Local Climate Change Adaptation under the Lenses of Public Health: A Case Study from Porto, Portugal

• Type: Article in National Scientific Journal
• Date: 2024

Authors

Silva, JP (Author) Other; Macassa, G (Author) Other; Barros, H (Author) FMUP; Ribeiro, A (Author) FMUP

Journal

Title: Portuguese Journal of Public Health

Publisher: Karger

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 0 Citations

Scopus - 0 Citations

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-017-4XK

DOI: 10.1159/000540747

Abstract (EN): Introduction: Climate change is a pressing public health issue. Urban populations, especially in coastal areas, are highly vulnerable. As climate change progresses, local adaptation becomes increasingly important. We present a case study about the inclusion of public health concerns in local climate change adaptation in Porto (Portugal). Methods: We analysed two local adaptation plans using qualitative content analysis and conducted semi-structured interviews with a purposeful sample of 6 key stakeholders with different profiles. We did a qualitative content analysis of the respective transcripts. Results: Porto is undergoing health-relevant consequences of climate change, which are expected to worsen further in the future. Porto's geographical and demographic characteristics and urban environment make its population highly vulnerable to climate change-related health risks. Public health is recognized as a central element in local adaptation efforts. Drivers for integrating health concerns include growing climate change awareness, a sense of urgency, social capital, institutional networks, access to resources, and political commitment. Nevertheless, challenges like data limitations, resource constraints, climate knowledge gaps, communication issues, and political cycles hinder both local adaptation and the integration of health considerations. Discussion/Conclusion: In Porto, health seems both a powerful mobilizing issue and a central topic concerning local adaptation. However, the complex and long-term nature of climate change and the associated uncertainty hinder adaptation efforts. High-quality data about both the local climate and population health are thus essential. The transversal nature of risk is recognized and multi-sectorial approaches, public participation, mainstreaming, and policy integration are necessary to prevent imbalances. Local adaptation efforts, including health-related efforts, are shaped by the international (belonging to the European Union), national, and local contexts. Successful local adaptation and inclusion of health aspects require mainstreaming and policy integration across different areas and involvement of multiple stakeholders, including the population, in order to maximize resources and avoid undesired trade-offs. Introduçã o: As alteraçõ es climá ticas sã o um tema de saú de pú blica premente. As populaçõ es urbanas, especialmente nas zonas costeiras, sã o altamente vulnerá veis. À medida que as alteraçõ es climá ticas avanç am, a adaptaçã o local torna-se cada vez mais importante. Este artigo apresenta um estudo de caso sobre a inclusã o de preocupaçõ es de saú de pú blica no processo de adaptaçã o local à s alteraçõ es climá ticas no Porto (Portugal).Mé todos: Analisá mos dois planos de adaptaçã o local, utilizando aná lise de conteú do qualitativa. Para alé m disso, conduzimos entrevistas semi-estruturadas com uma amostra intencional de 6 atores-chave com perfis diferenciados. Realizá mos uma aná lise de conteú do qualitativa das respetivas transcriçõ es.Resultados: O Porto enfrenta consequê ncias das alteraçõ es climá ticas relevantes para a saú de, cujo agravamento é esperado no futuro. As caracterí sticas geográ ficas e demográ ficas do Porto, combinadas com o seu ambiente urbano, tornam a populaçã o altamente vulnerá vel aos riscos de saú de relacionados com as alteraçõ es climá ticas. A saú de pú blica é reconhecida como um elemento central dos esforç os de adaptaçã o local. Os fatores que impulsionam a integraçã o de preocupaçõ es de saú de incluem a crescente consciê ncia relacionada com

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 15