Building knowledge and capacity for climate change risk management in the health sector: The case of Queensland

Abstract

In 2019, the Queensland Department of Health and National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility at Griffith University co-produced three resources to support Queensland Hospital and Health Service (HHS) staff to identify and manage present-day and future risks from climate change. The first resource is two templates to be completed in order to develop a risk management plan: the high-level Scan Cycle template, and the Detailed Cycle template for evaluation of serious risks requiring urgent action. Second, the Guidelines lead the user through the process. Third, an Almanac provides supporting information and links to additional resources. Together, these resources deliver a comprehensive set of tools, known as the ‘Guidance’, to support and guide HHS staff to address their climate change risks. A programme of training workshops was carried out throughout Queensland, taking staff from all HHS sectors through the templates and providing opportunity for in-depth discussion of their risks. Some gaps in the Guidance were identified in the workshops, for example the need to include humidity in the climate scenarios for Queensland’s subtropical and tropical environments, and to consider system-wide interdependencies when identifying effective adaptation strategies for the highly complex HHSs. Some barriers to effective utilisation of the Guidance include, for example its complexity balanced against the time available to staff. The Guidance is an effective tool to promote and guide adaptation action, but in itself is insufficient – it requires senior management support and financing, and possibly regulatory reporting requirements, in order to properly fulfil its role.