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Why Study Climate Change In Cities?

A growing proportion of the global population lives in urban areas. Cities, particularly in low- and middle- income countries, can be especially vulnerable to climate hazards due to their geographic, demographic, and built environment characteristics. In addition, high levels of inequality within cities put some urban communities at greater risk.

As urban populations continue to increase worldwide, unsustainable patterns of consumption and greenhouse gas emissions will exacerbate ongoing climate change. Globally, cities already account for over 70% of CO2 emissions.

Urban areas present opportunities to both mitigate and adapt to climate change. To take advantage of these opportunities, cities need robust, context-specific, and actionable evidence that connects climate change to health and to urban features that can be modified via urban policy and planning decisions.

Climate Change Has Broad and Complex Impacts on Health in Cities

Climate change can directly affect health through increases in environmental hazards, such as extreme heat, floods, storms, and wildfires. It can also indirectly affect health through the disruption of food and economic systems, as well as through forced migration.

Both direct and indirect pathways have short-term health impacts (including injury, mental health consequences, and death) as well as longer-term impacts (like the development of chronic disease and the impacts of migration and relocation on health).

Exposure to Climate Hazards is Inequitably Distributed Across Urban Populations

Low-income and racialized communities may be more likely to experience higher air pollution, extreme heat, or floods. These communities may also be more vulnerable to health impacts of climate change-related hazards because of pre-existing health conditions and limited ability to buffer or adapt to climate change.

Some Climate Hazards Including Extreme Heat and Storms Can Be Made Worse by Characteristics of the Urban Environment

Features of urban built environments like building design, lack of green spaces, or poor drainage can magnify adverse impacts of heat and floods. Air pollution from car-dependent transportation and industry can interact with heat, magnifying its effects.

What Climate Change Work Is Happening at the Urban Health Collaborative?

Understanding how climate change contributes to health and health disparities in cities and identifying the interventions and policies that reduce these impacts is a critical global health need. The Drexel Urban Health Collaborative is working with partners in Philadelphia, in the United States, and across the globe to address the impacts of climate change on health and health equity in cities.

Researchers at the UHC are documenting the ways climate change affects health in cities worldwide and identifying policies and interventions that can reduce these impacts. Our climate research design and practice emphasize community and policy partnerships as well as capacity strengthening. We engage with a wide variety of non-academic actors across our local Philadelphia community, throughout urban areas in the United States, and in cities across Latin America and across the globe. Our dissemination efforts seek to develop innovative products and approaches for translating complex research findings and evidence surrounding the health impacts of climate change to broad audiences. 

Learn more about climate change programs here at the Urban Health Collaborative: