Identifying practical adaptations to health risks from extreme weather events for multi-actors

Abstract

To address escalating health risk posed by extreme weather due to climate change, it’s particularly important to identify tailored adaptation measures for various actors, enabling them to respond quickly and effectively. However, there remains a lack of clarity on the specific and comprehensive actions each actor should take. This study first establishes an adaptation action framework to delineate a pathway for implementing adaptation measures, encompassing integrated monitoring, risk assessment, risk warning, policy response, effectiveness evaluation, and capacity building. Within this framework, the study identifies practical adaptation action lists tailored to various actors---governments, healthcare facilities, communities, and individuals. These actions include establishing multisectoral coordination mechanisms, conducting health risk assessments, promoting telemedicine, utilizing wearable health devices, and more. Furthermore, this study reviews the progress of adaptations to health risks associated with climate change, revealing that national and regional adaptation plans are increasingly being implemented, early warning systems are becoming more precise and informative, and adaptation knowledge-sharing initiatives are continuously evolving and innovating. However, three significant challenges persist in areas such as intersectoral collaboration, awareness gaps, and insufficient financing. Overall, this study provides a clear path for actors to develop and implementing comprehensive strategies to mitigate the health risks posed by climate change.