The World Health Organization estimates that extreme heat kills almost half a million people each year, more than war, terrorism and malnutrition combined. This number is likely to rise as the climate becomes hotter and less predictable. Historic rainfall and rising temperatures are driving malaria, cholera and dengue outbreaks, and expanding these diseases into new regions. A pressing concern for city-dwellers, where higher population densities allow pathogens to spread more easily.
Despite nearly 70% of city leaders recognizing climate-related health threats, and more than 90% reporting economic losses from such events, less than a third of cities have a resilience plan that integrates climate and health. The Urban Pulse Initiative surveyed 191 city and civil society leaders across 118 cities, showing cities are particularly vulnerable and woefully underprepared for what is coming.
The Rockefeller Foundation is committing $1 million to the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group to support the implementation of a climate and health strategy. Naveen Rao, senior vice president of the Rockefeller Foundation's Health Initiative, highlights that while cities face major health threats due to climate change, they are also underprepared.
[
Collection
]
[
|
...
]