Environmental and Climate Change Initiatives in Nursing Education

2019 ◽  
Vol 38 (1) ◽  
pp. 131-144
Author(s):  
Phyllis Eide ◽  
Tamara Odom-Maryon
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Climate Change ◽  
Nursing Education ◽  
Global Health ◽  
Human Health ◽  
21St Century ◽  
Climate Change Impacts ◽  
Extreme Weather Events ◽  
Public Health Issue ◽  
Change Initiatives

Climate change has been labeled the greatest threat to public health and to global health in the 21st century. Addressing climate change has also been reframed as the greatest opportunity for global health in the 21st century, providing a more proactive lens through which to plan and implement actions. Significant climate change impacts to human health are numerous and mounting, including the direct effects of heatwaves, thermal stress and changed frequency or intensity of other extreme weather events. Climate change has been termed a complex public health issue affecting all areas of nursing practice dealing with individuals, families, communities, and the national health arena, and is therefore deserving of inclusion into nursing curricula throughout the entirety of prelicensure coursework. Nursing education programs that include this content will better prepare future nurses to face projected environmental challenges to human health.

Understanding national barriers to climate change adaptation for public health - a global survey

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
H Marcus ◽  
E Hanna
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Climate Change ◽  
Global Health ◽  
Human Health ◽  
Climate Change Adaptation ◽  
Health Risks ◽  
Agenda Setting ◽  
Networked Governance ◽  
Health Progress ◽  
Organizational Collaboration

Abstract Background Climate change has introduced a series of unprecedented threats to human health, ranging from rising food and water insecurity to deteriorating air quality, novel disease outbreaks, and intensifying natural disasters. The Paris Agreement pushes countries to develop adaptation plans that will protect human health from the worst impacts of climate change -a process referred to as climate change adaptation (CCA). Yet despite international pressure and escalating health threats, vast shortcomings persist in national CCA for public health progress. Thus, we investigated the major governance constraints underlying these trends. Methods A mixed-methods online survey was distributed to representatives of national public health associations and societies of 82 member countries under the World Federation of Public Health Associations. Results 9 of the 11 respondent countries (82%) affirmed the existence of a national CCA plan that includes an explicit public health focus. All respondees listed governance challenges in developing and operationalising their national CCA agenda. The major identified barriers to CCA for public health progress were lack of inter-government policy coordination and insufficient political will to mobilize human and non-human resources in support of public health-oriented adaptation efforts. Conclusions Climate change-driven amplification of global health risks necessitates that all nations generate clear CCA plans to protect human health. Our findings assist by highlighting the need for new platforms for organizational collaboration/networked governance and enhanced forums for CCA agenda-setting and ambition-raising. Such forms of enriched knowledge may facilitate decision-making amongst key public health stakeholders and global institutions for how best to align climate advocacy and country-wide support initiatives with cross-cutting national needs and constraints. Key messages Climate change-driven amplification of global health risks necessitates that all nations generate clear climate change adaptation plans to protect human health. New platforms for organizational collaboration/networked governance and enhanced forums for adaptation agenda-setting and ambition-raising may significantly bolster public health adaptation progress.

scholarly journals The Climate Change, Food Security and Human Health Nexus in Canada: A Framework to Protect Population Health

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (14) ◽  
pp. 2531 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebekka Schnitter ◽  
Peter Berry
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Climate Change ◽  
Food Security ◽  
Human Health ◽  
Food System ◽  
Climate Change Impacts ◽  
Analytical Framework ◽  
Future Health ◽  
Critical Dimensions ◽  
Public Health Officials

Climate change impacts on the Canadian food system pose risks to human health. Little attention has been paid to the climate change, food security, and human health nexus, resulting in a number of knowledge gaps regarding food system components that are most vulnerable to climate change. The lack of understanding of key dynamics and possible future impacts challenges the ability of public health officials and partners in other sectors to prepare Canadians for future health risks. A series of literature reviews were conducted to establish the relationship between climate change, food security, and human health, and to identify vulnerabilities within the Canadian food system. Evidence suggests that key activities within the food system are vulnerable to climate change. The pathways in which climate change impacts travel through the food system and affect the critical dimensions of food security to influence human health outcomes are complex. Climate-related disruptions in the food system can indirectly impact human health by diminishing food security, which is a key determinant of health. Human health may also be directly affected by the physical effects of climate change on the food system, primarily related to the impacts on nutrition and foodborne illnesses. In this study, we propose a novel analytical framework to study and respond to the climate change, food security, and human health nexus. This work is intended to help public health officials, researchers, and relevant stakeholders investigate and understand current and future risks, and inform adaptation efforts to protect the health of Canadians.

scholarly journals Climate Change and Health Preparedness in Africa: Analysing Trends in Six African Countries

