Health Department releases report on extreme heat in Durham Region

Second report in the series “Climate Change and Health in Durham Region”

Whitby, Ontario – Durham Region Health Department has released the report, Assessing the Impact of Extreme Heat, the second report in the series Climate Change and Health in Durham Region, available at durham.ca/ClimateAndHealth. This vulnerability assessment explores current and future local health impacts of extreme heat.

Climate change is causing more extreme heat events, which are now the deadliest weather-related events in Canada. Extreme heat increases the risk of stress, illness, pregnancy complications, hospitalizations and death for Durham Region residents and the Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation and other Indigenous Peoples with whom we share these lands.

The report finds that Durham Region should prepare for more frequent and intense heat waves, which will affect some people more severely than others. Prioritizing people who are more exposed or sensitive to heat, as well as people living in places at greater risk of high indoor temperatures, could help prevent heat-related illness and death in Durham Region.

“As the effects of climate change intensify, it is essential to prioritize equity and ensure that all people living in Durham Region have the ability to avoid harmful heat,” said Dr. Robert Kyle, Durham Region Medical Officer of Health.

“We know it is possible to prevent heat-related illness and death in Durham Region by reducing heat exposure, prioritizing people most sensitive to serious health impacts and supporting residents’ ability to protect themselves and others.”

As area residents experience the strain of increasing extreme heat, so too will the natural environment emphasizing the need for heat tolerant, nature-based solutions that can cool neighbourhoods and increase heat resilience.

“Extreme heat has been, and will continue to be, the deadliest weather-related hazard in Canada. Exposure to extreme heat is not experienced equally across Durham’s diverse and unique neighbourhoods,” said Cameron Richardson, Supervisor of Environmental Sustainability & Climate Change for the Town of Ajax.

“As such, it is imperative that municipalities and the Region of Durham continue to work together to ensure that our residents have an equal ability to avoid the harmful impacts of these worsening extreme heat events.”

Some area residents face barriers to protecting themselves during a heat wave and a better understanding of their needs is essential for designing heat protection strategies in the region.

“The proactive efforts of Durham Region Health Department are truly laudable,” said Christian Closs, Manager of Emergency Social Services for Durham Region’s Social Services Department.

“By identifying key local environmental and community features that affect health impacts from climate change and by highlighting the need for immediate action through an equitable lens, protecting vulnerable populations from the effects of climate change is crucial for ensuring the health and well-being of our communities.”

To read or download a copy of the report and for more information on Health Department programs focused on the environment and health, visit durham.ca/ClimateAndHealth.

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For more information, please contact the Health Department.