Aborigines 'to bear the brunt of climate change'

ArticleData Array ( [Article] => Array ( [article_id] => 1004957 [headline] => Aborigines 'to bear the brunt of climate change' [abstract] => A team of researchers believes indigenous Australians will suffer more severely due to the effects of climate change than the rest of the population. [keywords] => climate, indigenous [content] =>

The effects of climate change on the health of the planet are well documented - but now researchers are studying how human health will suffer.

A team of researchers believes indigenous Australians will suffer more severely than the rest of the population.

Many of Australia's indigenous communities live in hot, dry and remote parts of the country.

A group of experts has written in the Medical Journal of Australia, that as climate change starts to bite, the health of indigenous people will suffer the most.

“Climate change is going to affect the health of all Australians but what we're finding unfortunately is that indigenous Australians living in remote areas have specific vulnerabilities and that's largely because they have pre existing social and economic disadvantage,” author Donna Green says.

The authors say Aboriginal people already suffer worse health and living standards than the rest of the population and their access to services is poorer.

Heart and lung problems, as well as bacterial infections, are likely to become more frequent in hotter weather.

The article also says aboriginal people's strong connection to the land means that when their country suffers, their health is likely to be affected.

“Many indigenous people feel that their health is intimately linked with the health of their country so if we're starting to see ecosystem impacts, this may be the land, plants, animals, changing in response to climate change, that will also have a psychological effect on the wellbeing of the people that own that country,” it says.

The article urges doctors to give greater consideration to a patient's environment.

It also calls for cross cultural training for medical professionals and more health services in northern and central Australia.

The Federal Government says it recognises the need to better understand the health risks posed by climate change, and what action can be taken to reduce the risks.

 

[start_date] => 13 January 2009 | 05:05:54 PM [comments_allowed] => 1 [source] => SBS [commentCount] => 1 [video] => [image] => Array ( [caption] => Purnululu National Park in Western Australia. (AAP) [useRegularImage] => 1 [media_library_id] => 58396 [site_id] => 1 [media_library_group_id] => 0 [media_usage_id] => 0 [filename] => site_1_rand_611003921_purnululu_national_park_b_1301_aap.jpg [title] => purnululu_national_park_B_1301_aap_611003921 [description] => file:site_1_rand_611003921_purnululu_national_park_b_1301_aap.jpg [type] => [height] => 338 [width] => 450 [source] => [video_hi] => [video_lo] => [section] => [display_order] => 0 [create_date] => 2009-01-13 17:17:14 [active] => 1 [media_usage] => Article Large [usageWidth] => 300 [usageHeight] => 225 ) [imagePath] => http://media.sbs.com.au/news/upload_media/ [audio] => [reporter] => [relatedLinks] => Array ( [2] => Array ( [id] => 1004611 [label] => Indigenous activists begin rights walk [display_order] => 0 [type] => Article ) [1] => Array ( [id] => 1004428 [label] => Australian military warns of climate conflict [display_order] => 0 [type] => Article ) [0] => Array ( [id] => 1004319 [label] => Australians buying more bikes than cars [display_order] => 0 [type] => Article ) ) [relatedArticles] => Array ( [0] => Array ( [article_id] => 1004428 [headline] => Australian military warns of climate conflict [abstract] => Australia's military has warned that global warming could create failed states across the Pacific as sea levels rise and heighten the risk of conflict over resources, a report said.
 
[content] =>

Australia's military has warned that global warming could create failed states across the Pacific as sea levels rise and heighten the risk of conflict over resources, a report said.

The Australian Defence Force (ADF) analysis found the military could be called on to undertake more security, disaster relief and reconstruction missions as a result of climate change, the Sydney Morning Herald said.

"Environmental stress, caused by both climate change and a range of other factors, will act as a threat multiplier in fragile states around the world, increasing the chances of state failure," the analysis said.

"This is likely to increase demands for the ADF to be deployed on additional stabilisation, post-conflict reconstruction and disaster relief operations in the future."

The analysis, a summary of which was obtained by the paper using freedom of information laws, also noted the possibility of a serious conflict over the undersea oil and gas deposits of the Arctic as shrinking icecaps make these more accessible.
  
"Climate change is unlikely to increase the risk of major conflict, although there is one exception," it said.
  
"The Arctic is melting, potentially making the extraction of undersea energy deposits commercially viable. Conflict is a remote possibility if these disputes are not resolved peacefully."

The analysis, completed in November 2007, found that Australia could face increased illegal migration and fishing as Pacific islands succumbed to rising sea levels and climate change impacted on fishing grounds.

"From a defence planning perspective, we don't know how quickly these changes will occur, exactly what their impact will be, or how states and societies will react," it said.

"Nevertheless, climate change may affect security by increasing stress on fragile states, state and societal competition for resources, environmental threats to ADF infrastructure and increasing the frequency and severity of extreme weather events."
  
The military released a summary of the analysis but refused to hand over the full 12-page report, saying to do so could damage Australia's defence capability and international relations, the Herald said.

The Australian Defence Force had no immediate comment on the report.

[content_type_id] => 3 [site_name] => World News Australia [articledate] => 7 January 2009 [articletime] => 7 January 2009 [display_order] => 0 ) ) [comments] => Array ( [0] => Array ( [articles_ugc_id] => 31762 [author] => MJ [source] => Saudi Arabia [content] => i perosnlly feel that not much is being done to help the aboriginal australians to somehow get out of those conditions.Its really hard to beilieve tht in this advanced 21st century and the so-called "GLOBAL VILLAGE " that we all live in, some humans can be CUT away from the rest of the world and be deprived of proper food,proper shelter,proper clothing and most importantly proper education and all the things every human has a right to. i strongly believe something MUST be done for them.asap. [user_headline] => aborgines must be helped by us! [comment_date] => 18 Sep 2009 6:49 AEST [agree] => 0 [disagree] => 0 ) ) ) [winston] => test )