PD 14 - Climate Change and Health

There are many pathways, direct and indirect, mediating the effects of climate change on human health. There is significant variation within and between regions and amongst different population groups. While there is also increasing political awareness of the issues and a rapidly accumulating evidence base, there has been less focus on solutions: how to develop resilience, adaptation in health systems and health co-benefits of climate change mitigation.

The IAP project (https://www.interacademies.net/project/climate-change-and-health), aiming to inform policy-makers and other stakeholders, is progressing in parallel with the regional academy networks in Africa (NASAC), Asia (AASSA) and the Americas (IANAS), building on previous work done in Europe (EASAC). The regional outputs will all be published by early 2021, to be followed by a global synthesis report to explore regional similarities and differences, inter-regional issues and global priorities.

The session invites regional perspectives (virtual) from academy network experts on emerging issues and on key points that require further exploration. Discussion with the audience worldwide will be encouraged to help ensure that a wide range of inputs is captured by the project, also providing national, regional and global perspectives in preparation for COP 26.