Understanding extreme heat and air quality impacts on vulnerable people in the Top End

Understanding extreme heat and air quality impacts on vulnerable people in the Top End

This report outlines the research methodology and findings of how vulnerable individuals in the Darwin region of the Northern Territory (NT), Australia, perceive and manage episodes of extreme heat and poor air quality. This research was funded by the CSIRO-led Darwin Living Lab project.

A focus group methodology was used to gain greater understanding of heat and poor air quality issues. Three focus groups were conducted with identified vulnerable individuals: outdoor workers, teachers and carers and sports people.

Seven key themes emerged from the analysis of focus group discussions. These were (a) increasing temperatures, (b) impacts on work from heat and smoke, (c) impacts on health from heat and smoke (c) impacts on activity from heat and smoke, (d) adaptive behaviours, (e) lack of policy, and (f) doing the same things as usual.

These findings identified and highlighted gaps in education, infrastructure and policy that could improve the lives and protect the health of vulnerable people living, working and playing in the “Top End”. Key recommendations include (a) development of education packages and resources that cover the health impacts of heat and smoke, and adaptation strategies suitable for the location, (b) provision of grants for infrastructure improvement, (c) policy clarification and improvements to cater for the specific climate, and (d) future research to evaluate mitigation and adaptation strategies.

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