Urban and health service planning to reduce the health impacts of climate change in Australia : planning as an adaptation tool

Abstract

Climate change is likely to be one of the greatest challenges that humans will face in the 21st century bringing increases in extreme weather events, droughts, heatwaves, sea-level rise and species extinction on an unprecedented scale and speed. In Australia, climate change is expected to have an impact across the environmental, economic, political, physical and social wellbeing of the community. This study hypothesised that the capacity to adapt to the health impacts of climate change in Australia is dependent upon urban planners and health service planners understanding the health impacts of climate change, and being able to enact this understanding in their planning activities. Using an interpretivist qualitative research approach an in-depth investigation of the knowledge of health service planners and urban planners about the health impacts of climate change was undertaken. These professions were chosen because they are integral in planning for and adapting cities and services to the impacts of climate change in their everyday work. A total of 43 urban planners and 16 health service planners participated in this research and were asked to reflect on information including the interview questions provided in a background paper prior to interview. Interviews with both health service planners and urban planners showed that the majority of participants were aware of climate change, but that they were largely unaware of the health impacts of climate change, particularly the indirect impacts. As such, neither professional cluster was planning for the health impacts of climate change. Within the two interview clusters participants identified that there was a litany of compounding shortcomings that included: not identifying the health impacts of climate change as an issue at all; significant knowledge gaps; devolution of responsibility; poor organisational culture; political influence; bureaucracy; systems issues; demographics; and the sheer scale and complexity of the problems that climate change brings being perceived as overwhelming. Participants in each cluster also identified strengths within the respective systems, upon which an adaptive response to climate change could be built. Governance, investment, existing knowledge and the multidisciplinary nature of planning were all seen as strengths that could contribute to adaptation to climate change. Recommendations from this study include that contemporary health service planning must take a broader approach than traditional service planning has, and should incorporate the following: Undertake strategic, long-term service planning with a view to the health impacts of climate change; Undertake broader workforce education and development with regard to the health impacts of climate change; Incorporate climate projections in health service modelling to inform strategic planning; Increase disaster preparedness in order to cope with the increase in severe weather events; Increase ties with health promotion to increase community resilience; Plan for the expansion of health protection services to control of enteric and vector borne disease; and Ensure that healthcare spending is based upon appropriate planning and data modelling. Similar to health service planning urban planning too must take a broader approach than traditionally seen and incorporate the following: Undertake strategic long term planning with a view to increasing community resilience and reducing the health impacts of climate change; Undertake broader workforce education and development with regard to the health impacts of climate change; Incorporate climate projections in urban planning modelling to inform strategic planning and minimise of the negative health effects of climate change. This data can inform tools such as Health Impact Assessment to identify and ameliorate potential health outcomes of urban policies and development; Recognise the role that urban planning plays within health promotion and increase collaborative partnerships with health departments, the university sector and non-government organisations; Increase disaster preparedness by strengthening urban environments to both cope with disasters and help their residents survive; and Ensure that investment in infrastructure takes climate change and the health of the community into account prior to approval being granted. Facilities that do not benefit the community should not be funded. Given the majority of Australia's population lives in an urban environment, it is troubling that Australia lacks a clearly articulated strategy to improve the health of its urban populations. Planning, by its very nature, is proactive, identifying problems early and then planning to meet those problems in a timely manner. Without considered preventative planning, the Australian health and urban systems will deal with climate change in a reactive, expensive, ad hoc, crisis management manner.

Date of Award	2015
Original language	English