Climate change and urban health vulnerability
This study examines the climate change and urban health vulnerability of suburban Pralab, Khon Kaen City, in the northeast of Thailand. Empirical data is drawn from a field study using focus groups and in-depth interviews, and statistics recorded by local government agencies, as well as previous recent research on the study site.
This study found that the urbanisation of Khon Kaen has led to profound physical and socio-economic changes in Pralab. Infrastructure development, such as roads, often acts as dykes, preventing or slowing water drainage, leading to longer periods of flooding. The effect of the floods on the health of the residents is intensified by wastewater discharged from the city drainage system into the suburban area of Pralab. The study examines the increased health vulnerability of suburban areas, which can be attributed to urban growth and climate change, and puts forwards recommendations to deal with the impacts of increasing climate variability.
[Dowload study from IIED’s site]
Reading Development 