Vulnerable populations
People and communities experience climate change differently. People are more vulnerable to climate change when they are more exposed to hazards, more sensitive to harm, and less able to adapt or recover often because of underlying inequities. The following factors can make some groups more vulnerable to climate-related health impacts:
Exposure:
Exposure is contact between a person and one or more biological, psychosocial, chemical, or physical stressors, including stressors affected by climate change.
Examples:
- Living in areas at risk of flooding, storm surge, or sea level rise
- Working outdoors
- Living in dense urban areas with little green space or tree cover
Sensitivity:
Sensitivity is the degree to which people or communities are affected, either adversely or beneficially, by climate variability or change.
Examples:
- Pre-existing health conditions (e.g., heart or respiratory disease, disabilities)
- Age (e.g., children and older adults are more sensitive to heat and air pollution)
- Poor housing quality
Adaptive Capacity:
Adaptive capacity is the ability of communities, institutions, or people to adjust to potential hazards, take advantage of opportunities, or respond to consequences.
Examples:
- Income and access to financial resources
- Access to health care and social services
- Education, awareness, and access to information
Climate change vulnerability mapping tool
When considering the health impacts of climate change, it is important to identify individuals that may be most at risk. The MA EPHT climate vulnerability mapping tool can be used to identify, visualize, and analyze areas or populations that are most at risk. Health and environmental data available on MA EPHT and data presented in the vulnerability mapping tool can help decision makers, planners, and communities understand who is at risk and target adaptation and mitigation efforts where they are needed most.
For more information on the data layers included in the Vulnerability Mapping Tool, visit the Mapping Data Sources webpage.