Using a social justice and health framework to assess European climate change adaptation strategies.

Hajo Zeeb,Melanie Boeckmann

doi:10.3390/ijerph111212389

Abstract

Climate change puts pressure on existing health vulnerabilities through higher frequency of extreme weather events, changes in disease vector distribution or exacerbated air pollution. Climate change adaptation policies may hold potential to reduce societal inequities. We assessed the role of public health and social justice in European climate change adaptation using a three-fold approach: a document analysis, a critical discourse analysis of a subgroup of strategies, and a ranking of strategies against our social justice framework. The ranking approach favored planning that includes various adaptation types, social issues and infrastructure changes. Themes on values identified in the five subgroup documents showed that risks are perceived as contradictory, technology is viewed as savior, responsibilities need to be negotiated, and social justice is advocated by only a few countries. Of 21 strategy documents assessed overall, those from Austria, England and Sweden received the highest scores in the ranking. Our qualitative assessment showed that in European adaptation planning, progress could still be made through community involvement into adaptation decisions, consistent consideration of social and demographic determinants, and a stronger link between infrastructural adaptation and the health sector. Overall, a social justice framework can serve as an evaluation guideline for adaptation policy documents.

Highlights

A social justice framework can serve as an evaluation guideline for adaptation policy documents
We argue that the absence in itself carries a local meaning: it could be interpreted as perceived lack of relevance and/or political will to engage with these social aspects of climate change adaptation
Drawing from previous research into evaluation of adaptation, we have developed a theory-driven method to portray most promising strategy documents for health protection through foregrounding social justice, social determinants of health, and structural adaptation measures

Summary

Introduction

Climate Change May Put Health at Risk. Climate change is a reality and may put human health at risk [1,2,3]. Projected climate change impacts include an increased frequency and intensity of heat waves and other extreme weather events, changes in disease vector and pollen distribution, or exacerbated air pollution [1,4,5]. Adverse health effects of climate change may include injuries and death following storms or floods, heat stroke and cardio-respiratory disease aggravation during extreme temperature events, an increased risk of infections and allergies, and higher skin cancer risks from increased UV exposure [1,5,6]. The term climate change adaptation describes measures undertaken to adjust to effects of climate, seeking to reduce harm and seize beneficial opportunities [10]

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