Community well-being and climate change
Citation: Dorji T, Morrison-Saunders A, Blake D. Understanding How Community Wellbeing is Affected by Climate Change: Evidence From a Systematic Literature Review. Environmental Management. 2023;72:568-586.
Language: Abstract and full text available in EN.
Free to view: Yes.
Funding sources: Nothing Noted.
What is this? Community well-being encompasses social, economic, environmental, physical, and political health, all of which can be affected by climate change. In this systematic review, the authors searched for publications in English that examined the effect of climate change on community well-being. They searched in November 2022 and found 23 studies.
What was found: Climate change affected well-being in several types of communities, most notably in farming, rural, indigenous, fishing, and coastal communities. Climate change impacts the physical environment, which changes the ecosystems upon which communities depend for livelihood, food security, and cultural purposes. This causes mental stress within the community and decreases the ability to adapt to climate change, thereby pushing communities into poverty.
Implications: The authors of the review stated that to address community well-being in the context of climate change, strategies need to encompass adaptation. This process should involve participatory action that combines science with local and traditional knowledge.
Other considerations: The authors of the review discussed their findings in the context of occupation.
This summary was prepared by Isabelle Tahmazian, checked by Grace Meng, and finalized by William Summerskill.