relation: http://d-scholarship-dev.library.pitt.edu/31589/
title: Climate change, king tides and Kiribati
creator: Werner, Laura Jean
description: The Pacific Region is particularly susceptible to prolonged natural disasters, including droughts and now, more recently, the combined effects of monthly wave surges known as “king tides.”   These long-term natural disasters constantly chip away at communities, straining traditional social support networks and exacerbating vulnerabilities of those who are already considered most vulnerable.  Equipping individuals with the skills, knowledge and power to adapt to these imminent changes will strengthen their resiliency through change and improve their overall health. By highlighting the ways in which climate change is impacting the daily lives of individuals, we begin to understand the need for adaptation to occur at all levels of society, especially for extremely vulnerable populations, including the disabled, young children and the elderly. This paper looks at the impacts of climate change on health. Utilizing a Social Ecological Framework, the author will identify the public health significance of working within this model to inform adaptation policies, projects and plans can bring about positive changes in public health. Kiribati, a low-lying island nation in the Pacific Region, will be utilized as an example to show how targeting the different levels of the framework can improve health, which will require a systematic shift in adaptation implementation programs from being more infrastructure-based to being person-centered and rights based.
date: 2017-06-29
type: University of Pittsburgh ETD
type: PeerReviewed
format: application/pdf
language: en
identifier: http://d-scholarship-dev.library.pitt.edu/31589/1/WernerLaura_MPH_April_2017.pdf
identifier:   Werner, Laura Jean  (2017) Climate change, king tides and Kiribati.  Master's Thesis, University of Pittsburgh.    (Unpublished)