| Popis: |
As wildfire risk is projected to increase across most of the world, exposure to wildfire smoke is a growing global health issue. Clean air centers (CACs), public buildings designated to provide improved air quality to the public during a wildfire smoke event, have emerged as a community-oriented public health response to smoke. Some experts see CACs as the most effective way to reduce population exposure to wildfire smoke. Yet how and why smoke-vulnerable groups utilize CACs, as well as how CACs may be improved to meet their needs, is not well understood. Here, I explore these questions through exploratory interviews with two groups of stakeholders in California CAC development: practitioners and members of a community vulnerable to wildfire smoke. My findings suggest that a gap remains between California’s CACs and the needs of vulnerable groups. By comparing community and practitioner perspectives, I identify opportunities to close this gap. |
