Climate change and Aboriginal communities in NSW

​​​​​The Aboriginal Environmental Health Unit (AEHU) works closely with Aboriginal communities, other agencies and the Healthy Environment and Lives (HEAL)​ National Research Network to understand the potential impact of climate change on Aboriginal people in New South Wales (NSW).

Aboriginal Population and Climate Change in ​NSW

The AEHU and University of Sydney reviewed the evidence on the health risks of climate change for NSW Aboriginal populations as part of a 2020 project for the University of Sydney's Human Health and Social Impacts (HHSI) Node, funded by NSW Health and the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment. This study linked historical and projected climate data to demographic data to describe the distribution of climate-related exposures for Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal populations in NSW.

The study showed Aboriginal populations are disproportionately exposed to a range of climate extremes including heat, rainfall, fire intensity and drought, and this disproportionate exposure is predicted to increase with climate change over the coming decades.

Aboriginal people also experience higher rates of adverse health conditions that can be sensitive to climate and socioeconomic disadvantage, which can impact their capacity to adapt to climate change. Climate change may also adversely affect cultural practices.

A summary of the study was published as a journal article and is available at Aboriginal Population and Climate Change in Australia: Implications for Health and Adaptation Planning​.

A copy of the full rep​ort​ is available to download​.

Healing Co​​untry

The AEHU is partnering with  Healing Country​  – an Aboriginal community led project that:

  1. seeks to weave together traditional knowledges with environmental and health data to examine health and social impacts associated with changes to climate
  2. implement community-led climate change adaptation strategies.

The project is funded by NSW Health and the Australian Research Council and coordinated by the University Centre for Rural Health in Lismore.

 Healthy Air for Mob

The Healthy Air for Mob project aims to:

  1. identify Aboriginal community concerns with respect to air pollution and respiratory health
  2. co-design culturally appropriate health advice for Aboriginal people with asthma and caregivers to reduce their exposure to smoke and other air pollutants
  3. advocate and influence policy actions to ensure community have options to remain safe during poor air quality events.

This project is part of a larger Healthy Air​ project funded by Asthma Australia

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Current as at: Thursday 5 December 2024
Contact page owner: Environmental Health