A new set of resources supporting climate change and community health has been developed through the Climate Resilient Health Systems Initiative.
The initiative explored how climate change affects health and well-being in Indigenous communities and led to the creation of practical tools for communities to understand and respond to increasing challenges. The initiative included two streams:
- Climate Change & Health Vulnerability Assessment Tools, and
- Climate Resilient Health Systems Engagement Support.
Both streams were informed by workshops, interviews with organizations, and research that focused on Indigenous knowledge and experience.
From the first stream, Climate Change & Health Vulnerability Assessment Tools, the Community Health through Climate Change Guidebook was developed to help communities identify climate-related health risks and vulnerabilities within their communities. The guidebook provides step-by-step guidance for developing a Community Climate-Health Action Plan, drawing on existing community knowledge, strengths, and priorities. It includes practical examples, discussion questions, and tools to support reflection and planning.
Another resource developed from the first stream is the Community Health through Climate Change Ecoversity Course, an online, narrated resource that complements the guidebook. The course walks participants through each step of the guidebook, offering detailed explanations, practical tips, and examples from the research and workshops. It was designed to support learning for health practitioners, community leaders, and anyone interested in exploring climate-health risks and responses. The course is available for free.
The second stream, Climate Resilient Health Systems Engagement Support, helped create the Climate Health Tool Posters, which are a visual illustration of how climate change affects four interconnected aspects of well-being: physical, mental, spiritual, and community health. Each poster shows how environmental changes—such as temperature shifts, extreme weather, or resource impacts—can ripple across health systems and influence multiple aspects of community life. The posters can be displayed individually or together as a series to demonstrate the connections across different dimensions of health and to spark discussion or planning within the community.
Together, these resources build on knowledge gathered through workshops, interviews, and research. The Guidebook, Ecoversity Course, and Climate Health Tool Posters offer communities practical, flexible tools to explore climate-related health risks, consider pathways of effects, strengthen resilience, and support decision-making in ways that reflect their priorities, knowledge, and strengths.
The Guidebook and Ecoversity course are currently available, providing communities with accessible tools to support climate-health planning and resilience.
