Evidence Aid Bulletin: 14 May 2024
Welcome to Evidence Aid’s May 2024 bulletin!
In this edition, our focus is the pressing issue of climate change. Over the last year, we’ve had many reports of wildfires raging, devastating floods, powerful tornadoes, and scorching heatwaves. The toll is evident in lost homes and lives, as our struggle with greenhouse gas emissions continues. These emissions are driving up global temperatures, exacerbating droughts, accelerating polar ice melting, diminishing biodiversity, fueling these natural disasters. Climate change impacts us all, so amidst warnings from the United Nations, policy experts, business leaders and economists, the urgent call for action extends far beyond those in positions of authority. It requires a commitment from all of us, regardless of our backgrounds or fields of expertise. Below are three summaries from our evidence collection: ‘Humanitarian impact of climate change’. They provide insight into the impact on community well-being, adaptation, and malnutrition.
We hope you enjoy this month’s bulletin and extend our gratitude for your support and readership. To receive notifications about the bulletin and/or newsletter releases, kindly reach out to Jane Copsey at info@evidenceaid.org. Additionally, if you value our work, please consider donating here.
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Adaptation of cities for wind-related disasters and climate change
In this systematic review, the authors investigated literature concerning wind-related disasters and their impact on cities. More specifically, they found importance in evaluating city vulnerability and resilience, assessing damage, examining response and recovery strategies and the impact on health. They highlighted the importance of doing such research to better prepare cities against short-term and long-term impacts of disasters. Furthermore, they reaffirmed the importance of implementing adaptation measures encompassing not only the physical and structural aspects of disasters but also the social and institutional dimensions.
Citation: He Y, et al. Wind disasters adaptation in cities in a changing climate: A systematic review. PloS ONE. 2021;16(3):e0248503.
Read the full summary in our Humanitarian Impact of Climate Change, Resilient Health Systems and Windstorm collections.
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The impact of droughts, flooding, and climate variability on malnutrition
In this systematic review and meta-analysis, the authors explored the intermediary factors linking climate variability, droughts and flooding, and malnutrition. In their search, they found a positive correlation between proxies of climate change and malnutrition. The authors advocated for sustainable agricultural practices and educational opportunities for women to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change proxies on malnutrition outcomes.
Citation: Lieber M, et al. A systematic review and meta-analysis assessing the impact of droughts, flooding, and climate variability on malnutrition. Global Public Health. 2022;17(1):68–82.
Read the full summary in our Humanitarian Impact of Climate Change and Prevention and Treatment of Acute Malnutrition collections.
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Community well-being and climate change
The authors of this systematic review investigated the impact of climate change on community well-being, encompassing physical, social, economic, environmental, political and health dimensions. They found that climate change impacts communities, particularly those in rural, farming, coastal, fishing, and indigenous communities. Notably, climate change directly affects the physical environment crucial for these communities’ sustenance, food security, and cultural practices, leading to mental stress and impeding their capacity to adapt, leading to poverty. These findings reinforce the importance of adaptation strategies backed by science and local traditional knowledge, and involvement from all levels of government when addressing the influence of climate change on community well-being.
Citation: Dorji T, et al. Understanding How Community Wellbeing is Affected by Climate Change: Evidence From a Systematic Literature Review. Environmental Management. 2023;72:568-586.
Read the full summary in our Humanitarian Impact of Climate Change collection.
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Thank you for reading this month’s bulletin. We hope that our evidence-based perspectives shed light on crucial issues that impact us collectively and that our summaries serve as valuable tools for understanding research that contributes to improving our world. For a deeper look into our resources and further insights, explore our various collections here.
From,
Your Evidence Aid team