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The chapters in this report discuss relevant findings from the scientific literature on priority health risks related to climate change and on adaptation options for protecting health. Where information is available, chapters include quantitative projections of future health risks from climate change (see Chapter 5: Air Quality; Chapter 6: Infectious Diseases; Chapter 7: Water Quality, Quantity, and Security). The report includes analysis of the interplay between climate change and important determinants of health, which can affect adaptive capacity and health equity to influence vulnerability to health impacts (see Chapter 9: Climate Change and Health Equity). The assessment includes a separate chapter on climate change impacts on Indigenous Peoples’ health and includes information on these impacts throughout the full report (see Chapter 2: Climate Change and Indigenous Peoples’ Health in Canada). All chapters include illustrative case studies of actions being undertaken by health authorities to reduce risks to Canadians from climate change.
The report is structured as follows:
Chapter 1: Climate Change and Health Linkages — provides information on how Canada’s climate is changing and is projected to continue to change, to support the understanding of growing threats to health. It identifies the complex pathways through which climate change affects health and identifies key health risks facing Canadians.
Chapter 2: Climate Change and Indigenous Peoples’ Health in Canada — explores current impacts of climate change on the health of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples and communities. It highlights the role of current and legacy impacts of colonialism, racism, and discrimination in contributing to these impacts and highlights, through a number of case studies, the strengths and resilience of Indigenous Peoples in planning for the impacts.
Chapter 3: Natural Hazards — reviews evidence of how natural hazards are affected by climate change and their impacts on the mental, social, and physical health of Canadians. It then provides information about effective adaptation strategies for reducing risks and the co-benefits of undertaking these measures. It proposes research directions to address key knowledge gaps in this field.
Chapter 4: Mental Health and Well-Being — discusses current evidence of the mental health impacts of climate variability and change on Canadians, including regions and populations at higher risk for such impacts. It highlights important factors that support psychosocial well-being and adaptation options for preparing for climate change and limiting impacts from current hazards.
Chapter 5: Air Quality — examines the linkages between climate change and air quality in Canada, including how the health of populations could be affected by changes in air quality under various climate scenarios. The chapter also discusses the health co-benefits associated with efforts to mitigate GHG emissions and adaptation options for protecting Canadians from climate change impacts.
Chapter 6: Infectious Diseases — highlights the impacts of climate change on risks from infectious diseases of importance for public health in Canada, including those that are current, known disease risks (e.g., Lyme disease, West Nile virus) and new risks that may emerge. It then discusses adaptation to reduce climate-related infectious diseases, including their importance for populations at increased risk and the capacity of health systems to take needed actions. Existing research gaps are highlighted for the reader.
Chapter 7: Water Quality, Quantity, and Security — describes the relationship between climate change and the water cycle in Canada and attendant risks to the health of Canadians from impacts on water contamination, safety, and security. The vulnerability of drinking water systems, private wells, and Indigenous water systems is examined, and projected health risks from climate change are discussed. The chapter presents possible adaptations to reduce risks and important knowledge gaps in efforts to take actions.
Chapter 8: Food Safety and Security — presents existing evidence on the impacts of climate change on health through effects on food safety and security. It describes the nexus among climate change, the food system, and human health, as well as key drivers of poor health outcomes in Canada. Populations and regions at higher risk from impacts are discussed, along with options for adapting to future impacts.
Chapter 9: Climate Change and Health Equity — examines how important factors and trends at the individual, community, and health system levels can increase or decrease climate change risks to the health of Canadians. The implications of climate change for health equity are explored, along with measures to empower specific population groups to adapt. The chapter also provides tools and resources that support the integration of health equity considerations into climate change and health activities, such as vulnerability and adaptation assessments, and the adaptation design and evaluation process.
Chapter 10: Adaptation and Health System Resilience — provides an overview of adaptation as the key response to climate change impacts on the health of Canadians and discusses the importance of mainstreaming climate information into existing policies and planning, adaptation to future climate change conditions, and the possible limits to adaptation. The status of health adaptation in Canada is investigated, along with evidence of climate change impacts on health systems, trends in health system vulnerability, and new tools that health authorities can use to build resilience.