The determination of the preparedness of the city of Tshwane in addressing the health effects of climate change

Abstract

Introduction: Climate poses a threat to global development, and Africa is the continent that is most vulnerable to its consequences. Although climate change is a challenge, it is not among the important problems the government has to address, but concerns about the effects of climate change may be embedded in some of the priorities of city projects and policies. The high vulnerability to climate change is based on Africa's high dependency on natural resources, poor infrastructure, poverty and weak institutional capacity to rapidly and effectively respond to the change. As it stands, South Africa is often caught unprepared with a low capacity to adapt, while weather extremes and hazards are unavoidable. The impact of the disaster depends on the preparedness measures in place. Aims and objectives: The aim and objective of the study was to determine the preparedness of the City of Tshwane to address the health effects of climate change Research method and design: Cross-sectional Quantitative method was used in determining the preparedness to address the health effects of climate change in the city of Tshwane. The target population for this study was 7556, while the representative sample size was 380 participants. Two-stage sampling methods were used in selecting participants for the survey. Results were presented in the form of charts, graphs and tables. Results: The study's results indicate information regarding measures, action plans and strategies in place regarding the preparedness to address the health effects of climate change. The study's results clearly indicate that the City of Tshwane is not prepared to deal with the health effects of climate change Recommendations were made accordingly, and the limitation of the study was also revealed. Significance of the study: The study's results offered recommendations for climate preparedness planning and provided evidence for a strategic approach to building adaptive capacity to address the health effects. In nursing practice, the findings show that climate change might be integrated into nursing education, so that knowledge and skills needed for clinical practice in a climatic changing world can be incorporated into the curricula. In nursing research, the findings might contribute to further research on the mitigating, adaptation and resilience strategies for climatic conditions and adverse health impacts.