Drowning risk and climate change: a state-of-the-art review

Rebecca Sindall, Tom Mecrow, Ana Catarina Queiroga, Christopher Boyer, William Koon, Amy E. Peden

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

44 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Drowning and climate change are both significant global health threats, yet little research links climate change to drowning risk. Research into the epidemiology, risk factors and preventive strategies for unintentional drowning in high-income and in low-income and middle-income countries has expanded understanding, but understanding of disaster and extreme weather-related drowning needs research focus. As nation states and researchers call for action on climate change, its impact on drowning has been largely ignored. This state-of-the-art review considers existing literature on climate change as a contributor to changes in drowning risks globally. Using selected climate change-related risks identified by the World Meteorological Organization and key risks to the Sustainable Development Goals as a framework, we consider the drowning risks associated with heat waves, hydrometeorological hazards, drought and water scarcity, damaged infrastructure, marine ecosystem collapse, displacement, and rising poverty and inequality. Although the degree of atmospheric warming remains uncertain, the impact of climate change on drowning risk is already taking place and can no longer be ignored. Greater evidence characterising the links between drowning and climate change across both high-income and low-income and middle-income contexts is required, and the implementation and evaluation of drowning interventions must reflect climate change risks at a local level, accounting for both geographical variation and the consequences of inequality. Furthermore, collaboration between the injury prevention, disaster risk reduction and climate change mitigation sectors is crucial to both prevent climate change from stalling progress on preventing drowning and further advocate for climate change mitigation as a drowning risk reduction mechanism.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)185-191
Number of pages7
JournalInjury Prevention
Volume28
Issue number2
Early online date23 Feb 2022
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 24 May 2022
Externally publishedYes

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Drowning risk and climate change: a state-of-the-art review'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this