PRELIMINARY EVALUATING ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH EFFECT OF CLIMATE CHANGE TOWARDS COMMUNITY ADAPTATION FRAMWORK: A CASE STUDY OF MAHASARAKHAM PROVINCE, THAILAND

Abstract

Thailand has already experienced on several impacts of global climate change which lead to various risks to Thailand’s society and challenge the nation’s development goals. This research investigated the climate change using the secondary data from the past 10 years in Maha Sarakham province. In terms of weather conditions, the significant climate change indicators including temperature, rainfall amount and seasons were examined to reveal the year-round temperature change of Maha Sarakham province. Comparing ten-year average temperatures from 2002 to 2012 with the ones from 2013, it was found that the highest temperature was 42 °C in both May 2003 and in April 2012. The lowest temperatures were 8.8 °C in January 2005 and 11 °C in December 2012. The reasons behind the natural disasters in the province were heavy rain which led to flooding many years ago, the lack of rain which resulted in draught, and alteration of seasons. In addition, the review of the results pointed out that the number of monthly rain days associated with the incidence rate of dengue fever and leptospirosis. The decrease of monthly rain days number during rainy season led to the higher temperature which enhanced dengue transmission, yet reduced Leptospira organism distribution in soil and water. The climate change adaptation framework in respect of community-based adaptation and vulnerability assessment is proposed. Towards the community adaptation to the infectious disease effects of climate change in Maha Sarakham province, the vulnerability assessment, especially in terms of socioeconomic condition and health risk knowledge, should be performed to complete the data base for the determinants of climate change adaptation. Then the data base can be used for designing the knowledge-based approaches and adaptation planning under climate change condition.