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (9) ◽  
pp. 4672
Author(s):  
Samuel Kwasi Opoku ◽  
Walter Leal Filho ◽  
Fudjumdjum Hubert ◽  
Oluwabunmi Adejumo
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Climate Change ◽  
South Africa ◽  
Human Health ◽  
Health Systems ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Basic Knowledge ◽  
African Countries

Climate change is a global problem, which affects the various geographical regions at different levels. It is also associated with a wide range of human health problems, which pose a burden to health systems, especially in regions such as Africa. Indeed, across the African continent public health systems are under severe pressure, partly due to their fragile socioeconomic conditions. This paper reports on a cross-sectional study in six African countries (Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa, Namibia, Ethiopia, and Kenya) aimed at assessing their vulnerabilities to climate change, focusing on its impacts on human health. The study evaluated the levels of information, knowledge, and perceptions of public health professionals. It also examined the health systems’ preparedness to cope with these health hazards, the available resources, and those needed to build resilience to the country’s vulnerable population, as perceived by health professionals. The results revealed that 63.1% of the total respondents reported that climate change had been extensively experienced in the past years, while 32% claimed that the sampled countries had experienced them to some extent. Nigerian respondents recorded the highest levels (67.7%), followed by Kenya with 66.6%. South Africa had the lowest level of impact as perceived by the respondents (50.0%) when compared with the other sampled countries. All respondents from Ghana and Namibia reported that health problems caused by climate change are common in the two countries. As perceived by the health professionals, the inadequate resources reiterate the need for infrastructural resources, medical equipment, emergency response resources, and technical support. The study’s recommendations include the need to improve current policies at all levels (i.e., national, regional, and local) on climate change and public health and to strengthen health professionals’ skills. Improving the basic knowledge of health institutions to better respond to a changing climate is also recommended. The study provides valuable insights which may be helpful to other nations in Sub-Saharan Africa.

scholarly journals Beyond diversity loss and climate change: Impacts of Amazon deforestation on infectious diseases and public health

2020 ◽  
Vol 92 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
JOEL HENRIQUE ELLWANGER ◽  
BRUNA KULMANN-LEAL ◽  
VALÉRIA L. KAMINSKI ◽  
JACQUELINE MARÍA VALVERDE-VILLEGAS ◽  
ANA BEATRIZ G. DA VEIGA ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Climate Change ◽  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
Climate Change Impacts ◽  
Diversity Loss

scholarly journals Projecting Climate Change Impacts on Mediterranean Finfish Production: A Case Study in Greece.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Orestis Stavrakidis-Zachou ◽  
Konstadia Lika ◽  
Panagiotis Anastasiadis ◽  
Nikos Papandroulakis
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Climate Change Impacts ◽  
Population Level ◽  
Extreme Weather ◽  
Extreme Weather Events ◽  
Mediterranean Country ◽  
Farm Level ◽  
Weather Events ◽  
The Future ◽  
The Individual

Abstract Finfish aquaculture in the Mediterranean Sea faces increasing challenges due to climate change while potential adaptation requires a robust assessment of the arising threats and opportunities. This paper presents an approach developed to investigate effects of climate drivers on Greek aquaculture, a representative Mediterranean country with a leading role in the sector. Using a farm level approach, Dynamic Energy Budget models for European seabass and meagre were developed and environmental forcing was used to simulate changes in production and farm profitability under IPCC scenarios RCP45 and RCP85. The effects of temperature and extreme weather events at the individual and farm level were considered along with that of husbandry parameters such as stocking timing, market size, and farm location (inshore, offshore) for nine regions. The simulations suggest that at the individual level fish may benefit from warmer temperatures in the future in terms of growth, thus reaching commercial sizes faster, while the husbandry parameters may have as large an effect on growth as the projected shifts in climatic cues. However, this benefit will be largely offset by the adverse effects of extreme weather events at the population level. Such events will be more frequent in the future and, depending on the intensity one assigns to them, they could cause losses in biomass and farm profits that range from mild to detrimental for the industry. Overall, these results provide quantification of some of the potential threats for an important aquaculture sector while suggesting possibilities to benefit from emerging opportunities. Therefore, they could contribute to improving the sector’s readiness for tackling important challenges in the future.

5. Climate change impacts

2021 ◽  
pp. 64-89
Author(s):  
Mark Maslin
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Health Policy ◽  
Ocean Acidification ◽  
Human Health ◽  
Extreme Events ◽  
Climate Change Impacts ◽  
Climate Science ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Shifting Baseline ◽  
Dangerous Climate Change

‘Climate change impacts’ assesses the potential impacts of climate change and how these alter in scale and intensity with increasing warming by breaking down the potential impacts into sectors: extreme heat and droughts, storms and floods, agriculture, ocean acidification, biodiversity, and human health. Policy-makers should identify what dangerous climate change is. We need a realistic target concerning the degree of climate change with which we can cope. Fortunately, the societal coping range is flexible and can change with the shifting baseline and the more frequent extreme events—as long as there is strong climate science to provide clear guidance on what sort of changes are going to occur.

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