Abstract
Climate Change is adversely affecting health by increasing human vulnerability and exposure to climate-related stresses. Climate change impacts human health both directly and indirectly, through extreme weather events, changing distribution of health risks, increased risks of undernutrition, population displacement, and greater risks of injuries, disease, and death (Ebi, K., Campbell-Lendrum, D., & Wyns, A. The 1. 5 health report. WHO. 2018). This risk amplification is likely to increase the need for humanitarian support. Recent projections indicate that under a business as usual scenario of sustained greenhouse gas emissions, climate change could double the demand for humanitarian assistance by 2050 (World Health Organization. Operational Framework for building climate-resilient health systems. WHO. 2015). Humanitarian assistance is currently not meeting the existing needs, therefore, any additional burden is likely to be highly challenging.Global health advocates, researchers, and policymakers are calling for urgent action on climate change, yet there is little clarity on what that action practically entails for humanitarian organizations. While some humanitarian organizations may consider themselves well designed to respond, climate change as a transversal threat requires the incorporation of a resilience approach to humanitarian action and policy responses.By bringing together authors from two historically disparate fields - climate change and health, and humanitarian assistance – this paper aims to increase the capacity of humanitarian organizations to protect health in an unstable climate by presenting an adapted framework. We adapted the WHO operational framework for climate-resilient health systems for humanitarian organizations and present concrete case studies to demonstrate how the framework can be implemented. Rather than suggest a re-design of humanitarian operations we recommend the application of a climate-lens to humanitarian activities, or what is also referred to as mainstreaming climate and health concerns into policies and programs. The framework serves as a starting point to encourage further dialogue, and to strengthen collaboration within, between, and beyond humanitarian organizations.
Highlights
Climate change is likely to increase humanitarian caseloads
There is a recognition that climate change has transitioned from an environmental issue to one with consequences for human health, human rights, equity, and social justice - which goes to the core of humanitarian principles; humanity, neutrality, independence, and impartiality
Under pessimistic scenarios with slow and unequal growth, the demand for external humanitarian assistance could double by 2050 there is still time to mitigate the worst effects of climate change on vulnerable populations [5] and leverage the social, economic, and health co-benefits of mitigation
Summary
Climate change is likely to increase humanitarian caseloads. The diverse group of actors providing humanitarian assistance locally, nationally and transnationally is increasingly aware of the impacts of accelerating climate change on vulnerable communities and paying more attention to climate change in their responses [1]. How: The center aims to: Raise awareness on climate change; Provide humanitarian assistance; Improve response and preparedness; Decrease vulnerability of communities; Integrate climate risk management into policy and planning and; Mobilize human and financial resources. A climate-resilient humanitarian health workforce would be able to practically link climate change and health, be aware of changing disease profiles in response to climate change and effectively communicate with the public and decision-makers to advocate for climate action [14, 15] They would understand that the health sector contributes significantly to emissions and environmental degradation, and implement mitigation measures that have co-benefits for health [16]. To become climateinformed and weather aware, humanitarian organizations might review their disease surveillance indicators and the early warning systems they utilize, investigate the extent to which their information system integrates weather and climate data, and connect with organizations that might strengthen the validity and reliability of monitoring tools This would allow more accurate targeting of interventions including communication with communities. A forecast trigger gives notice before the danger level is reached
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