The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit has declared a Climate Change Emergency.
The declaration comes one day after Essex County Council joined the City of Windsor in declaring a similar emergency.
Health Unit Board Chair, Gary McNamara says a changing climate means the health unit is seeing more temperature related illness, days with poor air quality, and vector-borne illness to name a few issues.
He says the resolution will assure mitigation strategies are incorporated into all current and future programs implemented by the health unit.
"We're living it right now in our own county with the high lake levels, green algae that's growing in Lake Erie, we're losing our shorelines, the floods of 2016 and 2017," he says.
McNamara says new species of ticks and mosquitoes have brought diseases like West Nile to Windsor-Essex.
"These are traditionally tropical and here they are coming into our region, we have to adapt and the climate change resolution that's been supported by the board here today is very timely," he says.
McNamara says the move is designed to create a framework with municipalities to protect citizens.
"It's our responsibility as municipal leaders to make sure that we have that collaboration with all agencies that are here to support our citizens," he added.
Windsor and the County of Essex joined nearly 500 other cities including Edmonton, Vancouver and Halifax.
The pledge doesn't bind any municipality to regulations, but affirms a commitment to keep climate change in mind when making future decisions.