Inventing our future Collective action for a sustainable economy

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Strategic Priority 9: To understand and plan for the impacts of climate
change and the more sustainable use of resources within the Region,
in terms of health and health inequalities issues
8.13 As a result of climate change, summers are becoming hotter and drier, while winters are milder and
wetter; the expectation is that there will be more extreme climate events (very hot days and intense
downpours of rain); and sea levels will rise, increasing the risk of coastal flooding and erosion. In
the East of England, the impacts of climate change may be greater than elsewhere. As a report put
it, ‘as well as having large low-lying areas, the Region is also sinking very slowly due to geological
processes, making it vulnerable to coastal inundation as sea levels rise. Greater intensity and frequency
of winter rainfall may increase the risk of flooding from rivers, while drier summers may put additional
pressure on water resources’. 138
8.14 The impacts of climate change will be profound and wide ranging. The direct impacts on the health
of people in the East of England are likely to include heat-related deaths and illness, increased incidence
of food poisoning, increased injuries during storm events, increased health problems caused by air
pollution (particularly in urban areas) and increased incidence of skin cancer. In addition, there is
evidence that flooding – which is likely to increase in frequency as a result of climate change – has
adverse consequences for mental health; this includes anxious anticipation of flood events, high levels
of stress during the event, and depression in the aftermath.
8.15 The process of adapting to the impacts of climate change in order to improve health and reduce
inequalities in health across the East of England must be a priority for Healthy Futures. Some of these
impacts are negative – and there are clearly major issues relating to health protection in the context,
for example, of increased concerns about food safety. However there are also positive effects:
warmer weather may be conducive to greater participation in physical exercise, and changed growing
conditions could improve the range of fruit and vegetables produced locally while warmer winters
may make fuel poverty less of an issue. In seeking to achieve the Vision set out in Healthy Futures,
it will be imperative that the issues relating to climate change adaptation are strongly on the agenda.
8.16 Under the auspices of Healthy Futures, a number of regional-level Actions are proposed in order
to advance Strategic Priority 9. These are set out in the table on page 110.
138 Living with Climate Change in the East of England: Summary Report (2003) Completed by Land Use Consultants, CAG Consultants and SQW Ltd
for the East of England Regional Assembly and the Sustainable Development Round Table.