Systems Approach for Climate Change Impacts on Urban Health: Conceptual Framework, Modelling and Practice

Abstract

Climate change has direct and indirect impacts on urban human health and well-being at multiple scales and levels. WHO and other international and national organisations have exerted great effort in understanding and adapting to the add-on or new challenges from climate change. A systems approach is an ideal tool for managing the analysis of such complicated systemic challenges. Systems approaches are accepted in health sector projects and research work in past decades from conceptual frameworks to practical applications. The socio-ecological system (SES) framework is an appropriate approach for such a complex system. Applying SES frameworks starts with the scoping and conceptualisation of risk identification; then forms system dynamics models, or hybrid models, and ends with scenario analysis. This approach can provide different types of support for organisational thinking and decision-making. A system approach software platform UrbanCLIM/RIDS—an integrated decision support system—is briefly described in this chapter. The tool includes mapping, modelling, data and knowledge management functionalities for addressing the integrated challenges of climate change, urban health and well-being. There are many opportunities to push forward in applications of system sciences to analyse climate change and health SES issues. Given the nature of a complex system, there is no simple pathway to get people to understand, and communicate between different sub-systems. However, barriers could be breached with systems approaches, data technologies and economic innovations.