Building community and health system resilience to climate disasters in Australia

Abstract

Australia has recently experienced severe climate disasters, ranging from bushfires and droughts to floods and vector borne disease outbreaks. IPCC identified the inability of institutions to manage climate risks as a key risk for Australia. The unprecedented 2019-20 wildfires and the 2022 floods have raised questions about the resilience of the Australian health system and communities to intensifying extreme events in the context of climate change. The 2022 floods caused 23 deaths, large-scale community devastation, and disrupted health services. They increased COVID-19 and other infectious disease risks and long-lasting mental health consequences. Furthermore, they exposed health inequities and vulnerabilities related to non-communicable diseases in Aboriginal and low socio-economic communities. The Black Summer (2019-20) wildfires caused 33 fatalities, extensive damage to property, and destruction of flora and fauna, as well as exposing millions of people to extreme levels of air pollution. Bushfire smoke, a complex mixture of particles and gases, was transported by the wind over long distances affecting populated areas for several weeks. Public health interventions at both community, household and personal levels can mitigate the impact of climate disasters. The effectiveness, feasibility and scalability of these interventions, as well as any potential health co-benefits or other unintended consequences, need to be evaluated holistically taking into account quantitative and qualitative evidence. The impact of these interventions on health equity, particularly in relation to First Nations, at-risk and socioeconomically marginalized groups needs to be assessed, as these groups are typically more vulnerable to climate extremes. Strengthening the long-term resilience of the health sector and communities to climate disasters is crucial. The HEAL (Healthy Environments And Lives) Network is taking leadership in environmental change and health research that will provide the evidence, capacity and capability, and tools urgently needed to build community and health system resilience to intensifying climate disasters in Australia.