Health and housing trajectories following climate-related natural disasters

Project Details

Climate related natural disasters will increase in Australia into the future. We need to plan our housing response. The immediate effect of natural disaster events is disruption to housing security, housing condition, loss or damage of home, and displacement. Provision of affordable housing to people who experience floods, heatwaves, bushfires, cyclones, and other extreme weather events is a critical part of our emergency response. Importantly, these events have a profound effect on people’s health, particularly their mental health and wellbeing subsequent to the experience. The right approach to housing assistance has the potential to greatly ameliorate the effect. This project aims to use longitudinal data collected over a 20-year period to describe the housing trajectories of people who experience natural disasters so as to inform the development of approaches to best address this pressing issue.

Publications

Li, A., Toll, M., Martino, E., Wiesel, I., Botha, F., & Bentley, R. (2023). Vulnerability and recovery: Long-term mental and physical health trajectories following climate-related disasters. Social Science & Medicine (1982), 320, 115681. 10.1016/j.socscimed.2023.115681

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.  https://doi.org/10.1016/S2542-5196(23)00089-X

Media coverage

• Featured in Folha de S.Paulo
• Why housing is a critical focus for climate and health policy (Croakey)
• Climate-related disasters leave behind trauma and worse mental health. Housing uncertainty is a major reason why (UNDRR)
• Interview with North State Public Radio (U.S.)

Researchers

• Dr Ang Li (University of Melbourne)
• Professor Rebecca Bentley (University of Melbourne)
• Erika Martino (University of Melbourne)
• Ilan Wiesel (University of Melbourne)
• Ferdi Botha (University of Melbourne)

Funding

This project is funded by the Hallmark Research Initiative for Affordable Housing and the Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation.

Project period

2022 – 2023

Contact

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