Doctoral training course “Climate Change, Weather and Human Health” held on October 27-29, 2014 in Oulu. My presentation was about "Climate change and tertiary health effects - Solutions at regional level".

1. Climate Strategy for the Oulu Region
Climate, change and health Tytti Tuppurainen, Member of Parliament, vice-chair of the Council of Oulu Region
2014

3. Why Climate Strategy?
•Addresses the global challenge and takes the needs of an exposed region into account
•The aim of the project was to achieve a common understanding and to initiate a continuous adaptation process
•Targets:
•To increase awareness at the local level
•To create preconditions for regional cooperation
•To improve the ability to adapt
•To promote mitigation
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4. 26.3.2010
SH

5. IMPLEMENTATION OF THE COUNCIL OF OULU REGION’S CLIMATE STRATEGY 2011–
-Emphasis of climate-impacting projects in ERDF project activity, the recently ended program period, and especially the new period 2014–2020: 25 % of funding for minimization of carbon
-e.g., in the Ii region: public buildings heated with local renewable energy forms, wind power projects, pilot electric vehicles, etc.
-Renewed provincial energy strategy: a goal of reducing CO2 emissions from energy production approximately 75–90 % by 2050.
-Climate- and energy-focused provincial zoning proposal 2013: a large number of new wind power areas, managed peat production areas, electric grids, and road networks
-Provincial bioeconomy development strategy 2015–2020 in preparation: a goal of increasing the volume, diversification, and degree of refinement of bioproduction -> partially replaces production that causes climate change

6. CLIMATE CHANGE AND HEALTH General considerations
-Climate change has an impact on people’s health: the healthiness of the environment is linked to climate in many ways
-The effects may be direct, direct and delayed, indirect and immediate, or indirect and delayed
-The effects are dependent on people’s age and the place where they live
-Nevertheless, most detrimental effects can be prevented with preparation and various preventive measures!

7. Impact of climate change on health from the perspective of people in the Oulu region 1
-Temperature extremes:
-over 24 degrees – direct link to mortality -> increase in mortality 10 % over the optimal +12-degree level
-particularly affects the elderly population (proportion growing)
-Abnormal ice conditions:
-direct risk of drowning for people traveling on ice
-longer period of near-freezing weather in early winter -> the number of accidents caused by slipperiness increases
-Increase in precipitation:
-to some degree, direct effects on health
-particularly indirect effects: infectious diseases, microbe growth caused by moisture damage in buildings
-risk of contamination of drinking water

8. Impact of climate change on health from the perspective of people in the Oulu region 2
-Change in lighting conditions:
-a longer dark, snowless period in early winter has significant effects: accident risk in traffic, impact on mood: depression, suicide risk
-More diseases:
-increase in and emergence of many infectious organisms, vector organisms, zoonotic disease bearers, and individual pathogens are dependent on the climate; zoonoses, in particular, are expected to increase. Borreliosis and elk flies have already spread into the province.
-changes in the amount and incidence of pollen: affects allergic diseases
-Risks of environmentally friendly energy economy:
-large amounts of particle emissions from small-scale burning
-moisture control in 0-emissions buildings is challenging; may result in unhealthy indoor climate

9. Thank you! www.tytti.info www.pohjois-pohjanmaa.fi