Heatwaves are the deadliest disaster, killing approximately half a million people per year.1 There are both challenges and opportunities for addressing heat vulnerability and risk across Western Australia (WA). WA is the largest state by land area in Australia, with diverse and remote communities spread across the state. The state is spread across five climatic zones, with the northern regions reaching average maximum temperatures of almost 40 degrees in the summertime.
There is growing attention towards the need to address high temperatures in WA, particularly for those at higher risk. Factors that can lead to higher heat sensitivity include existing health conditions, populations over 65 or under 5 years of age, those experiencing homelessness, socially isolated groups, and people working outside.
This project’s findings and evaluation provide more detailed process recommendations.
The Heat Vulnerability Project (the Project) worked across WA to better understand health risks from high heat, including understanding what was needed to keep cool by those most vulnerable to high temperatures. The Project worked with three diverse pilot sites, Port Hedland, Rockingham, and Bridgetown-Greenbushes to provide community heat interventions. The interventions were informed by community meetings, community organisation feedback, and local government guidance. The Project also built a heat vulnerability map to consider inhabited areas most at risk from high heat. Lastly this project led various events, facilitated workshops, and presented at conferences, this included a mid-project event which had findings incorporated into these recommendations.
These recommendations were written in parallel with the Project’s evaluation process to provide succinct findings in an approachable format for further work. The recommendations were also reviewed by the key stakeholders at each of the pilot sites as well as the Project’s Strategic Reference Group. For additional detail on this project, please refer to the Project website: heatvulnerabilityproject.org.au.
This work has resulted in the following key recommendations, written to be considered collectively:
There are requirements for local governments to act according to the State Hazard Plan for Heatwaves and there are forthcoming recommendations to include climate change in Local Public Health Plans. A key recommendation is that local governments, through Local Emergency Management Arrangements, while working alongside public health bodies and hospitals, develop localised HAPs.
Local governments, and regions where relevant, are supported to develop and enact HAPs by State and Federal Governments. In consultations with seven different local governments, one noted that, “We are currently looking at how we can develop our Extreme Heat Response. Nothing developed yet, but we are looking at what other Local Governments are doing within this space.” Support would come through sustained funding streams and clear guidance.2
The international standard is to develop Heat-Health Action Plans that work across sectors to integrate planning around heatwaves into actionable plans. In 2008 the World Health Organization (WHO) developed guidance for HAPs3, and within Australia, the Greater Sydney Heat Smart City Plan4 was recently developed.
This project integrated community organisations into implementing cooling spaces. Community organisations want to play a role to protect their communities, which requires clear guidance from government and implementing structures.
This project piloted daytime relief spaces in Bridgetown, Greenbushes, and Rockingham, through existing libraries and community centres. The key priorities for cool spaces include culturally appropriate spaces, that are free to access, with freely available transportation, and where staff are prepared to keep attendees cool. Both Rockingham and Bridgetown-Greenbushes could not arrange for the transportation directly to the cooling spaces, with transport proving a longer-term aim.
In WA some areas have daytime relief spaces, referred here as cool spaces, however many local areas have yet to implement daytime cooling spaces. These freely accessible daytime relief spaces should be implemented in the immediate future, with considerations around opening over weekends and holidays. In the longer-term, as extreme heatwaves increase, government agencies should consider overnight relief spaces for those at risk, as well as contingency plans for when heatwaves coincide with other disasters such as power outages or droughts.
Those that live in homes without cooling, are unable to afford to run their air conditioning, or are sleeping rough are often at heightened health risk during high heat periods. Access to a cool space with free transportation, can help prevent health issues and reduce hospital presentations. International standards point to cooling spaces that are locally tailored towards at risk community members and integrated into HAPs with clear activation processes.
Regional and remote communities are often disadvantaged when it comes to interventions such as cool spaces.5 There should be particular attention to how cooling spaces are run in regional and remote areas, given the distinct challenges including communicating out about cool spaces.
In Port Hedland, the Project was advised against operating cooling spaces following concerns raised by local Elders that community members would be moved on from such spaces, given the history of being moved on from shopping centres. As such, a culturally appropriate cooling space must be co-designed with Aboriginal Elders to ensure it is safe, respectful, and meets the needs of the community.
The Project developed a Heat Vulnerability Map based on scientific methodology with WA data. Consultations found that the mapping will provide valuable evidence for local governments to plan for and implement heat interventions through HAPs. This will prove more effective if the Heat Vulnerability Map continues to be updated and made more granular.
The heat vulnerability mapping effort makes use of existing methodology developed through AusEnHealth. This methodology, as well as existing literature, points towards the importance of targeting those most at risk of negative health impacts from high heat. This includes those with existing health conditions, as well as lower socioeconomic groups, those over 65 and under 5 years old, and people experiencing homelessness.
Implementing shade and greening of spaces is done intentionally, involving community engagement with planning for trees to remain in the ground for the long-term.
Purposeful shade can include greening at bus shelters, see the Busted Bus Stop report from Sweltering Cities, or changing car park plans to allow for shade sails near essential shops. Within urban areas greening can mitigate the urban heat island effect. This includes existing local government Urban Forest Strategies that prioritise tree planting for safe walkways.
This project heard from pharmacies that customers will often still walk to their local pharmacy via unshaded paths during heatwaves, because trees cannot be planted in the car parks and/or there is limited shaded walkways to key neighborhood hubs.
All communities in WA must have access to drinkable water, not only as a human right but to minimise the impact of heat.
It cannot be assumed that all communities in WA have access to drinkable, cool water during summer months. In Port Hedland the Project was advised that there were not any drink fountains with filters or cooling mechanisms despite highly mineralized water and very hot temperatures.
This needs to be assessed, mapping water fountains proportionate to populations and noting areas where filters or cooling systems are necessary.
Education is provided on what heatwaves are and how the community can be kept safe.
Globally it is recommended that information around heatwaves, including how to manage the impacts of high heat and when heatwaves are triggered, is disseminated to communities.6 The Project found that across organisations, individuals, and government the mechanism for determining heatwaves was rarely understood, which impacts the ability of communities to prepare for high heat. In all three pilot sites education for key communities was requested and meaningfully delivered.
Decreasing emissions that are fuelling climate change is recognized as a public health action.
Heatwaves are the most dangerous disaster for public health in Australia.7 As emissions continue, climate change will fuel more frequent and more intense heatwaves. Therefore, emissions must be minimised to protect human well-being.8
Pilot sites interventions were targeted towards most at-risk communities, for example targeting youth and young people in Port Hedland or low-income communities in Rockingham. Any interventions need to be targeted towards those most at-risk to ensure that they are fit for purpose. This project noted the relevance of intersectionality as it relates to heat vulnerability, heat actions should be targeted towards addressing intersectionality.
As part of this recommendation, we highlight the need for heat-specific interventions to prioritise at-risk cohorts and ensure their inclusion in decision-making on heat actions.
It has been well documented that there are disproportionate impacts from climate change on Aboriginal people.9 To address this inequity, Aboriginal people must be included in the decision process around heat interventions. By engaging with Traditional Custodians knowledge can be shared and gained to integrate heat actions.