Assessing the adaptive capacity of hospital facilities to cope with climate-related extreme weather events: A risk management approach

鉴于澳大利亚和新西兰受极端气候影响的程度相对较高，更好地管理医院设施的社会、经济和健康效益是显著的。洪水、山火、热浪和飓风给澳大利亚造成的损失超过14亿美元/年，给新西兰造成的损失超过4300万新西兰元/年，给社区、企业生产力和基础设施造成的损失也超过4300万新西兰元/年。这项研究将有助于通过保护人口免受与此类事件相关的健康风险来减轻这些成本。对于那些处于高风险的脆弱社区，如老年人，肥胖者，病人和那些在地理上暴露于更极端天气事件的人来说，潜在的好处将是最重要的。

Given Australia's and New Zealand's relatively high exposure to climate extremes, the social, economic and health benefits of better managed hospital facilities are significant. Floods, bushfires, heatwaves and cyclones cost Australia over $1.4bn/year and New Zealand over NZ$43m/yr in disruption to communities, business productivity and damage to infrastructure. This research will help to mitigate these costs by protecting populations from the health risks associated with such events. The potential benefits will be most significant for those vulnerable communities at high risk such as the aged, the obese, the ill and those geographically exposed to more extreme weather events.