Paving the complex path to building climate resilient cities through disaster health diplomacy and international public health policy

Year 2024, Volume: 8 Issue: 1, 31 - 43, 28.06.2024

Verda Tunalıgıl (md, Mph, Phd)

https://doi.org/10.32569/resilience.1391398

Abstract

Disaster resilience defines society’s capabilities to resist/adapt/recover from hazardous events. Priorities for action were outlined at the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction to reduce disaster risks by understanding the process, strengthening governance, investing in resilience, improving preparedness/effective response capacities/rehabilitation processes/reconstruction procedures. Disaster diplomacy is a fast growing interdisciplinary field. Natural disasters potentially generate opportunities for diplomatic interaction between rival parties/conflicting states. Climate crisis is growing. By large, Summer 2023 was globally the warmest on record. The 2015 Paris Agreement was a landmark; UNOHCHR proposes a universal decleration of disaster rights. Climate change has widespread impacts on human health. “The greatest health threat of the 21stcentury” affects socio environmental determinants of health, clean air/water/food/shelter. Ninety percent of all disasters are climate/weather related, resulting in >410,000deaths in the last decade, expected to cause 250,000 additional deaths/year from malnutrition/malaria,/diarrhoea/heat stress in 2030 2050. IFRC focuses on strengthening ownership/community leadership/outreach/funding/forecasting/anticipatory action. Climate related flashpoints are the early warnings of impending crises. Turkey Greece have a lot in common from a climate change/disaster resilience viewpoint. Successive earthquakes generated rescue responses/mutual aid/outpouring of sympathy between the two countries within the last decade. Extreme weather events, high temperatures, severe rainfalls continue to batter both countries. Global warming brought intense flooding/wildfires to Southeast Europe/Southwest Asia. Climate change is expected to become the strongest driver of human migration through complex mechanisms in the Mediterranean Basin. The sustainability of Greece’s migration policies may be challenged against the global climate crisis. Environmental change has potential impacts on human health. Health diplomacy in international relations focuses on protecting health/well being. In the past, health interventions as foreign policy were regarded not to be associated with diplomatic disaster efforts. This oral presentation challenges earlier opinions and proposes a “climate change health diplomacy model” for improving capacities in disaster resilience. Around the world, health care professionals speak a unique/universal language of their own. Countries with “otherwise conflicting interests,” stand in solidarity during natural disasters. Through further elaborating on the principles of sustainable collaboration on disaster risks/health diplomacy/climate change, a “first time disaster health diplomacy model” may be developed to serve the world. An outline is hereby presented, 1 to define paths of communication versus the current ad hoc disaster diplomacy efforts, 2 to incorporate risks into the disaster diplomacy plan, 3 to incorporate a well planned disaster health diplomacy agreement. As the Turkish saying goes, “HEALTH COMES FIRST”.

Keywords

climate change, adaptation, health resilience, political science, international relations, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), United Nations Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner (OHCHR)

Ethical Statement

Royalties are payments to an owner for using an asset or property, such as patents, copyrighted works, or natural resources.

Project Number

YOK

Afetlerde sağlık diplomasisi, uluslararası halk sağlığı politikaları ve iklime dayanıklı şehirler için model geliştirme

