Climate and Health Cluster

With $3.15m provided over three years through CSIRO’s Flagship Collaboration Fund, the Climate and Health Cluster fostered collaborative research into developing strategies to tackle climate change related health issues ranging from the spread of mosquito-borne diseases to heat stress, air pollution and food security.

Managed by CSIRO’s Climate Adaptation Flagship, the Cluster’s members were: The Australian National University, The University of Queensland, The University of Melbourne, University of Western Sydney, Curtin University, James Cook University, the Queensland Institute of Medical Research and the international design and engineering firm, Arup.

When the Cluster was launched in 2011, Cluster Leader, Australian National University Professor Tony Capon said the Cluster would help the 90 per cent of Australians living in urban areas by providing new knowledge to enable urban planners and policymakers to effectively counter threats to human health in a changing climate.

CSIRO’s Climate Adaptation Flagship’s Cities and Coasts Theme Leader, Allen Kearns, said  increased heat stress will need to be considered in city planning, including building shade and respite areas into urban designs.

“For example, better urban management options could save the lives of many children and elderly people among whom the health consequences of heat stress can be devastating,” Mr Kearns said.

Professor Capon said a  significant proportion of the Cluster’s funds were to be allocated to improving strategies for managing mosquito-borne diseases.

“It is important to understand how our adaptation to the changing climate will affect the distribution of mosquitoes that carry diseases like dengue fever.

“Widespread installation of rainwater tanks in cities may increase mosquito breeding grounds in some areas.”

See more at the Climate and Health Cluster website