Climate Attribution of Wildfire Smoke Impacts on Priority Population Health in Southeast Asia and Australia

Climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of extreme wildfires and smoke haze in Southeast Asia and Australia, causing severe health impacts, including respiratory and cardiovascular illnesses. Notable events, such as the 2015 Sumatra wildfires and Australia’s 2019/20 Black Summer, resulted in thousands of premature deaths. However, current studies rarely attach these impacts to climate change or focus on vulnerable groups like Indigenous peoples, pregnant women, and children.

This project uses climate attribution modelling to assess climate change's role in extreme wildfires and their health impacts on sensitive populations in Southeast Asia and Australia. Through participatory co-design, it engages policymakers, Indigenous communities, citizen scientists, and artists to create innovative communication tools. These tools will combine scientific data with lived experiences to better inform adaptation strategies, focusing on regions heavily affected by recurrent wildfires like Thailand, Laos, Indonesia, and Australia.

For more information and project resources please visit https://healnetwork.org.au/projects/canbreathe/