Globally, heat waves have become an increasingly frequent summer affair, as much of the world faces extremely high temperatures.
As a social and behavioural epidemiologist, I study how environments — social and natural — influence individuals and their health. For example, recent research by my team at Simon Fraser University found that a small number of people experience debilitating levels of eco-anxiety that cause cognitive and functional impairments that limit their ability to live happy and healthy lives.
As highlighted by last year’s IPCC report, the evidence showing that climate change causes greater frequency and intensity of extreme heat events is more certain than any other documented effect of climate change. Unfortunately, the same report predicts that global temperatures will continue to rise and their effects will worsen.
It remains unclear what treatments and prevention strategies for eco-anxiety may be most effective, as public health and therapeutic research in this area is an emerging field.Climate change is a collective problem, not an individual one. Mitigating and adapting to it will require investments to build happier and healthier communities that will ensure that during extreme heat and other weather events people are not left to fend for themselves.
In Canada, there are an array of community projects that are leading the way in raising awareness about the importance of social connection in promoting health, wellness and resilience. Interventions such as these can ensure that neighbourhoods are ready to deal with crises when they come by ensuring neighbours are aware of who in their communities might be vulnerable.