If you missed the recap of Day 1, click here to read the summary of the "Advancing Mental Health Preparedness, Response, and Resilience to Climate and Weather Extremes" Conference. The Conference was held from July 23-25, 2024, at the University of Alberta, in Edmonton, Alberta.
Building on the deliberative dialogue approach from Day 1, the guiding question for Day 2 was: "How do we develop equitable climate-mental health emergency preparedness and response plans?" This question centred the discussions on health equity. Drawing on the concept of systematic equity action analysis¹, attendees formed small groups to assess the role of equity in emergency response plans for extreme weather. They aimed to identify shortcomings and highlight best practices that could be leveraged.
Specific cases of lived experience were reviewed, such as the heat dome in British Columbia during June 2021, the 2022 heat wave in England, which resulted in over 3,300 excess deaths, and more recent events such as the ongoing wildfires and evacuations in Jasper National Park, which impacted some workshop attendees and their families.
Courtney Howard highlighted the importance of local media, citing Cabin Radio's role in recent wildfires in Yellowknife as a crucial tool for information sharing and data gathering.
Rowena Hill, MBE (Professor, Nottingham Trent University) spoke about the resilience structures in the United Kingdom, including the Local Resilience Forums, and how they prepare for and respond to extreme weather-related emergencies.
Discussions centred on the distribution of power in emergency response situations, revealing that top-down national policies often dictate emergency response efforts. In contrast, sub-national responses have more flexibility to tailor their actions and incorporate local situational awareness and equitable practices. Scouts Canada was highlighted as an exemplary organization for integrating equity into its procedures. The inequity of initiatives such as the "disaster go-bags" promoted by national campaigns like Get Prepared (https://www.getprepared.gc.ca/index-en.aspx) was noted, as these efforts tend to benefit individuals with higher socioeconomic status who can afford the necessary supplies. As a result, inequity poses significant concerns given that deprivation and socio economic status correlate with increased vulnerability and risk during extreme events.
Additionally, the accountability of these plans was assessed, which led to a discussion on accreditation standards in public services and healthcare. This included references to Accreditation Canada Standards and the UK's Care Quality Commission (CQC). Participants emphasized that emergency response plans and standards related to equity should play a more central role in these accreditation frameworks.
Dr. Richmond will continue to provide updates on the next days of the Workshop Conference through the PIF’s blog and social media channels.
¹ Plamondon, K.M., Dixon, J., Brisbois, B. et al. Turning the tide on inequity through systematic equity action-analysis. BMC Public Health 23, 890 (2023).
