Climate and Health: Health Adaptation to Climate Change

Climate x Health

“The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that climate change is responsible for at least 150,000 deaths per year, a number that is expected to double by 2030.”

For climate and health, the intersection of these two domains presents both critical challenges and transformative opportunities. Climate change is not only an environmental issue but also a profound health crisis, disproportionately affecting vulnerable populations, including those in poverty, marginalized by gender or occupation, and residing in high-risk geographic areas.

Through years of working closely with marginalized communities, we have learned that resilience is the cornerstone of adapting to the health impacts of a changing climate. Without strengthening the capacity of communities and health systems to anticipate, absorb, and recover from climate shocks, achieving well-being will remain unattainable for many.

We prioritize addressing differential impacts, recognizing that factors such as gender, pregnancy, age (particularly the elderly and children), geography, disaster risk, economic status, occupation, exposure, and pre-existing infections or chronic health conditions significantly influence how individuals experience climate-related health challenges. By acknowledging these differences, health systems can be strengthened to enhance equity and resilience.

This understanding shapes our approach to climate-health resilience, which focuses on:

Co-creating adaptive strategies: Working with communities to address health challenges stemming from extreme heat, flooding, pollution, and food insecurity.
Strengthening health systems: Advocating for and building climate-resilient healthcare infrastructure, policies, and systems that prioritize equity and accessibility.
Integrating innovation: Using tools like AI-driven climate risk intelligence to inform health governance and support early action.
Advancing inclusive solutions: Ensuring that climate and health interventions consider gender, age, occupation, and existing health disparities.

Our work in climate and health is rooted in the belief that participatory, inclusive approaches are essential for building community and health system resilience and fostering well-being. By addressing systemic vulnerabilities and creating pathways for adaptive action, we aim to bridge the gap between climate adaptation and improved health outcomes.

Projects

Integrated Heat Program in Ananthapuramu

Swasti, in collaboration with the Government of Andhra Pradesh, implemented a set of integrated health initiatives in Ananthapuramu district as a pilot to demonstrate scalable models for strengthening health systems and climate resilience across the state. This convergence of data-driven decision-making, frontline capacity building, and climate-health action provides a blueprint for potential replication across other districts in Andhra Pradesh.

Key Initiatives:

Advanced Analytics for Maternal Health: Leveraged Reproductive and Child Health (RCH) data to generate real-time insights, monitor antenatal care (ANC) timeliness, and guide targeted interventions for high-risk pregnancies and anaemia management.
Predictive Modelling for Climate-Linked Disease Surveillance: Developed a model to predict typhoid incidence using climate and health data, enabling proactive public health responses at the block level, with plans for scale-up.
Climate Care Champions Program – Heat X Health: Trained 91 healthcare trainers and 2,266 frontline health workers (FLWs) to identify and respond to extreme heat-related health risks, sensitising over 78,000 households in the first round and 42,000+ in a follow-up.
District Heat Action Plan (HAP): Co-developed a grounded, district-specific Heat Action Plan, vetted by the National Programme on Climate Change and Human Health (NPCCHH), setting a precedent for similar plans across the state.

The program was piloted in Ananthapuramu district with the Government of Andhra Pradesh.

Partners: Government of Andhra Pradesh

Integrated Heat Program in Ananthapuramu

health adaptation to climate change - Champions program

Climate Care Champions Program

The Climate Care Champions program will address the critical gap in knowledge and preparedness among community health workers, enabling them to prevent, prepare for- and respond to climate-related health needs in the communities they serve.

The key goals are to:

Increase Community Health Workers’ knowledge and efficacy so they may screen, detect, refer and prevent adverse climatic effects on the health and wellbeing of the vulnerable communities they serve.
Build and strengthen the communication and advocacy skills of the community health workforce in risk and strategic communication so that they can serve as trusted messengers within their communities
Equip Community Health Workers with the expertise and tools necessary to effectively engage with disaster management, health systems, and other local resources, fostering community resilience and adaptation in the face of extreme weather events.

The 2024 Heat x Health pilot reached 300+ frontline workers and 30k+ individuals across 6 heat-prone states in India

Partners: Global Consortium on Climate and Health Education (GCCHE), Columbia University

Community Resilience Hub for Farmers and Fisherfolk

Farmers and fisherfolk are the backbone of global sustenance, yet they face immense risks from climate change. Their livelihoods, environments, and well-being are threatened by diminishing resources, food and water insecurity, and inadequate shelter and income.

The community resilience hub focuses on assessing climate resilience among these communities in high-risk areas of South and South East Asia, particularly the health impacts, and supporting transformative actions. Key priorities include:

Identifying and analyzing the vulnerabilities, health impacts, and existing coping strategies used by farmers and fisherfolk
Developing a robust evidence base to inform decision-making and ensure effective implementation of policies and programs addressing climate-mediated health impacts.
Supporting the creation of district climate resilience plans, building local capacities, and ensuring responsive social entitlements to address the unique challenges faced by these communities.
Amplifying the voices of marginalized groups to ensure their concerns and priorities are reflected in local and national policy reforms.

The program was piloted across farmers and fisherfolk in 2 states in India, Karnataka and Maharashtra.

Partners: Vrutti

District Health and Climate Change Plan

India ranks seventh among the countries most affected by climate change. Extreme weather events and rising temperatures disproportionately impact marginalized populations, making an integrated approach essential. At the district level, where local leadership and health systems intersect with climate risks, this approach ensures more effective and sustainable solutions.

Solutions and Why They Matter:

Establish District Climate and Health Action Committees (DCHACs): Form dedicated committees at the district level to coordinate health and climate responses, bringing together key stakeholders for integrated decision-making and localized action.
Implement Early Warning Systems and Community Education Programs: Develop and deploy early warning systems for climate-related health risks and engage communities to enhance awareness and preparedness.
Strengthen Primary Healthcare Systems with Climate-Resilient Infrastructure: Ensure infrastructure can withstand climate impacts and remain functional during extreme weather events and other climate-related challenges.
Facilitate Data-Driven Decision-Making and Monitoring: Implement systems for real-time data collection and analysis, allowing districts to track health impacts, monitor climate risks, and make informed decisions to improve health outcomes.

An integrated approach to climate and health strengthens resilience, ensures timely action, and improves long-term outcomes for communities facing the compounding effects of climate change.

Partners: Bhojpur District, Bihar

Precision Action Towards Climate and Health (PATCH)- Collaborative Surveillance

Precision Health Platform’s climate initiative, PATCH, offers a robust solution to effectively address public health threats from adverse climate events. This is in the form of a concrete-action-linked, localized, and comprehensive early warning system for cities and states that can operationalise climate resilience and risk mitigation, allowing for precise action towards climate and health risks.

The key offering provides a customizable dashboard to identify vulnerable areas, prioritise actions, and support risk communication by integrating data from environmental, health, and social sectors. The platform also provides technical support to the government through evidence-based sensemaking and tailored risk communication and community engagement strategies.

Triangulating intelligence from diverse sources and surveillance tools enables development of enhanced real-time, localized, and publicly available systems, empowering stakeholders in data-driven decisions and communities with the knowledge needed to proactively manage their health.

Partners: Philippines City Level - Tabaco City; India State Governments - Andhra Pradesh, Meghalaya