Newswise — Earlier this month, the planet witnessed its hottest recorded day, and according to climate projections, the severity of heat waves and poor air quality is expected to rise, causing significant and ongoing impacts. To better understand the health consequences, a team of researchers from the University of Waterloo and Toronto Metropolitan University enhanced and extended their data collection method.
Their findings revealed that even relatively moderate temperature increases, such as nighttime temperatures starting at 18.4 degrees Celsius, can result in a surge in hospital visits and fatalities among older adults and individuals with cardiorespiratory conditions. This underscores the urgency of addressing the potential health risks associated with rising temperatures.
The newly developed method will enable municipalities to present compelling arguments for selecting appropriate mitigation and adaptation measures to effectively address climate changes. These measures could encompass various options, like increasing tree planting for shade, enhancing emergency warning programs, and strategically allocating additional personnel to manage ambulances, support hospitals, and care for long-term facilities.
Dr. Mohamed Dardir, a postdoctoral researcher in the School of Environment, Enterprise, and Development at Waterloo, emphasized that heat waves pose a greater threat to Canada, causing more fatalities than any other climate-related hazard. Although progress has been made in proactive climate emergency planning, the response to rising temperatures still lags behind the attention given to significant weather events such as floods and fires. The new method aims to bridge this gap and foster more effective responses to heat-related challenges.
The research focused on analyzing the spring and summer seasons in Mississauga and Brampton, Ontario. By combining air quality and heat data, the researchers achieved a comprehensive understanding of the immediate health risks faced by vulnerable populations at the municipal level. The results confirm a notable increase in total deaths and hospital visits in these regions, with the highest impact occurring on the day of heat and poor air quality, persisting for two days after these events.
Moving forward, the team plans to expand their analysis to encompass more environmental hazards, such as storms and floods, and also consider factors like ambulatory calls in various municipalities across Ontario and other provinces. This extended analysis is expected to assist civil society and policymakers in grasping the true magnitude of these climate-related events and provide decision-makers with valuable insights to justify investments in climate resiliency. By gaining a deeper understanding of these risks, authorities can better prepare for and respond to the challenges posed by climate change.
According to Dr. Jeffrey Wilson, a professor in the School of Environment, Enterprise, and Development at Waterloo's Faculty of Environment, a significant portion of the financial responsibility for mitigating the impacts of hot temperatures falls on municipalities. However, the resulting cost savings in the health system are primarily experienced by provinces. By providing a comprehensive breakdown of the economic benefits and advantages for society in implementing these measures, the research aims to foster a deeper understanding between the two levels of government about the importance of collaborating to address heat events.
The research study titled "Heat and Air Quality-Related Cause-Based Elderly Mortalities and Emergency Visits" has been published in the journal Environmental Research.
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