Engaging Islanders in mapping climate-related social and health factors to build resilience to climate change on PEI

 

Project Summary:  

Climate change policies and programs that consider social and health inequities are well-positioned to build climate-resilient communities. By using high-quality data and engaging with the public and decision-makers, this project will increase our understanding of health and social disparities across the province, and how intersections between multiple factors contribute to increased vulnerability to climate change. The quantitative population-level vulnerability indicators that result from this research can be combined with the Climate Change Risk Assessment (CCRA, 2021) qualitative health consequence and social stability ratings to prioritize vulnerable populations across PEI, strengthen climate adaptation plans by considering inequities, and track progress over time. The data and maps that result from this project will support policy and spending decisions by providing an effective way to consider the uneven impacts of climate change due to health and social inequities. 

The 2018-2023 Climate Change Action Plan for PEI focused on increasing the province’s resilience to climate change impacts through actions addressing environmental challenges and protecting vulnerable sectors. However, recent reports, such as the Building Resilience: Climate Adaptation Plan (2022) and the 2040 Net Zero Framework (2022), place greater emphasis on prioritizing vulnerable individuals and populations disproportionately affected by climate change. The Building Resilience: Climate Adaptation Plan offers a comprehensive roadmap to address climate impacts, highlighting the importance of integrating health, social, and environmental considerations into adaptation efforts. Meanwhile, the 2040 Net Zero Framework focuses on mitigating greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and achieving net zero by 2040, complementing adaptation strategies with a focus on long-term sustainability. Together, these plans underscore the need to use robust data to guide equitable decision-making and address the differential impacts of climate change on communities across PEI. 

Our project directly supports these priorities through the development of spatial/story maps to identify vulnerable populations and their specific needs in direct partnership with members of the public. These maps aim to support equity-informed decision making related to health into climate adaptation planning. Our work aims to provide a foundation for targeted, evidence-based action to help build resilience in communities across PEI.  

 

Project Goals:  

  • Engage the public and decision-makers to explore the use of high-quality data to identify populations that disproportionately experience the negative impacts of climate change and determine the best way to visualize the results for public use. 
  • Empower community members to adapt to the changing climate and build more resilient communities together. 

We will produce clear, user-friendly research outputs designed to present data and information in ways that individuals, industries, and government decision-makers can easily understand and apply. These outputs will support evidence-based decisions across sectors, ensuring that climate adaptation plans are targeted toward areas that need them the most. We will engage decision-makers and members of the public in the research process through a collaborative approach to promote shared knowledge and capacity building to help address climate challenges effectively. 

This project will produce user-friendly research outputs to support the public and decision-makers in creating evidence-based climate adaptation strategies that benefit populations that need them most. 

 

Plain Language Summary:  

This project aims to support fair and equitable climate change adaptation decisions in PEI by using data to create spatial/story maps. By involving Islanders in creating maps, we’ll explore how various health and social factors (e.g., age, income, health conditions), disproportionally impact people’s ability to adapt to climate change. These maps also aim to help decision-makers understand where to prioritize support for those who are most at risk. 

The project builds on recent climate action reports, which emphasize the need to focus adaptation planning on people who are hit hardest by climate change. This project aims to address this priority by providing data and maps that highlight the locations of individuals with health and social-related concerns, helping ensure that climate plans support everyone effectively. 

Our goal is to work closely with the public and decision-makers to find the best ways to use this data and create maps. We will create easy-to-understand research outputs (e.g., maps) that people can use to make decisions about climate change. This will help build stronger, more resilient communities across PEI, especially for those most impacted by climate change.