Health / Locally-Led Climate and Health Adaptation

Locally-Led Climate and Health Adaptation

Current Initiative

Overview

While climate change is a global issue, the health impacts are inherently local. To prepare for extreme weather including deadly heat waves and torrential rain, we must connect local, national, and international efforts to anticipate and respond effectively, and share effective approaches to help others prepare for similar events.

Why It Matters

As extreme weather events become increasingly frequent, health systems at local, national, and international levels must learn to anticipate, prepare, and respond to improve health outcomes.  
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    people — over half the world’s population — are at high risk of experiencing an extreme weather event such as a heatwave, flood, or cyclone

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    of countries reported having early warning systems for heat-related illness, yet 100,000 lives could be saved per year by advancing these systems

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    people in cities alone will be regularly exposed to extreme heat events, highlighting the health risks of heat in urban settings

Featured Content

Browse reports, publications, and announcements supported by The Rockefeller Foundation and partner organizations.

  • Urban Climate-Health Action: A New Approach to Protecting Health in the Era of Climate Change
    Launched at New York Climate Week 2024, this policy report outlines a three-step roadmap to help cities around the world more effectively plan for, and respond to, the global health emergency caused by climate change. These insights are informed by seven pioneering case studies of climate-informed health action at local, national, and global levels.
  • Urban Pulse: Identifying Resilience Solutions at the Intersection of Climate, Health, and Equity
    Conducted by Yale University and the Resilient Cities Network, with support from The Rockefeller Foundation, this survey provides critical insights. Of nearly 200 city leaders in 118 cities in 52 countries, 70% of city leaders recognize climate-related health threats, and over 90% report economic losses from such events. Despite this, few cities have emergency response plans that use reliable climate data, and only 20% have strong inter-departmental coordination.
  • Academic Alliance for Anticipatory Action
    Despite the growing ability to forecast disasters, the humanitarian sector still struggles to act before crises hit. The Academic Alliance for Anticipatory Action is a global consortium of universities working with humanitarian partners to fill critical evidence gaps on what early actions actually work, where, and why.

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