154111 - Managing extreme heat and smoke.pdf (378.79 kB)
Managing extreme heat and smoke: a focus group study of vulnerable people in Darwin, Australia
journal contribution
posted on 2023-05-21, 14:41 authored by Sharon CampbellSharon Campbell, Carina AndersonCarina Anderson, Amanda WheelerAmanda Wheeler, Cook, S, Muster, T, Fay JohnstonFay JohnstonExtreme heat and poor air quality arising from landscape fires are an increasing global concern driven by anthropogenic climate change. Previous studies have shown these environmental conditions are associated with negative health outcomes for vulnerable people. Managing and adapting to these conditions in a warming climate can present substantial difficulties, especially in climates already challenging for human habitation. This study was set in the tropical city of Darwin, Australia. We recruited individuals from population groups vulnerable to outdoor hazards: outdoor workers, teachers and carers, and sportspeople, to participate in focus group discussions. We aimed to gain an understanding of the impacts of extreme heat and poor air quality and how individuals perceived and managed these environmental conditions. We identified a number of key themes relating to impacts on health, work and activity, and adaptive behaviors, while identifying gaps in policy and infrastructure that could improve the lives and protect the health of vulnerable people living, working, and playing in this region. In addition, these outcomes potentially provide direction for other regions with similar environmental challenges. Extreme heat and poor air quality place an additional burden on the lives of people in high-risk settings, such as outdoor workers, teachers and carers, and sportspeople.
History
Publication title
SustainabilityVolume
14Issue
21Article number
3805Number
3805Pagination
1-16ISSN
2071-1050Department/School
Menzies Institute for Medical ResearchPublisher
MDPI AGPlace of publication
SwitzerlandRights statement
© 2022. The Authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made.Repository Status
- Open