Over the past year, the Waterloo Climate Institute has collaborated closely with Southwestern Public Health (SWPH), which serves the regions of Oxford County, Elgin County and the City of St. Thomas, to identify critical climate-related health risks in the region.
Over the past year, the Waterloo Climate Institute has collaborated closely with Southwestern Public Health (SWPH), which serves the regions of Oxford County, Elgin County and the City of St. Thomas, to identify critical climate-related health risks in the region. Using the latest climate change projections and focusing on the most vulnerable populations, the resulting report lays out recommendations to enhance preparedness and resilience in tackling these challenges in the region.
Through this collaboration, SWPH has been able to draw on the expertise of climate and health specialists at the University of Waterloo to develop a comprehensive assessment of how climate change is affecting the health of the community’s most vulnerable groups. Faculty experts, graduate students and the institute’s technical staff collaborated with both internal and external advisory groups, using interactive validation sessions to pinpoint the most critical risks facing Southwestern Ontario.
The climate-related health risks identified in the assessment include extreme weather, poor air quality, ultraviolet radiation and vector-borne disease risks, such as Lyme disease from ticks. The report also highlights factors that contribute to elevated health risks, including preexisting health conditions, increased exposure from outdoor occupations, language barriers, age or structural barriers.
Read More: University of Waterloo
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