Disasters triggered by climate change

Global changes, such as climate change and stratospheric ozone depletion, degradation and desertification, have a significant impact on human health. They affect health both directly and indirectly, as for example through the results of extreme weather events.

The initiative to protect health from climate change of WHO/Europe and the German Federal Ministry for Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) aims at strengthening the capacities of health systems to protect public health from the detrimental effects of climate change. This includes risk assessments and the development of health adaptation strategies, as well as institutional capacity building for extreme weather events preparedness and response.