Severe heat events increase the chance of illness and death, especially among vulnerable populations. A warming climate may also be related to the local increase in HABs, which produce a toxin called microcystin that can affect the water supply and impact community health. "We know HABs are increasing in Lake County, and we’re concerned that more people will be at risk.” says Paul English, Principal Investigator of CHARM.
“Within the Tribal community and seemingly throughout Lake County, people of this area are not fully prepared to face increasing heat waves and HABs. While it’s critical to continue monitoring these issues, we know there needs to be a plan in place to protect the sensitive populations from these impacts. There’s a lot to do – for example there aren’t any established cooling centers in the area. This project will help build resiliency for our communities,” explains Sarah Ryan, Environmental Director at Big Valley and Co-Investigator for the CHARM project.
To guide the project and the development of the action plan, the CHARM project is establishing a working group of representatives from local Tribes, county government, and community-based organizations that are engaged in emergency response.
“This project is an opportunity to begin addressing these critical issues in a collaborative way, and I’m honored to participate in this effort on behalf of the Lake County community,” says Terre Logsdon, Chief Climate Resiliency Officer for the County of Lake.
The two-year project will also include an information-gathering phase, including data analysis, review of other emergency response plans, and collecting input from local residents about their knowledge, beliefs, and experiences related to extreme heat and HABs in Lake County. Results will be used by the working group to develop the action plan.
The CHARM project is funded by the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) Climate and Health Initiative.