Climate change, environmental extremes, and human health in Australia: challenges, adaptation strategies, and policy gaps

• DOI: 10.1016/j.lanwpc.2023.100936
• Publication Date: 2023-11-15T04:57:32Z
• Authors: Rongbin Xu; Pei Yu; Yanming Liu; Gongbo Chen; Zhengyu Yang; Yiwen Zhang; Yao Wu; Paul J. Beggs; Ying Zhang; Jennifer Boocock; Fei Ji; Ivan Hanigan; Ollie Jay; Peng Bi; Nicole Vargas; Karin Leder; Donna Green; Katie Quail; Rachel Huxley; Bin Jalaludin; Wenbiao Hu; Martine Dennekamp; Sotiris Vardoulakis; Angie Bone; Jonathan Abrahams; Fay H. Johnston; Richard Broome; Tony Capon; Shanshan Li; Yuming Guo
• Keywords: Climate Change Adaptation; Environmental change

Climate change presents a major public health concern in Australia, marked by unprecedented wildfires, heatwaves, floods, droughts, and the spread of climate-sensitive infectious diseases. Despite these challenges, Australia's response to climate crisis has been inadequate subject politics, sentiment, global developments. This study illustrates spatiotemporal patterns selected climate-related environmental extremes (heatwaves, droughts) across Australia during past two decades, summarizes adaptation measures actions that have taken national, state/territory, local governments. Our findings reveal significant impacts on well-being Australians. While governments implemented various strategies, plans must be further developed yield concrete actions. Moreover, Indigenous Australians should not left out efforts. A collaborative, comprehensive approach involving all levels government is urgently needed prevent, mitigate, adapt change.