piloting climate change adaptation to protect human health a joint who/undp project funded by the...

Piloting Climate Change

Adaptation to Protect Human

Health A joint WHO/UNDP project

funded by the Global Environmental Facility (GEF)

Climate Adaptation to Protect Human Health | March 20102 |

Project OverviewProject Overview

Goal: "Increase adaptive capacity of national health system institutions, including field practioners, to

respond to climate sensitive health risks"

This project works directly with seven developing countries to design and implement practical measures

to protect health under a rapidly changing climate.

China – Uzbekistan- Fiji- Barbados - Kenya- Jordan-Bhutan


Project Rationale

Strong evidence of past and future climate change

Established links between climate change and health

Major health vulnerabilities to climate change in developing countries

Need for adaptation measures to protect human health under climate variability and climate change


Evidence of Past Climate Change

Source: NASA, GISS, 2009


Estimates of Future Climate Change

Source: Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)


Health effects

•Temperature-related illness and death•Extreme weather- related health effects•Air pollution-related health effects•Water and food-borne diseases•Vector-borne and rodent- borne diseases•Effects of food and water shortages•Effects of population displacement

•Contamination•pathways•Transmission•dynamics•Agroecosystems•hydrology•Socioeconomics,•demographics

CLIMATECHANGE

•Human exposures

•Regional weather•changes•Heat waves•Extreme weather•Temperature•Precipitation

Based on Patz et al, 2000

•Modifying•factors

Climate Change and Health Linkages

Some expected impacts will be beneficial but most will be adverse. Expectations are mainly for changes in frequency or severity of familiar health risks


Health Burden due to Climate Change in Developing CountriesHealth Burden due to Climate

Change in Developing Countries


Adaptation Project Pilot CountriesAdaptation Project Pilot Countries

Seven countries in different ecosystem zones, representing different health risks from climate

change

Small island developing states: Fiji and Barbados Countries with highland areas: Bhutan and Kenya Water-stressed Countries: Jordan and Uzbekistan Countries with multiple vulnerabilities: China


Vulnerabilities in Highland AreasVulnerabilities in Highland Areas

Main health risks in highland regions

Physical health hazards from changing patterns of precipitation, snowmelt, and glacier-lake overflows

Increase in vector-borne diseases (e.g. malaria and dengue) due to the effects of temperature on the disease transmission cycle.


Vulnerabilities in Water-stressed AreasVulnerabilities in Water-stressed Areas

Changing precipitation patterns are likely to affect the quality and

quantity of water supply, and bring new risks through changing

agricultural practices.

This may exacerbate two of the largest causes of global ill health:

Poor water and sanitation Malnutrition


Vulnerabilities in Small-Island Developing States

Vulnerabilities in Small-Island Developing States

High priority risks in low-lying countries include:

Physical hazards (i.e. hurricanes, flooding)

Infectious Diseases (water and vector borne: malaria, dengue, diarrhoeal diseases, typhoid)

Salination of freshwater (decrease in water for drinking and hygiene)

Food Security (drought & land salination)


Project Timeline and BudgetProject Timeline and Budget

Design phase of one year

Implementation phase (Jan 2010 – Jan 2014)

GEF funding US$ 4.5 million

In cash and in-kind co-financing US$ 16.6 million

Total Project US$ 21, 159, 000

IMPLEMENTATION PHASE OF FULL PROJECT4 years

DESIGN PHASE1 year


Project Design Phase Activities (I) Project Design Phase Activities (I)

Identify main health vulnerabilities to climate variability and change for each country, e.g. Diseases associated with water scarcity Storms and floods Changing patterns of vector-borne pathogens, Malnutrition

Examine current health policies to address these threats

Identify strategies, policies, and measures that would address the incremental health risks posed by climate change


Project Design Phase Activities (II) Project Design Phase Activities (II)

Identify barriers to implementation of the various strategies, policies, and measures

Assess incremental costs of necessary activities relative to the current baseline

Design a proposal to implement one or more actions for each country

Share information across countries and develop final project proposal


Full Project ActivitiesFull Project Activities

Select long-term cost-effective and sustainable adaptation: Strategies (e.g. cross-sectoral fora for natural disaster

prevention) Policies (e.g. for safe use of wastewater in agriculture) Measures (e.g. preparation and prevention of disease

outbreaks through health education, and early warning)

Implement these adaptations strategies, policies, and measures in the field

Synthesize and share the lessons learnt.


