CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE BASQUE COUNTRY: IMPACT ON HEALTH AND ADAPTATION MEASURES

The document outlines expected climate impacts in the Basque Country, including rising temperatures, sea-level rise, and altered precipitation, which threaten public health through heat waves, flooding, and increased pollutants. It identifies 26 adaptation measures, highlighting the cost-effectiveness and co-benefits of ecosystem-based solutions like Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SUDS) and behavioral changes in transport.

• Climate change in the Basque Country is expected to result in increased air and ocean temperatures, reduced annual precipitation, and a sea-level rise estimated between 29 and 49 cm by the end of the century.
• Public health risks include injuries and stress from increased flooding, as well as threats from heat waves and intense heat, particularly for people with disabilities, those in dependency situations, and individuals over 65, who may exceed 25% of the population by 2020.
• Environmental health is further threatened by higher concentrations of pollutants such as ozone, nitrogen oxides, and airborne particles, alongside uncertainties regarding increased vector-borne diseases and cancer risks from ultraviolet (UV) ray exposure.
• Sustainable Urban Drainage systems (SUDS) are highlighted as a cost-effective 'green' alternative to 'gray' infrastructure, reducing runoff and urban heat while preventing sewage system collapse and untreated water discharges.
• Adaptation through behavioral changes and energy efficiency provides significant co-benefits; for example, replacing motorised transport with bicycles improves health, and the use of forest biomass boilers at a hospital in Gorliz (Bizkaia) reduced heat energy costs by over 20%.

APA

Martínez-Juárez, P., de Ayala, A., Quiroga, S., & Chiabai, A. (2016). CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE BASQUE COUNTRY: IMPACT ON HEALTH AND ADAPTATION MEASURES. Basque Centre for Climate Change. https://www.bc3research.org/h6T8Uy8Nm4gFs0O/201608101112201328945161.pdf

Chicago

Martínez-Juárez, Pablo, Amaia de Ayala, Sonia Quiroga, and Aline Chiabai. CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE BASQUE COUNTRY: IMPACT ON HEALTH AND ADAPTATION MEASURES. Basque Centre for Climate Change, 2016. https://www.bc3research.org/h6T8Uy8Nm4gFs0O/201608101112201328945161.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Martínez-Juárez |first1=Pablo |last2=de Ayala |first2=Amaia |last3=Quiroga |first3=Sonia |last4=Chiabai |first4=Aline |title=CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE BASQUE COUNTRY: IMPACT ON HEALTH AND ADAPTATION MEASURES |publisher=Basque Centre for Climate Change |date=2016 |url=https://www.bc3research.org/h6T8Uy8Nm4gFs0O/201608101112201328945161.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{martnezjurez2016climate, author = {Martínez-Juárez, Pablo and de Ayala, Amaia and Quiroga, Sonia and Chiabai, Aline}, title = {{CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE BASQUE COUNTRY: IMPACT ON HEALTH AND ADAPTATION MEASURES}}, institution = {Basque Centre for Climate Change}, year = {2016}, url = {https://www.bc3research.org/h6T8Uy8Nm4gFs0O/201608101112201328945161.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }