Individuals living in southeastern Colorado are more vulnerable to the potential health effects of climate change than residents in other parts of the state, in part because of the region’s susceptibility to heat and drought, according to a new index from the Colorado Health Institute.
The southeastern region also has a larger number of people who are sensitive to the health effects, including those who live in poverty, according to the Health and Climate Index.
When it comes to who is vulnerable to changing the climate, “it really depends on who you are and where you live in Colorado,” said Chrissy Esposito, a policy analyst and one of the creators of the index.
For example, those living in the southwest are the least vulnerable, a result of fewer days of extreme heat and drought two years ago. Local officials have also prepared more for climate change, said the report.
In making the index, the institute looked at 24 factors in three categories — exposure to climate hazards, sensitive populations and readiness to approach climate change — related to health and climate. The organization looked at data from 2017.
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The report found that more than half of the counties in Colorado do not have plans in place to tackle climate change, with the northeastern and southeastern regions being ranked the lowest in terms of readiness.
“Residents of these regions are least likely to believe in climate change or its potential impacts on their health or the health of future generations — despite their high vulnerability in terms of exposure and sensitive populations,” the institute said in its report.
The average temperature in the state has increased by two degrees in the last 30 years, and it’s estimated it could grow a further 2.5 to 5 degrees by 2050, according to the Colorado Health Institute.
Individuals who are more vulnerable to changes in the climate include children, people in poverty or who have chronic diseases, such as asthma. Extreme heat, in particular, can affect a person’s cardiovascular, respiratory and nervous systems, according to the report.
High temperatures can also affect Coloradans’ health as they can lead to ground-level ozone, pollutants and drier conditions that can cause smoke and wildfires, with smoke plumes lowering air quality, the report said.
“There are many ways of looking at the impact climate change has on a community,” said Karam Ahmad, policy analyst and a creator of the index, adding that the institute looked at health effects “because your health is everything.”