Abstract

Afetlerde dirençlilik, toplumun olağan dışı durumlara direnme/uyum sağlama/atlatabilme yeteneklerini tanımlar. Sendai Afet Risklerini Azaltma Çerçeve Belgesi 2015 afet risklerini azaltmadaki öncelikleri ve eylem planlarını ana hatlarıyla sunmaktadır. Afet diplomasisi, hızla büyüyen disiplinler arası bir alandır. Doğal afetler, çatışan devletler arasında, diplomatik etkileşim fırsatları doğurur. İklim krizi, tüm dünyada büyümektedir. Dünya çapında en sıcak yaz, 2023 yılında kaydedildi. Paris Antlaşması 2015, önemli bir dönüm noktasıydı. Birleşmiş Milletler tarafından, “evrensel afet hakları beyannamesi” önerilmektedir. İklim değişikliğinin insan sağlığı üzerinde, yaygın etkileri vardır. “Yirmi birinci yüzyılın, en büyük sağlık tehdidi” olan iklim değişikliği, sağlığın sosyo çevresel belirleyicilerini, temiz hava/su/yiyecek/barınmayı etkiler. Afetlerin %90’ı iklim/hava durumuyla bağlantılıdır; son on yılda 410.000'den fazla ölümle sonuçlanmıştır; 2030 2050'de yetersiz beslenme/sıtma/ishal/sıcaklık stresinden, yılda 250.000 ek ölüme neden olması beklenmektedir. Uluslararası Kızılay Kızılhaç Dernekleri Federasyonu, “sahiplenme/toplum liderliği/sosyal yardımlar/finansman/öngörülebirlik” odaklı eylemlerin güçlendirilmesi yönünde önerilerde bulunmaktadır. Yaklaşmakta olan iklim krizlerinin, erken uyarıları “flashpoints” olarak adlandırılır. Türkiye ve Yunanistan'ın iklim değişikliği/afetlere dayanıklılık açısından pek çok ortak noktası bulunmaktadır. Son on yılda art arda yaşanan depremler, iki ülke arasında kurtarma müdahalelerine/karşılıklı yardımlaşmalara/artan sempatiye neden oldu. Aşırı hava olayları/artan sıcaklıklar/şiddetli yağışlar, her iki ülkeyi etkilemeye devam ediyor. Küresel ısınma, Güneydoğu Avrupa/Güneybatı Asya'da yoğun sel/orman yangınlarına yol açıyor. İklim değişikliğinin Akdeniz Havzasında oluşturduğu karmaşık mekanizmaların, insan göçünün en önemli itici gücü olması bekleniyor. Yunanistan küresel iklim krizi karşısında, mevcut göç politikalarını sürdürmekte zorlanabilir. Çevresel değişimin insan sağlığı üzerinde potansiyel olumsuz etkileri vardır. Uluslararası ilişkilerde sağlık diplomasisi sağlığın/refahın korunması için çalışır. Geçmişte, dış politika olarak, “sağlık müdahalelerinin, diplomatik afet çabalarıyla ilişkilendirilemeyeceği” bildirilmişti. Bu sözlü sunumda, daha önceki görüşlere karşı kanaat bildirilmektedir. Afetlere karşı dayanıklılık kapasitelerini geliştirmek amacıyla, yeni bir “iklim değişikliği sağlık diplomasi modeli” önerilmektedir. Dünya genelinde sağlık çalışanları, kendilerine özgü/evrensel bir dil kullanmaktadırlar. "Çıkarları olağan durumlarda çatışan” ülkelerin, doğal afetler karşısında, dayanışma içinde oldukları gözlemlenmektedir. Afet riskleri/sağlık diplomasisi/iklim değişikliği konularında, “sürdürülebilir iş birliği ilkelerinin” detaylandırılması yoluyla, uluslararası ilişkilerde, dünya ülkelerine hizmet edecek bir “afet sağlık diplomasi modeli” geliştirilebilir. Bu amaçla, 1 mevcut afet diplomasisi çabaları kapsamında, iletişim yollarının açıkça tanımlanması, 2 risklerin, afet diplomasisi planına dahil edilmesi, 3 “afetlerde sağlık” konularında, iyi planlanmış bir anlaşma zemininin açıkça tanımlanabilmesi için, öneri taslağı sunulmaktadır. Türk atasözünde olduğu gibi, “HER İŞİN BAŞI SAĞLIK”.

Keywords

iklim değişikliği, uyum, sağlıkta dayanıklılık, siyaset bilimi, uluslararası ilişkiler, Uluslararası Kızılhaç ve Kızılay Dernekleri Federasyonu (IFRC), Birleşmiş Milletler İnsan Hakları Yüksek Komiserliği (OHCHR)

Supporting Institution

YOK

Project Number

YOK

Thanks

YOK

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