PROJECT DESCRIPTION
BACKGROUND
The European health sector faces many challenges in terms of climate change. The lack in climate change adaptation (CCA) measures as opposed to the many mitigation initiatives over the past years is one of the main issues. Only as a result of climate change, expected annual damages to European Critical infrastructures (CIs) will more than triple by the end of the century, currently being at €9.3 billion. CIs such as hospitals and schools are particularly vulnerable to floods and high storm winds, and will become more vulnerable to droughts. Among European social critical infrastructures, climate change impacts health facilities and the healthcare sector through several pathways. In 2017, WHO – Europe concluded that, among others, extreme weather events, changing infectious diseases, food safety and water insecurity were the biggest threats to public health caused by climate change. The surveillance of vector-borne diseases risks is being addressed by EU countries, together with early warning systems and vulnerable populations.
OBJECTIVES
The LIFE RESYSTAL project’s main objective is to increase climate adaptation capacities and resilience of the European Health Infrastructure (EHI) and related critical infrastructures.
This will be achieved through four specific objectives, namely:
- Establishment of the basis of a European Network for the climate adaptation of the European health sector;
- Provision of science-support for implementing climate change adaptation measures applicable to any EHI;
- Demonstration of EHI adaptation under diverse climate conditions;
- Facilitation of EHI resilience to promote its widespread use.
RESULTS
Expected results:
- Deep assessment of climate risks and vulnerability of health facilities and operations;
- Improvement of climate change adaptation and resilience of health facilities;
- Stakeholders’ engagement and capacity building;
- Improvement of adaptation and resilience of health facilities and operations;
- Paved way for the upscale of adaptation initiatives in health systems;
- Co-benefits arising from climate change adaptation in the health sector.
