Cities are largely unprepared for the effects of climate change

Half of the world’s population currently lives in cities, and this proportion is expected to increase to 70% by 2050. Due to large populations, a lack of green spaces that can mitigate warming, and aging infrastructure vulnerable to floods and extreme weather, many of the world’s cities are unprepared for climate change.

Proactive measures are needed to make cities more resilient to climate change and capable of protecting community health, according to a new report by the Yale School of Public Health (YSPH), the Resilient Cities Network, and The Rockefeller Foundation.

Preparing for climate-related health threats

The report is based on a survey of nearly 200 leaders in 118 cities across 52 countries regarding their preparedness for responding to climate-related health threats.

Less than half of the cities reported having a climate resilience plan, and only one in four indicated that their plan addressed both climate and health.

The research was funded by The Rockefeller Foundation, which also announced that it will invest more than $1 million to help cities implement the report’s recommendations. The announcement was made during Climate Week NYC.

Health-centered response to climate change

The Urban Pulse report highlights the need for city leaders to recognize the impact of climate change on residents’ health, including mental health.

Professor Jeannette Ickovics, lead author of the report, noted that resources, infrastructure, and collaboration are needed to ensure that these profound health threats are limited. She said that a health-centered response to climate change by cities is crucial for global health.

“We call on the global community to put health at the heart of the urban climate change agenda, to amplify and scale-up evidence-based solutions, and to invest in new financing models that prioritize rapid disbursement to cities so that they can build and sustain resilience,” said Professor Ickovics.

Ickovics and her team of faculty and students at the Yale Center for Climate Change and Health, the Yale Institute for Global Health, and Yale Planetary Solutions are working with the Resilient Cities Network to address climate, health, and equity challenges in low- and middle-income countries, as city populations rise across the world.

Climate impacts on cities

According to the researchers, cities like Rio de Janeiro in Brazil and Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam likely will experience dengue fever outbreaks due to larger mosquito populations.

Coastal cities like Miami and Dubai will likely face more frequent and severe flooding from rising sea levels.

“Cities are acutely aware that climate change poses serious health risks, which disproportionately affect populations that face vulnerabilities,” said Lauren Sorkin, executive director of the Resilient Cities Network.

“The R-Cities network of chief resilience officers is at the forefront of addressing these challenges, driving cross-sector collaboration to pilot and scale equitable, innovative solutions.”

Recommendations for climate resilience in cities

Based on their survey data and interviews with city leaders in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, Professor Ickovics and the Resilient Cities Network assembled ten recommendations to guide local government leaders in making their communities more climate resilient. These include:

• Identifying unique climate shocks and stressors that pose the largest threats to vulnerable populations
• Implementing data-driven, community-focused adaptation programs like greening initiatives and population-based mental health support to address health, climate, and equity
• Investing in green energy and other energy-efficient systems that contribute to a zero-carbon economy
• Establishing and reinforcing early-warning mechanisms for climate-related catastrophic events like hurricanes, heat waves, and floods
• Fostering city-to-city collaborations to share best practices in the fight against climate threats

The Rockefeller Foundation’s investment will empower the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group – a global coalition of nearly 100 mayors – to address climate change and support the Resilient Cities Network in implementing the report’s recommendations through city-led action plans.

Examples include Rio de Janeiro’s recent push to forecast dengue outbreaks and a community-engagement initiative for cholera vaccine uptake in Lusaka, Zambia.

City-led action can save lives

“As these cases make clear, city-led action can save lives,” stated The Rockefeller Foundation.

If the plan championed by this report were implemented for just one heat wave in Dhaka, Bangladesh, preliminary estimates found a $1 to $7 return on investment in terms of lives saved among the most vulnerable – illustrating the tremendous economic value at stake, the foundation reported.

The investment announcement at Climate Week NYC followed a panel discussion about climate and health resilience in cities, led by The Rockefeller Foundation, the Resilient Cities Network, and Yale.

“We must leverage this research to unite in a vision of urban resilience – harnessing our collective wisdom and strength to build a healthier, more equitable, and sustainable urban environment for all,” Professor Ickovics concluded.

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