Abstract
Ocean conditions can affect human health in a variety of ways that are often overlooked and unappreciated. Oceans adjacent to Canada are affected by many anthropogenic stressors, with implications for human health and well-being. Climate change further escalates these pressures and can expose coastal populations to unique health hazards and distressing conditions. However, current research efforts, education or training curriculums, and policies in Canada critically lack explicit consideration of these ocean–public health linkages. The objective of this paper is to present multiple disciplinary perspectives from academics and health practitioners to inform the development of future directions for research, capacity development, and policy and practice at the interface of oceans and human health in Canada. We synthesize major ocean and human health linkages in Canada, and identify climate-sensitive drivers of change, drawing attention to unique considerations in Canada. To support effective, sustained, and equitable collaborations at the nexus of oceans and human health, we recommend the need for progress in three critical areas: ( i) holistic worldviews and perspectives, ( ii) capacity development, and ( iii) structural supports. Canada can play a key role in supporting the global community in addressing the health challenges of climate and ocean changes.
Highlights
Box 1.1: The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Box 1.2: Responding to Climate Change: Mitigation and Adaptation1.2: Purpose and scope 1.3: Sources of information and process of development1.3.1: Sources of information 1.3.2: Process of development 1.4: Guide to the report 1.4.1: Key messages and use of calibrated uncertainty language 1.4.2: Time frames and time periods of analysis 1.4.3: Chapter guide REFERENCESThis chapter provides an introduction to Canada’s Changing Climate Report (CCCR)
The 2013 southern Alberta flood was the result of a combination of many factors, and this study demonstrated that human-induced emission of greenhouse gases (GHGs) had increased the likelihood of an extreme amount of precipitation in southern Alberta, at least as large as the amount observed during this event
Seasonal snow accumulation decreased by 5% to 10% per decade since 1981 with the exception of southern Saskatchewan, and parts of Alberta and British Columbia
Summary
Box 1.1: The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Box 1.2: Responding to Climate Change: Mitigation and Adaptation1.2: Purpose and scope 1.3: Sources of information and process of development1.3.1: Sources of information 1.3.2: Process of development 1.4: Guide to the report 1.4.1: Key messages and use of calibrated uncertainty language 1.4.2: Time frames and time periods of analysis 1.4.3: Chapter guide REFERENCESThis chapter provides an introduction to Canada’s Changing Climate Report (CCCR). Governments and citizens need to understand how climate change might impact them, in order to plan and prepare for the challenges that climate change brings. Understanding climate change and its consequences draws from the physical, biological, and social sciences Ongoing research in these fields is leading to an ever-growing body of published scientific literature related to climate change. Assessing this growing knowledge base, and communicating how understanding of climate change has grown, is challenging, especially as there is a wide audience for this information. Global-scale scientific assessments of climate change have been conducted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) (see Box 1.1) regularly since 1990 and have been pivotal in providing the global community with a knowledge base to inform decision-making. National-scale climate change science assessments speak more directly to national audiences
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