Project Objectives & Outcomes Project Objectives & Outcomes

Objective: Increase adaptive capacity to respond to climate

sensitive health risks in seven countries.

Four Specific Outcomes related to: 1. Early Warning and Early Response Systems 2. Capacity Building based on EWS information3. Disease prevention measures implemented4. Cross country cooperation on innovative adaptation

centric health strategies, policies, and measures


Expected National Project BenefitsExpected National Project Benefits

Measurable increases in "adaptive capacity" to

climate sensitive health risks

Reduction in the burden of climate sensitive diseases;

Reduction of the effect of climate change on human health;

Better Integration of planning and implementation across sectors


Expected Global BenefitsExpected Global Benefits

Improved knowledge of the links between climate, health, and adaptation options in the most vulnerable contexts.

Identification of adaptation strategies that other countries can use to protect human health from the impact of climate change.


Project Organization StructureProject Organization Structure

Project Manager(WHO/Geneva)

Project Manager(WHO/Geneva)

Project BoardProject Board

Senior Beneficiary: Pilot country Government

Representatives

Senior Beneficiary: Pilot country Government

Representatives

Project AssuranceSenior Technical

Advisor(UNDP/EEG)

Senior Technical Advisor

(WHO/PHE)

Project AssuranceSenior Technical

Advisor(UNDP/EEG)

Senior Technical Advisor

(WHO/PHE)

Project Support(Admin Assistant)

Project Support(Admin Assistant)

Barbados

Steering group

Barbados

Steering group

ChinaSteerin

g group

ChinaSteerin

g group

Uzbekistan

Steering group

Uzbekistan

Steering group

FijiSteeri

ng group

FijiSteeri

ng group

JordanSteering

group

JordanSteering

group

BhutanSteering group

BhutanSteering group

KenyaSteering group

KenyaSteering group

Global Knowledge Management Component (WHO)Global Knowledge Management Component (WHO)

Executive:UNDP

Executive:UNDP

Senior Supplier:WHO

Senior Supplier:WHO


National Level Project PartnersNational Level Project Partners

National Government Ministries (e.g. Health, Environment, Agriculture) Agencies (e.g. Meteorology Agency)

NGOs in health and environment fields Researchers Health Practitioners Representatives of most vulnerable community

groups


Global Project PartnersGlobal Project Partners

Global Environmental Facility (GEF) Project Funder

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) GEF agency, provides broad expertise in

adapting to climate change

World Health Organization (WHO) Executing agency for the project design

phase, Technical support for design, selection and

implementation of health protection measures.


Future Future

Climate change adaptation is a new field.

The long term aims of the project are to:

Extend lessons from this pilot project to countries facing similar stresses, but with few resources,

Support broad aims of preventive approaches to protect health and,

Widen partnerships for health protection from climate risks


http://www.who.int/globalchangehttp://www.undp.org/climatechange

http://www.adaptationlearning.net/project/piloting-climate-change-adaptation-protect-human-health

For more information on Climate and Health Actions


Country Indicative Activities Planned

Barbados Analysis of relationship between meteorological variables and incidence of water-related diseases and dengue to develop early warning system, with flexibility to update as climate change and other trends alter relationships. Establishment of communication mechanisms for advance warning and definition of operational procedures for health sector response to contaminated water, and to dengue outbreaks.

Bhutan Mechanism to provide GLOF early warnings to emergency health services, operating procedures for health sector response.Establishment of prediction system for climate sensitive infectious diseases, covering seasonal variation, and increase and spread in transmission with climate change.

China Development of over-arching coordination mechanism to link meteorological and health monitoring data. Development of algorithms for correlation of met. and health data, providing advance warning of health risks from heatwaves, with flexibility to update as climate change and other trends alter relationships.

Fiji Development and implementation of Health Information System covering hydro-meteorological disasters (HMDs) and climate-sensitive diseases, integrated between meteorological and health agencies. Development of operational procedures to manage psychosocial impacts of HMDs.

Jordan Development of integrated system for monitoring water and food contamination, linked to disease monitoring. Development of operational procedures for rapid response when elevated health risks from wastewater are detected.

