Module 12: Adaptation

1. Module 12: Adaptation

2. Key messages in Module 12 • Strong health systems are essential for adaptation • Importance of developing climate-resilient health systems

3. Module 12 outline 1 3 2 Theory & practice of adaptation Adaptation assessment process Adaptation activity e.g.’s in WP & SEA

4. 1 Theory & practice of adaptation

5. Adaptation Definition: Actions taken by individuals, institutions, corporate sector & governments to address the risks of climate change directly or indirectly through addressing factors that increase vulnerability Goal of adaptation: to prepare for, & effectively respond to, the health risk of climate change • Adaptation can be: • Anticipatory • Responsive

6. Adaptation The process of adaptation can be: • Incremental - actions where the central aim is to maintain the essence & integrity of a system or process at a given scale OR • Transformational - changes the fundamental attributes of a system in response to climate & its effects

7. Source: Who (2014)

8. Integrating a HNAP within the NAP process & existing national health planning Source: WHO (2014)

9. E.g.: Baseline measures for monitoring the effects of climate change on malnutrition Source: WHO (2014)

11. Ways climate change affects health Source: IPCC (2013)

12. IMPACTS EMISSIONS& Land-use Change Source: IPCC (2013)

13. Context for adaptation • Climate change is one of many factors influencing human health & social well-being • In most cases, it multiplies the threats of current drivers of climate-sensitive health outcomes • Public health challenges presented by climate change need to be addressed within the context of issues such as access to clean water & sanitation, inadequate nutrition, & diseases such as HIV/AIDS • Poverty is a major factor

14. Local context matters • Multiple political, social, economic, technological, & human factors determine whether adaptation strategies, policies, & measures are effective • Therefore, differences in culture, education, knowledge, availability & affordability of technology, & other factors mean that a ‘one size fits all’ approach is likely to fail

15. 2 The process of conducting an adaptation assessment

16. Source: UK Climate Impacts Programme (2006) Frameworkfor Adaptation

17. WHO guidance document on conducting an assessment Being used to conduct vulnerability & adaptation assessments in Asia & the Pacific Includes 3 categories of assessment activities: • Framing & scoping the assessment • Conducting the assessment • Managing & monitoring risks Available at: http://who.int/globalchange/publications/Final_Climate_Change.pdf

18. First step in an assessment:What is the purpose? • Who will the audience be? • What questions would the audience like addressed? • Information needed to answer the questions? • How will the final results be most effectively presented?

19. Steps in an adaptation assessment • Determine the scope of the assessment • Region • Health outcome(s) • Identify & convene stakeholders • Identify & evaluate current strategies, policies & measures to reduce that burden (adaptation baseline)

20. Steps in an adaptation assessment • Estimate future potential health impacts using socioeconomic & climate change scenarios • Can be qualitative or quantitative • Identify additional adaptation measures to reduce potential negative health effects

21. Public health adaptation to climate change • Existing risks • Modifying existing prevention strategies • Reinstitute effective prevention programs that have been neglected or abandoned • Apply win-win or no-regrets strategies • New risks

22. Vulnerability & adaptation assessment process

23. Has your country conducted a vulnerability & adaptation assessment? What was the process & outcome?

24. Questions for identifying adaptation policies & measures • Adaptation to what? • What is the current burden of disease? • Is additional intervention needed? • What are the future projections for the climate-sensitive health outcome? • Who is vulnerable? • On scale relevant for adaptation?

25. Further questions for identifying adaptation policies & measures • Who adapts? • How does adaptation occur? • When should interventions be implemented? • How good or likely is the adaptation?

26. Adaptation baseline • What is being done now to reduce the burden of climate-sensitive health outcomes? How effective are these policies & measures? • What could be done now to reduce current vulnerability? What are the main barriers to implementation (such as technology or political will)? • What measures should begin to be implemented to increase the range of possible future interventions?

27. Particularly vulnerable populations (using a flood as an example) • Glacial lake floods: Elderly, poor, nomadic, children, disabled or infirm, women, independently living ethnic groups in remote areas • Flash: Everyone in the path of the floods • Riverine (plains): Elderly, poor, nomadic, children, the disabled or sick, women, & people in poor housing, coastal areas, institutions, or on isolated islands

28. Adaptation options to reduce the health impacts of climate change Source: McMichael et al. (2003)

29. Adaptation options to reduce the health impacts of climate change Source: McMichael et al. (2003)

30. Steps in an adaptation assessment • Determine the scope of the assessment • Identify & convene stakeholders • Identify & evaluate current strategies, policies & measures to reduce that burden • Estimate future potential health impacts • Identify additional adaptation measures

31. 3 Examples of adaptation activities in the WP & SEA region

32. Surveillance system in Bhutan:Collecting weather data

33. Surveillance system in Bhutan: Collecting health data

34. New Civil Hospital, Surat, Gujarat, India

35. Sea surface temperature monitoring in South Atlantic helps predict malaria outbreaks in India

36. Disaster warning systems in Mongolia Source: UNEP (2014)

37. Adaptation measures to reduce health outcomes from floods Legislative policies Improve land use planning Decision support tools Early warning systems &emergency response plans Technology development Surveillance &monitoring Alter health data collection systems to monitor for disease outbreaks during &after an extreme event

38. Infrastructure development Design infrastructure to withstand projected extreme events Other Conduct research on effective approaches to encourage appropriate behavior during an extreme event Adaptation measures to reduce health outcomes from floods

39. Source: UK Climate Impacts Programme (2006) Frameworkfor Adaptation

40. What we covered in Module 12 1 3 2 Adaptation assessment process Theory & practice of adaptation Adaptation activity e.g.’s in WP & SEA

41. Learning from Module 12 • Strong health systems are essential for adaptation • Importance of developing climate-resilient health systems

42. What action will you take in your work, given what you learnt in Module 12?

43. Coming up next… Module 11: Assessing health vulnerability