed, to what processes they are related, and how they are distributed. This narrative review aims to ( a) summarize research about the relationships between, on the one hand, negative emotions in relation to climate change and other environmental problems and, on the other hand, mental well-being among people in different parts of the world and ( b) examine studies that have explored the potentially constructive role of worry—for example, in the form of providing motivation to act. It is clear from this review that negative emotions regarding environmental problems are normal, and often constructive, responses. Yet, given the nature, range, and extent of these emotions, it is important to identify diverse place-based and culturally relevant strategies to help people cope. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Environment and Resources, Volume 46 is October 2021. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.

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Managing extreme weather and climate change in UK agriculture: Impacts, attitudes and action among farmers and stakeholders

Climate Risk Management ◽

10.1016/j.crm.2021.100313 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 32 ◽

pp. 100313

Author(s):

Rebecca Wheeler ◽

Matt Lobley

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Extreme Weather ◽

Weather And Climate

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A Comparative Analysis of Climate-Risk and Extreme Event-Related Impacts on Well-Being and Health: Policy Implications

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph15020331 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 15 (2) ◽

pp. 331 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Walter Leal Filho ◽

Abul Al-Amin ◽

Gustavo Nagy ◽

Ulisses Azeiteiro ◽

Laura Wiesböck ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Extreme Events ◽

Extreme Event ◽

Well Being ◽

Lessons Learned ◽

Policy Implications ◽

Health Impacts ◽

Climate Risks ◽

Wide Range ◽

Mental Problems

There are various climate risks that are caused or influenced by climate change. They are known to have a wide range of physical, economic, environmental and social impacts. Apart from damages to the physical environment, many climate risks (climate variability, extreme events and climate-related hazards) are associated with a variety of impacts on human well-being, health, and life-supporting systems. These vary from boosting the proliferation of vectors of diseases (e.g., mosquitos), to mental problems triggered by damage to properties and infrastructure. There is a great variety of literature about the strong links between climate change and health, while there is relatively less literature that specifically examines the health impacts of climate risks and extreme events. This paper is an attempt to address this knowledge gap, by compiling eight examples from a set of industrialised and developing countries, where such interactions are described. The policy implications of these phenomena and the lessons learned from the examples provided are summarised. Some suggestions as to how to avert the potential and real health impacts of climate risks are made, hence assisting efforts to adapt to a problem whose impacts affect millions of people around the world. All the examples studied show some degree of vulnerability to climate risks regardless of their socioeconomic status and need to increase resilience against extreme events.

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Personal Values Across Cultures

Annual Review of Psychology ◽

10.1146/annurev-psych-020821-125100 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 73 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Lilach Sagiv ◽

Shalom H. Schwartz

Keyword(s):

Personal Values ◽

Well Being ◽

Annual Review ◽

Publication Date ◽

Subjective Well Being ◽

Value Differences ◽

Many Instruments ◽

Value Priorities ◽

The Many ◽

Basic Personal Values

Values play an outsized role in the visions, critiques, and discussions of politics, religion, education, and family life. Despite all the attention values receive in everyday discourse, their systematic study took hold in mainstream psychology only in the 1990s. This review discusses the nature of values and presents the main contemporary value theories, focusing on the theory of basic personal values. We review evidence for the content and the structure of conflict and compatibility among values found across cultures. We discuss the assumptions underlying the many instruments developed to measure values. We then consider the origins of value priorities and their stability or change over time. The remainder of the review presents the evidence for the ways personal values relate to personality traits, subjective well-being, and the implications of value differences for religiosity, prejudice, pro- and antisocial behavior, political and environmental behavior, and creativity, concluding with a discussion of mechanisms that link values to behavior. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Psychology, Volume 73 is January 2022. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.

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Impacts of compound extreme weather events on ozone in the present and future

10.5194/acp-2018-231 ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

Junxi Zhang ◽

Yang Gao ◽

Kun Luo ◽

L. Ruby Leung ◽

Yang Zhang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Extreme Events ◽

Heat Waves ◽

Extreme Weather ◽

Extreme Weather Events ◽

Low Wind Speed ◽

Weather Events ◽

The Us ◽

The Future ◽

Compound Events ◽

Ozone Episodes

Abstract. The Weather Research and Forecasting model with Chemistry (WRF/Chem) was used to study the effect of extreme weather events on ozone in US for historical (2001–2010) and future (2046–2055) periods under RCP8.5 scenario. During extreme weather events, including heat waves, atmospheric stagnation, and their compound events, ozone concentration is much higher compared to non-extreme events period. A striking enhancement of effect during compound events is revealed when heat wave and stagnation occur simultaneously and both high temperature and low wind speed promote the production of high ozone concentrations. In regions with high emissions, compound extreme events can shift the high-end tails of the probability density functions (PDFs) of ozone to even higher values to generate extreme ozone episodes. In regions with low emissions, extreme events can still increase high ozone frequency but the high-end tails of the PDFs are constrained by the low emissions. Despite large anthropogenic emission reduction projected for the future, compound events increase ozone more than the single events by 10 % to 13 %, comparable to the present, and high ozone episodes are not eliminated. Using the CMIP5 multi-model ensemble, the frequency of compound events is found to increase more dominantly compared to the increased frequency of single events in the future over the US, Europe, and China. High ozone episodes will likely continue in the future due to increases in both frequency and intensity of extreme events, despite reductions in anthropogenic emissions of its precursors. However, the latter could reduce or eliminate extreme ozone episodes, so improving projections of compound events and their impacts on extreme ozone may better constrain future projections of extreme ozone episodes that have detrimental effects on human health.

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