Climate Change and Public Health Preparation Plan: An assessment of public health impacts of climate change and actions to protect our health.
- Abstract
This public health plan is a part of broader ongoing efforts by the City of Portland and Multnomah County to make our infrastructure, our natural environment, and our society more resilient to climate change. This plan communicates why we as a community, as policymakers and as public health professionals should care about climate change; what the local impacts may be; which populations and areas may be impacted; why equity and justice are key parts of this work; and what we can do to further prevent health issues and disparities.Key findings include: 1.) Some people and some neighborhoods will be more affected than others. Our efforts therefore must prioritize protecting the health of vulnerable populations. This includes the elderly, people with pre-existing health conditions, people who live in poverty, and people of color. members of these communities and their advocates must be involved in the implementation of these actions and new efforts. 2.) Heat waves are becoming more common in our regions and can be devastating, especially in urban areas like Portland that are not accustomed to extreme heat. 3.) Many air pollutants are known to be detrimental to our health and hotter weather will worsen their impacts. 4.) The geographical spread of mosquitoes and ticks is changing and this may bring new diseases to our region.Overall, this plan takes into account current scientific understanding of the health impacts related to climate change in our region, and provides a detailed and ambitious template of what can be done to reduce these risks.
- Resource Type
- Report
- Authors
- Karl Lyons-Eubanks Matt Davis Armaud Simon
- Resource URL
- https://multco.us/file/8243/download
- Date
- 2013
- Institution
- Multinomah County Health Department
- Solution
- Public health/health sector response
- Region
- Northwest