Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2024 Dec;1542(1):385-445.
doi: 10.1111/nyas.15244. Epub 2024 Dec 9.

New York State Climate Impacts Assessment Chapter 07: Human Health and Safety

Janice Barnes  1 , Perry Sheffield  2 , Nathan Graber  3 , Sonal Jessel  4 , Kevin Lanza  5 , Vijay S Limaye  6 , Faustenia Morrow  7 , Anjali Sauthoff  8 , Michael Schmeltz  9 , Shavonne Smith  10 , Amanda Stevens  11
Affiliations
Review

New York State Climate Impacts Assessment Chapter 07: Human Health and Safety

Janice Barnes et al. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2024 Dec.

Abstract

New Yorkers face a multitude of health and safety risks that are exacerbated by a changing climate. These risks include direct impacts from extreme weather events and other climate hazards, as well as indirect impacts occurring through a chain of interactions. Physical safety, physical health, and mental health are all part of the equation-as are the many nonclimate factors that interact with climate change to influence health outcomes. This chapter provides an updated assessment of all these topics at the intersection of climate change, public health and safety, and equity in the state of New York. Key findings are presented below.

Keywords: New York State; adaptation; climate change; human health; impacts; public health; resilience; vulnerability.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

FIGURE 7‐1
FIGURE 7‐1
Climate change and health. This figure represents the U.S. Global Change Research Program's framing of climate change and health. While the concepts apply to this assessment, specific terminology (e.g., drivers/hazards, outcomes/impacts) may vary. Figure from U.S. Global Change Research Program (2016).
FIGURE 7‐2
FIGURE 7‐2
Extreme heat vulnerability analysis framework. Figure from Wilhelmi and Hayden.
FIGURE 7‐3
FIGURE 7‐3
Examples of comics used by King County, Washington, to improve the awareness of health risks and coping strategies. Figure from Li‐Vollmer.
FIGURE 7‐4
FIGURE 7‐4
Smoke from the June 2023 Canadian wildfires in Rochester (left) and New York City (right). Photos by Dena Krichinsky, ERG (left); iStock (right).
FIGURE 7‐5
FIGURE 7‐5
Indigenous health indicators from the Swinomish Tribe. This diagram shows examples of indigenous health indicators identified by the Swinomish Indian Tribal community in Washington state. Figure from Donatuto et al.
FIGURE 7‐6
FIGURE 7‐6
Climate Smart Communities participants as of December 2023. Data from New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (2023). The latest data can be viewed online at the New York State Climate Smart Communities website.
FIGURE 7‐7
FIGURE 7‐7
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Social Vulnerability Index (CDC SVI) by census tract. A higher SVI score indicates “communities that may need support before, during, or after disasters.” Figure adapted from New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services (n.d.) and Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (2024).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . (n.d.). Social determinants of health at CDC . Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/socialdeterminants/index.htm
    1. World Health Organization Executive Board . (2012). Social determinants of health: Report by the Secretariat . https://apps.who.int/gb/ebwha/pdf_files/EB132/B132_14‐en.pdf
    1. Solomon, G. M. , Morello‐Frosch, R. , Zeise, L. , & Faust, J. B. (2016). Cumulative environmental impacts: Science and policy to protect communities. Annual Review of Public Health, 37(1), 83–96. 10.1146/annurev-publhealth-032315-021807 - DOI - PubMed
    1. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine . (2017). Communities in action: Pathways to health equity. National Academies Press. 10.17226/24624 - DOI - PubMed
    1. George Mason University Center for Climate Change Communication . (2021). The Medical Society Consortium on Climate and Health . https://medsocietiesforclimatehealth.org/wp‐content/uploads/2021/10/Cons...