Paving the complex path to building climate resilient cities through disaster health diplomacy and international public health policy

Abstract

Disaster resilience defines society’s capabilities to resist/adapt/recover from hazardous events. Priorities for action were outlined at the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction to reduce disaster risks by understanding the process, strengthening governance, investing in resilience, improving preparedness/effective response capacities/rehabilitation processes/reconstruction procedures. Disaster diplomacy is a fast growing interdisciplinary field. Natural disasters potentially generate opportunities for diplomatic interaction between rival parties/conflicting states. Climate crisis is growing. By large, Summer 2023 was globally the warmest on record. The 2015 Paris Agreement was a landmark; UNOHCHR proposes a universal decleration of disaster rights. Climate change has widespread impacts on human health. “The greatest health threat of the 21stcentury” affects socio environmental determinants of health, clean air/water/food/shelter. Ninety percent of all disasters are climate/weather related, resulting in >410,000deaths in the last decade, expected to cause 250,000 additional deaths/year from malnutrition/malaria,/diarrhoea/heat stress in 2030 2050. IFRC focuses on strengthening ownership/community leadership/outreach/funding/forecasting/anticipatory action. Climate related flashpoints are the early warnings of impending crises. Turkey Greece have a lot in common from a climate change/disaster resilience viewpoint. Successive earthquakes generated rescue responses/mutual aid/outpouring of sympathy between the two countries within the last decade. Extreme weather events, high temperatures, severe rainfalls continue to batter both countries. Global warming brought intense flooding/wildfires to Southeast Europe/Southwest Asia. Climate change is expected to become the strongest driver of human migration through complex mechanisms in the Mediterranean Basin. The sustainability of Greece’s migration policies may be challenged against the global climate crisis. Environmental change has potential impacts on human health. Health diplomacy in international relations focuses on protecting health/well being. In the past, health interventions as foreign policy were regarded not to be associated with diplomatic disaster efforts. This oral presentation challenges earlier opinions and proposes a “climate change health diplomacy model” for improving capacities in disaster resilience. Around the world, health care professionals speak a unique/universal language of their own. Countries with “otherwise conflicting interests,” stand in solidarity during natural disasters. Through further elaborating on the principles of sustainable collaboration on disaster risks/health diplomacy/climate change, a “first time disaster health diplomacy model” may be developed to serve the world. An outline is hereby presented, 1 to define paths of communication versus the current ad hoc disaster diplomacy efforts, 2 to incorporate risks into the disaster diplomacy plan, 3 to incorporate a well planned disaster health diplomacy agreement. As the Turkish saying goes, “HEALTH COMES FIRST”.