Summary of the underlying dataset to assist in tracking resilience of rural agricultural communities.

A list of indicators that can be used to track resilience of agricultural communities is presented in this brief. The provided data set covers a unique overview of policy-relevant indicators based on data on climate change impacts, vulnerability, adaptation, agriculture and rural development. This data is grouped into six critical sectors that are crucial for policy-makers to track resilience. The data is transferable and can be adjusted to different communities as the listed definitions can be modified to account for the specific local conditions. The indicators were used to identify a set of resilience indicators for rural agricultural communities in Ontario Canada (for details see "An Indicator Set to Track Resilience to Climate Change in Agriculture: A policy-maker׳s perspective" [1]).

Climate Change, Drought and Human Health in Canada.

Droughts have been recorded all across Canada and have had significant impacts on individuals and communities. With climate change, projections suggest an increasing risk of drought in Canada, particularly in the south and interior. However, there has been little research on the impacts of drought on human health and the implications of a changing climate. A review of the Canadian, U.S. and international literature relevant to the Canadian context was conducted to better define these impacts and adaptations available to protect health. Drought can impact respiratory health, mental health, illnesses related to exposure to toxins, food/water security, rates of injury and infectious diseases (including food-, water- and vector-borne diseases). A range of direct and indirect adaptation (e.g., agricultural adaptation) options exist to cope with drought. Many have already been employed by public health officials, such as communicable disease monitoring and surveillance and public education and outreach. However, gaps exist in our understanding of the impacts of short-term vs. prolonged drought on the health of Canadians, projections of drought and its characteristics at the regional level and the effectiveness of current adaptations. Further research will be critical to inform adaptation planning to reduce future drought-related risks to health.