Building Resilience against Climate Effects—A Novel Framework to Facilitate Climate Readiness in Public Health Agencies

• Authors: Gino D. Marinucci, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; George Luber, Emory University; Christopher K. Uejio, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Shubhayu Saha, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Jeremy Hess, Emory University
• Journal Title: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
• Volume: Volume 11, Number 6
• Publisher: MDPI | 2014-06, Pages 6433-6458
• Type of Work: Article | Final Publisher PDF
• Publisher DOI: http://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph110606433
• Subjects: Health Sciences, Public Health
• Keywords: adaptation; climate change; public health agency; public health; resilience

Abstract

Climate change is anticipated to have several adverse health impacts. Managing these risks to public health requires an iterative approach. As with many risk management strategies related to climate change, using modeling to project impacts, engaging a wide range of stakeholders, and regularly updating models and risk management plans with new information—hallmarks of adaptive management—are considered central tenets of effective public health adaptation. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has developed a framework, entitled Building Resilience Against Climate Effects, or BRACE, to facilitate this process for public health agencies. Its five steps are laid out here. Following the steps laid out in BRACE will enable an agency to use the best available science to project likely climate change health impacts in a given jurisdiction and prioritize interventions. Adopting BRACE will also reinforce public health’s established commitment to evidence-based practice and institutional learning, both of which will be central to successfully engaging the significant new challenges that climate change presents.