CLIMATE WARMING AND HEALTH ADAPTATION IN FINLAND

This report presents the findings of the FINADAPT project and describes the implications of climate change for human health adaptation. It represents one of the first studies to have been conducted on this theme in Finland. The report is based on an extensive literature review by selecting international scientific reports and using original papers and reviews. This health report uses climate change projections/scenarios presented in the meteorological part of the main report. Some of the assumptions presented here concern future extreme events and their health consequences. Impacts of climate change on health in Finland are analyzed here, as well as adaptation options. The report also discusses about research needs and priorities for coping with climate change adaptation.

Key findings state that heat-related mortality may increase in the future, but cold spells will remain a challenge even under a warming climate, and winter mortality will still present the majority of excess temperature-related mortality. The population at risk and more vulnerable to heat-stress are the elderly and those having a pre-existing disease, with those living in urban environments especially at increased risk. In addition, children and teenagers in urban milieus are at higher risk. Adaptation measures are needed already due to climate variability and existing or past extreme events and are even more needed in a changing climate in future. A need for early warning systems for health was identified.