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Risk Perception, Health Communication, and Adaptation to the Health Impacts of Climate Change in Canada

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Climate Change Adaptation in Developed Nations

Part of the book series: Advances in Global Change Research ((AGLO,volume 42))

Abstract

Climate change poses increasing risks to the health of Canadians, particularly those most vulnerable to the impacts. Effective adaptations are needed to help people safeguard their health and well-being. Governments and communities have an important role to play in protecting citizens from climate-related health risks. Individuals also have a central role in adapting to climate change. Information about the perceptions of climate-related health risks and current vulnerability to the impacts is limited, but this information is needed by public health and emergency management authorities to inform education and outreach programs to promote greater adaptation actions among Canadians. This case study reports on the results of a national survey that was conducted in spring 2008 to better understand how Canadians perceive risks to health from climate change. Canadians generally accept that the climate is changing and many are concerned about its impacts – 72% view climate change as at least a moderate risk to health, with 32% rating it as a major risk. However, few Canadians have knowledge of specific risks to health posed by climate change, and many are not responding to health messages encouraging them to take protective measures to reduce impacts from current climate-related hazards. Results of this case study suggest that greater efforts are needed to inform Canadians about specific health risks related to climate change and tailor messages to populations most vulnerable to the impacts, in order to facilitate the adoption of adaptive actions.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    This document uses the term “extreme heat event” rather than “heat wave” unless reporting on the findings of a public opinion survey.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Climate Change and Health Office, Health Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada

    Peter Berry & Kaila-Lea Clarke

  2. MES Candidate, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada

    Mark Pajot

  3. United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), West Bank Field Office, Jerusalem, 97200, Israel

    David Hutton

Authors
  1. Peter Berry
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  2. Kaila-Lea Clarke
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  3. Mark Pajot
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  4. David Hutton
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Peter Berry .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. , Department of Geography, McGill University, Sherbrooke Street West 805, Montreal, H3A 2R6, Québec, Canada

    James D. Ford

  2. , Department of Geography, McGill University, Sherbrooke Street West 805, Montreal, H3A 2R6, Québec, Canada

    Lea Berrang-Ford

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Berry, P., Clarke, KL., Pajot, M., Hutton, D. (2011). Risk Perception, Health Communication, and Adaptation to the Health Impacts of Climate Change in Canada. In: Ford, J., Berrang-Ford, L. (eds) Climate Change Adaptation in Developed Nations. Advances in Global Change Research, vol 42. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-0567-8_14

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