Kenya Development of simple algorithms for correlation of meteorological and malaria data, suitable for use by district level health officers. Integration within existing operational guidelines to form decision support system for response to malaria epidemics, and expansion to areas newly at risk due to climate change. Development of protocol for updating prediction algorithms as climate and other drivers change.

Uzbekistan Development and implementation of protocols to link and correlate health and meteorological data. Development of protocols for operational response by the health sector, and for dissemination of public health warnings, in response to elevated health risks. Development of protocol for updating prediction algorithms as climate and other drivers change.

OUTCOME 1Early warning and response system with timely information on likely incidence of climate-sensitive health risks established



Barbados Adaptation of global guidelines to define national standards and enforcement practice for safe use of wastewater, and response to warnings of elevated health risks.

Revision of guidance to ensure that household water storage practices in response to climate change, and vector control actions do not conflict. Training and support of health sector personnel for temporal and spatial targeting of vector control interventions in response to early warnings.

Bhutan Definition of health working group within existing inter-sectoral coordination mechanism for adaptation to climate change.

Training and support for district level health managers, and review of intervention plans, to incorporate temporal and spatial targeting of health interventions for climate-sensitive diseases.

China Development and support of coordination mechanism, and development of operational procedures for meteorological and health sectors during heat-waves. Development and support of training for emergency medical treatment during heat-waves.

Fiji Development and support for coordination mechanism for climate change and health action. Development of health action plans, incorporation in HMD response plans in Health Ministry and National Disaster Management Office. Revision of Environmental Health Impact Assessment process to support disaster risk reduction.

Jordan Development of a coordinated legislative framework to minimize health risks from increased wastewater re-use, with defined institutional responsibilities, coordinated by inter-sectoral board. Revision and updating of framework and monitoring standards based on project and international experience.

Kenya Training and support for district health officers in the use of decision support system, including meteorological data, to increase malaria control effectiveness and address elevated transmission and spread driven by climate change.

Uzbekistan Health sector training on the linkages between climate variability and change and climate sensitive diseases, and increasing control effectiveness through spatial and temporal targeting of interventions. Development of public health information campaign for diseases predicted to increase through climate change.

OUTCOME 2Capacity of health sector institutions to respond to climate-sensitive health risks based on early warning information improved


OUTCOME 3 Disease prevention measures piloted in areas of heightened health risk due to climate change

OUTCOME 3 Disease prevention measures piloted in areas of heightened health risk due to climate change


Barbados Implementation of community based public health education campaigns on safe-use of wastewater and on dengue vector control, targeted on periods of high climatic risk. Monitoring and evaluation of effectiveness in reducing risks of water-related diseases, including severity of dengue outbreaks.

Bhutan Implementation of interventions for epidemic control in response to GLOFs and other climate-related natural disasters.

Scale up and targeting of community level interventions for control of water and vector-borne disease, for times of peak incidence, monitoring of effectiveness in reducing summer disease peaks.

China Implementation of heat-health warning systems in 3 pilot cities, monitoring of effectiveness in decreasing heat-related mortality.

Fiji Implementation of Early Warning and Response system developed above, with monitoring of effectiveness in minimizing immediate and secondary (e.g. disease outbreak) health impacts of HMDs.

Jordan Adaptation of the WHO guidelines on safe waste-water practices for the national context, implementation of the health protection measures in 3 pilot sites, with monitoring and evaluation of impact on water-related diseases.

Kenya Increased coverage of community level malaria control interventions within 3 pilot districts at increased risk of malaria epidemics, within high risk periods identified by warning system above. Monitoring and evaluation of increased coverage and targeting of interventions, and reduction in malaria mortality and morbidity during epidemics.

Uzbekistan Implementation of interventions of known effectiveness (heat advisories, health education campaigns), timed for periods of increased climatic risks, within 3 provinces. Monitoring and evaluation of intervention coverage, and effectiveness in reducing summer peaks of one indicator disease (diarrhoea).



All countries Development and operation of project web site; Exchange of best practices and lessons learned making use of the ALM Lessons Learned template, the UNDP Treamworks mechanism and the WHO website; revision of guidance documents for GEF and WHO on climate change adaptation programming in the health sector

OUTCOME 4 Cooperation among participating countries promotes innovation in adaptation to climate change including variability

piloting climate change adaptation to protect human health a joint who/undp project funded by the...

Documents

human health

climate adaptation

climate change slide

climate sensitive health

changing climate

health linkages

health burden

climate variability