Heat waves and other extreme weather events such as storms, floods, and droughts, pose serious threats to public health. Declines in air quality, longer allergy seasons, and altered patterns in waterborne, foodborne, and vector-borne diseases are just a few ways that climate change is harming communities. Should these trends continue, climate change is projected to cause about 250,000 more deaths per year globally.
With the effects of climate change threatening the health and safety of communities worldwide, public health practitioners and advocates need to lean into collaborative efforts involving partners across sectors. Several national and local initiatives demonstrate how climate resilience is strengthened when public health has the buy-in of diverse stakeholders who are united against the climate crisis.
Cross-sector collaboration to protect workers
Climate change disproportionately affects vulnerable and disadvantaged populations, worsening existing health disparities caused by limited access to quality health care, substandard living conditions, environmental racism, and other forms of systemic injustice. As temperatures rise, people who work outside or who lack air conditioning are hit hardest. An analysis from KFF found that people of color, noncitizen immigrants, and workers with lower education and income levels were more likely to work in jobs with climate-related health risks.
Collaboration with the private sector is crucial for implementing sustainable solutions. One example is the National Commission on Climate and Workforce Health, an initiative of the Health Action Alliance. The Commission, which includes leaders across business, science, medicine and health policy, raises awareness of employee health threats and develops recommendations for employers to protect workers.
“In our efforts to protect the future health of our planet, we can’t overlook the significant health vulnerabilities facing our workforce today,” said Commission member David Michaels, former assistant secretary of labor for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, in a news release. “Building resilience will take more than policy change. It will require the active leadership of the private sector.”
Practical resources are also being developed to help individuals and communities stay safe during extreme heat. This summer, the Health Action Alliance partnered with the Public Health Communications Collaborative to create fact sheets, graphics, and social media posts that public health communicators can use to help their communities stay safe in extreme heat.
Community-driven climate resilience
Community-driven approaches provide opportunities to strengthen resilience by supporting local populations in shaping their environments, leading to more sustainable and equitable health outcomes. These efforts are even more effective when backed by a range of local partners.
In Portland and Multnomah County Oregon, members of the Community Data for Health and Environmental Justice project are promoting community resilience against climate-related events by developing a local data ecosystem to identify community needs and barriers in accessing climate crisis resources. The project is made possible through the Modernized Anti-Racist Data Ecosystems (MADE) for Health Justice initiative and involves partners across local government entities and a community-based organization.
“We have known for a long time that climate change and pollution are not affecting all of us equally,” said Marcus C. Mundy, executive director of the Coalition of Communities of Color, in a news release. “A strong data ecosystem built by and for our communities will help us cultivate justice in a changing climate.”
Food systems are another facet of environmental sustainability with major implications for climate change. The Race, Food, and Justice Initiative through the BUILD Health Challenge is centered around the belief that communities should have the power to shape their food environments. By supporting existing Black-owned food enterprises and promoting sustainable food practices, the initiative empowers residents of Cleveland, Ohio to build equitable and economically viable food systems. Community-based organizations, a local hospital system, and the public health department are all working together toward this goal.
A unified approach to climate and health
Individuals and organizations from all sectors, industries, and backgrounds have a role in curbing the impacts of climate change. Public health practitioners can advocate for integration of climate risk considerations into policy and planning interventions. Leaders outside of public health can combine their resources and expertise to bolster investments in clean water, cooling centers, health care access, and other means of climate resilience and adaptation.
By enhancing collaborative efforts and advocating for policies that account for climate impacts on health, we can protect the health and well-being of current and future generations.
