Understanding national barriers to climate change adaptation for public health: a mixed-methods survey of national public health representatives
International Journal of Health Governance
ISSN: 2059-4631
Article publication date: 8 October 2020
Issue publication date: 5 December 2020
Abstract
Purpose
To uncover the major government constraints to enactment and implementation of public health-targeted climate change adaptation (CCA) strategies in order to equip public health stakeholders and health advocates with the knowledge resources necessary to more effectively mobilize and support CCA for public health responses at the national level.
Design/methodology/approach
A mixed-methods online survey was distributed to the representatives of national public health associations and societies of 82 countries. The survey comprised 15 questions assessing national progress on CCA for public health and the effects of various institutional, economic/financial, technical and sociopolitical barriers on national adaptive capacity.
Findings
Survey responses from 11 countries indicated that national commitments to CCA for public health have increased markedly since prior assessments but significant shortcomings remain. The largest apparent barriers to progress in this domain were poor government coordination, lack of political will and inadequate adaptation finances.
Originality/value
This study is unique in relation to the prior literature on the topic in that it effectively captures an array of country-specific yet cross-cutting adaptation constraints across diverse national contexts. With a deepened understanding of the major determinants of national adaptive capacity, international actors can devise more effective, evidence-informed strategies to support national governments in responding to the health impacts of climate change.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to acknowledge the WFPHA for its extensive support in providing operational guidance throughout the conduct of the study and for granting access to public health officials within its network. We would additionally like to thank all the national representatives who participated in our survey.Declaration of interest statement: The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.
Citation
Marcus, H. and Hanna, L. (2020), "Understanding national barriers to climate change adaptation for public health: a mixed-methods survey of national public health representatives", International Journal of Health Governance, Vol. 25 No. 4, pp. 287-306. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJHG-06-2020-0061
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2020, Emerald Publishing Limited