Inequalities and climate change: developing an index of human health vulnerability to climate change in Australia

Project Details

This project aims to examine the effect of climate change and extreme weather events on temporal and spatial inequalities in health and to create an area-based social vulnerability index that measures social factors affecting the vulnerability of human health to climate change. This will include socio-demographic (e.g. SEIFA, remoteness, Gini index and gender), housing (e.g. dwelling structure, type, size and location, construction year, wall and roof materials, tenure and housing affordability), built environment (e.g. green space, density of particulates’ emissions and excessive built surface), health (cardiovascular, respiratory diseases, asthma and disability) and institutional (local emergency response capacity, access to health services, and adaptation strategies) characteristics of areas.

Publications

Li, A., Toll, M., & Bentley, R. (2023). Health and housing consequences of climate-related disasters: a matched case-control study using population-based longitudinal data in Australia. The Lancet Planetary Health, 7(6), e490-e500.

Li, A., Toll, M., & Bentley, R. (2022). Social Vulnerability Indicators to the Health Impacts of Climate Change: A Scoping Review. doi:10.31235/osf.io/qxge3.

Researchers

• Dr Ang Li (University of Melbourne)
• Professor Rebecca Bentley (University of Melbourne)
• Adelle Mansour (University of Melbourne)

Funding

This project is funded by the ARC Centre of Excellence for Children and Families over the Life Course.

Project period

2022

Contact

Dr Ang Li
ang.li5@unimelb.edu.au