Search the EPA Research Database

Project title

Climate Change, Health Outcomes and Adaptation

Primary Funding Agency

Irish Research Council

Co-Funding Organisation(s)

Environmental Protection Agency

Lead Organisation

Irish Research Council (NUIG)

Lead Applicant

Gareth Gibney

Project Abstract

Climate change will lead to an increase in extreme temperatures, representing the biggest global health threat of the 21st century (Costello et al., 2009). To date, numerous studies have shown a link between extreme temperature (both hot & cold) and excess mortality and implications for climate change (see Deschenes, 2014 & Campbell et al, 2018 for a review). However, the impact on morbidity have received much less attention, with existing studies limited to warmer regions. Considering the relationship between temperature and morbidity in various locations is important because populations tend to adapt their local climate (i.e, hot temperatures have a stronger effect in cooler climate (Heutel et al. 2021)) and rate of climate change will differ across regions (i.e, the greatest overall increase in temperature will occur in the northern latitudes (Beusch et al., 2022)). As well as providing a more complete picture of the overall effect of climate change on human health, analysis of morbidity presents an opportunity to develop a deeper understanding of the mechanism through which health is impacted by extreme temperatures. For example, adaptive behaviours are important mechanism mediating the biological relationship, as a result, the ‘degree to which adaptation is possible’ is critical in assessing the human health threats of climate change (Deschenes, 2014). However, it is not well understood why some populations adapt so effectively, while others do not (Carelton and Hsiang, 2016). In this context, this research aims to employ applied econometric and spatial data analysis to investigate the effects of extreme temperatures on morbidity and the role of behavioural and environmental factors mediating this relationship in a temperate climate and examine health inequalities under various climate change scenarios. This will be achieved using bespoke datasets generated using rich ‘A&E attendance records’ and ‘time-use data’ from the UK.

Grant Approved

�81,828.00

Research Hub

Healthy Environment

Research Theme

n/a

Start Date

01/09/2023

Initial Projected Completion Date

31/08/2026