Cities like Edmonton, Alberta, face escalating risks of extreme weather events, including heightened temperatures, deteriorating air quality from wildfires, and local pollution sources. Coupled with demographic shifts such as aging populations and increased immigration, addressing climate change impacts is imperative yet insufficiently explored. This study seeks to evaluate the utility and accuracy of the vulnerability index focused on climate change and health, offering vital insights for equitable urban planning and policy development in municipalities like Edmonton. This approach effectively identifies areas of risk and vulnerability across diverse populations, including marginalized groups. These indices incorporate contextual factors such as age, gender, socioeconomic status, and environmental exposures, which are critical for understanding climate-related health risks and building resilience. Widely used frameworks consist of three individual domains related to exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity. 

The specific objectives of this study are: (1) to develop vulnerability indices using pre-determined dissemination area-level factors of exposures, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity and (2) to validate the vulnerability index using health data and assess if the vulnerable index is a significant predictor of health events.

This study mapped the levels of exposure, sensitivity and adaptive capacity dimension in Edmonton. The vulnerability index of each dissemination area in Edmonton was also generated and mapped. This study further found that the generated vulnerability index was significantly associated with incidences of different health events, including respiratory diseases, cardiovascular diseases, mental health issues and injuries.

The findings of this study are intended to promote equitable climate change and health measures in urban areas. The research aims to fill knowledge gaps around the larger context of climate change health risks intersecting with sociodemographic status, among others.