About
There is increasing evidence of negative implications of climate change for health and wellbeing. With a focus on at-risk populations, these knowledge mobilization initiatives aim to provide direction for research, policy and service sectors.
In the broadest sense, the information that we have gathered has validated the ‘threat multiplier’ nature of climate change with respect to people experiencing poverty, both in Canada and globally. Poverty is a key factor in individual and community vulnerability to environmental risks. These risks revolve around, and are compounded by several intersections, as a function of factors such as age, gender, and access to shelter. Indigenous and racialized identities play key roles as well, with climate change representing another facet of colonial histories characterized by rights violations and exclusion. Specific environmental risks addressed in the literature and in our think tanks included heat and cold, wildfires, air pollution, and secondary risks such as poor food security.
The initiatives were established by Dr. Sean Kidd, Chief Psychologist and Senior Scientist at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health and Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto.
Lead(s)
