Public Health as an Integrated Climate Change Index

A healthy turn in urban climate change policies; European city workshop proposes health indicators as policy integrators(15 page pdf, Hans Keune, David Ludlow, Peter van den Hazel, Scott Randall and Alena Bartonova^, Environmental Health, Jun. 28.2012)

 Today we examine the results of a backcasting workshop in Europe that, after establishing targets for cities in 2030, assessed how to get there, based on the growing importance of public health as an integrator of impacts from climate change, urbanization and a graying society. It is noted that some health impacts are not presently associated with climate change in the public mind although there are and this will become more evident as climate change continues and impacts become more severe – an example being the spread of infectious or vector borne diseases such as West Nile Virus.


 

Key Quotes:

“the health perspective may function as a policy integrator in that it can combine several related policy objectives, such as environmental policies, health policies, urban planning and economic development policies, in one framework for action”

 “About a third or more of people in the United States and Canada saw themselves ..their family.., and people in their community as being vulnerable to at least moderately harm by climate change “Human population health should be the central criterion, and is the best long-term indicator, of how we are managing the natural environment.”

 “Common 2030 targets:

• Urban planning systems..will have fully incorporated the necessary principles underpinning policy design and implementation to ensure that urban and regional management delivers a form of urbanisation that is fully responsive to the needs of climate change mitigation and adaptation….
• Public Health Services system in cities is fully prepared to deal with newly emerging infectious diseases and increased numbers of existing diseases caused by climate change..
• cities will be able to guarantee healthy air quality in cities...
• cities will be able to guarantee healthy drinking water supply in cities..
• cities will be able to guarantee public health at a standard independent of climate change related health problems.
• public health …will be the main indicator for assessing the success or failure of city policies in relation to climate change. By guaranteeing public health not to be victim to climate change, public health will be the main guiding principle for all major policy actions at city level."

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