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Xu R, Yu P, Liu Y, Chen G, Yang Z, Zhang Y, Wu Y, Beggs PJ, Zhang Y, Boocock J, Ji F, Hanigan I, Jay O, Bi P, Vargas N, Leder K, Green D, Quail K, Huxley R, Jalaludin B, Hu W, Dennekamp M, Vardoulakis S, Bone A, Abrahams J, Johnston FH, Broome R, Capon T, Li S, Guo Y. Climate change, environmental extremes, and human health in Australia: challenges, adaptation strategies, and policy gaps. THE LANCET REGIONAL HEALTH. WESTERN PACIFIC 2023; 40:100936. [PMID: 38116505 PMCID: PMC10730315 DOI: 10.1016/j.lanwpc.2023.100936] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2023] [Revised: 09/18/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023]
Abstract
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 the climate crisis has been inadequate and subject to change by politics, public sentiment, and global developments. This study illustrates the spatiotemporal patterns of selected climate-related environmental extremes (heatwaves, wildfires, floods, and droughts) across Australia during the past two decades, and summarizes climate adaptation measures and actions that have been taken by the national, state/territory, and local governments. Our findings reveal significant impacts of climate-related environmental extremes on the health and well-being of Australians. While governments have implemented various adaptation strategies, these plans must be further developed to yield concrete actions. Moreover, Indigenous Australians should not be left out in these adaptation efforts. A collaborative, comprehensive approach involving all levels of government is urgently needed to prevent, mitigate, and adapt to the health impacts of climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rongbin Xu
- Climate, Air Quality Research Unit, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia
| | - Pei Yu
- Climate, Air Quality Research Unit, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia
| | - Yanming Liu
- Climate, Air Quality Research Unit, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia
| | - Gongbo Chen
- Climate, Air Quality Research Unit, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia
| | - Zhengyu Yang
- Climate, Air Quality Research Unit, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia
| | - Yiwen Zhang
- Climate, Air Quality Research Unit, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia
| | - Yao Wu
- Climate, Air Quality Research Unit, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia
| | - Paul J. Beggs
- Faculty of Science and Engineering, School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia
| | - Ying Zhang
- Sydney School of Public Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Jennifer Boocock
- Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS 7005, Australia
| | - Fei Ji
- NSW Department of Planning and Environment, Sydney, NSW 2150, Australia
| | - Ivan Hanigan
- WHO Collaborating Centre for Climate Change and Health Impact Assessment, School of Population Health, Curtin University, Perth, WA 6102, Australia
| | - Ollie Jay
- Heat and Health Research Incubator, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Peng Bi
- School of Public Health, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia
| | - Nicole Vargas
- Heat and Health Research Incubator, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
- School of Medicine and Psychology, College of Health & Medicine, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Karin Leder
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia
| | - Donna Green
- School of Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Katie Quail
- School of Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Rachel Huxley
- Faculty of Health, Deakin University, Melbourne, VIC 3125, Australia
| | - Bin Jalaludin
- School of Population Health, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Wenbiao Hu
- School of Public Health & Social Work, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD 4000, Australia
| | - Martine Dennekamp
- Environment Protection Authority Victoria, Melbourne, VIC 3053, Australia
| | - Sotiris Vardoulakis
- Healthy Environments And Lives (HEAL) National Research Network, College of Health and Medicine, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Angie Bone
- Monash Sustainable Development Institute, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3800, Australia
| | - Jonathan Abrahams
- Monash University Disaster Resilience Initiative, Melbourne, VIC 3800, Australia
| | - Fay H. Johnston
- Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS 7005, Australia
| | - Richard Broome
- The New South Wales Ministry of Health, Sydney, NSW 2065, Australia
| | - Tony Capon
- Monash Sustainable Development Institute, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3800, Australia
| | - Shanshan Li
- Climate, Air Quality Research Unit, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia
| | - Yuming Guo
- Climate, Air Quality Research Unit, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia
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Liu Y, Wang X, Tang S, Cheke RA. The relative importance of key meteorological factors affecting numbers of mosquito vectors of dengue fever. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2023; 17:e0011247. [PMID: 37053307 PMCID: PMC10128945 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0011247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2022] [Revised: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 04/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Although single factors such as rainfall are known to affect the population dynamics of Aedes albopictus, the main vector of dengue fever in Eurasia, the synergistic effects of different meteorological factors are not fully understood. To address this topic, we used meteorological data and mosquito-vector association data including Breteau and ovitrap indices in key areas of dengue outbreaks in Guangdong Province, China, to formulate a five-stage mathematical model for Aedes albopictus population dynamics by integrating multiple meteorological factors. Unknown parameters were estimated using a genetic algorithm, and the results were analyzed by k-Shape clustering, random forest and grey correlation analysis. In addition, the population density of mosquitoes in 2022 was predicted and used for evaluating the effectiveness of the model. We found that there is spatiotemporal heterogeneity in the effects of temperature and rainfall and their distribution characteristics on the diapause period, the numbers of peaks in mosquito densities in summer and the annual total numbers of adult mosquitoes. Moreover, we identified the key meteorological indicators of the mosquito quantity at each stage and that rainfall (seasonal rainfall and annual total rainfall) was more important than the temperature distribution (seasonal average temperature and temperature index) and the uniformity of rainfall annual distribution (coefficient of variation) for most of the areas studied. The peak rainfall during the summer is the best indicator of mosquito population development. The results provide important theoretical support for the future design of mosquito vector control strategies and early warnings of mosquito-borne diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Liu
- School of Mathematics and Statistics, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Xia Wang
- School of Mathematics and Statistics, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Sanyi Tang
- School of Mathematics and Statistics, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Robert A Cheke
- Natural Resources Institute, University of Greenwich at Medway, Chatham Maritime, Chatham, United Kingdom
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