Impacts of the Unprotected
Brazilian Climate Induced Migration and Displacement: Caatinga as an Area Susceptible to Desertification in Brazil
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Pedro Diaz Peralta, Claudia Ribeiro Pereira Nunes
The Brazilian government announced it is withdrawing its candidacy to host the Conference of the Parties of the United Nations (UN) Conference on Climate Change (COP-25). In this context, the purpose of this research is to draw attention to the scope and complexity of climate migration and Brazilian Caatinga displacement issues as the fall UNFCCC discussions and conclusion of the Global Compact on Migration approaches, and to produce useful outcomes that may accelerate global action on climate induced migration and displacement. The paper addressed a number of perspectives including the economic, social and legal impacts of climate migration and displacement. The research key component addressed to the role of climate information in the legal and policy frameworks national e international, and data tools, climate reports, and perspectives on future global climate change around the limits of in-habitability.
Climate Change and Occupational Heat Stress Risks and Adaptation Strategies of Mining Workers: Perspectives of Supervisors and Other Stakeholders in Ghana
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Victor Fannam Nunfam, Eddie Van Etten, Jacques Oosthuizen, Kwadwo Adusei-Asante, Kwasi Frimpong
Increasing air temperatures as a result of climate change are worsening the impact of heat exposure on working populations, including mining workers, who are at risk of suffering heat-related illnesses, injury and death. However, inadequate awareness of climate change-related occupational heat stress risks and adaptation strategies have been shown to render occupational heat stress management ineffective. A concurrent mixed-methods approach was used to assess the perceptions of climate change and occupational heat stress risks and adaptation strategies of mining workers among supervisory personnel and other stakeholders in Ghana. Questionnaires and interviews were used to elicit data from 19 respondents. Data were processed and interpreted using descriptive statistics, chi-square and Fisher's exact tests, and thematic analysis. Supervisors’ climate change risks perception was adequate, and their concern about workplace heat exposure risks was moderate. Mining workers’ occupational heat stress risks experiences were linked to heat-related illness and minor injuries. Mining workers’ adaptation strategies included water intake, use of cooling mechanisms, work-break practices, and clothing use. The related differences in job experience in the distribution of climate change risk perception and occupational heat stress risk experiences, and the difference in educational attainment in the distribution of adaptation strategies of occupational heat stress were significant (p < 0.05). Hence, an effective workplace heat management policy requires adequate understanding of occupational heat stress risks and adaptation policies and continued education and training for mining workers.
