Search Climate Insights Directory

The GCHA submission argues that Chile's climate action should be framed through a public health lens to maximize health co-benefits, increase public support, and reduce the disease burden on the healthcare sector. The document recommends aligning emissions targets with a 1.5°C limit, accelerating health-related climate risk assessments, and implementing specific mitigation actions within the healthcare sector, which currently accounts for 6.7% of national emissions. It further suggests phasing out diesel subsidies, accelerating the coal phase-out date to 2030, and deprivatizing water to protect public health. The GCHA emphasizes the need for disaggregated epidemiological data to protect vulnerable groups and suggests using WHO tools to quantify the economic returns of health-promoting climate actions.

The GCHA submission argues that Nepal's climate action should be explicitly linked to public health outcomes to maximize co-benefits and protect vulnerable populations. It recommends strengthening the draft NDC 3.0 by aligning conditional emissions targets with 1.5°C limits, establishing specific targets for black carbon reduction, and creating a dedicated section on air quality. The document highlights significant health risks in Nepal, including a 68% increase in heat stress exposure since the 1990s and rising transmission potential for dengue. It also emphasizes the economic burden of climate-related health issues, noting that heat exposure caused an estimated US$2.8 billion in annual potential income loss between 2014 and 2023, with the agricultural sector bearing 91.5% of that impact.

The report finds that human-caused climate change significantly increased extreme heat and health risks globally from December 2024 to February 2025. At least 1.8 billion people experienced temperatures at least twice as likely due to climate change every day of the period, with exposure peaking at 3 billion people on February 28, 2025. Africa was particularly affected, with 293 million people experiencing 30 or more 'risky heat days' added by climate change. The analysis also highlights that 110 out of 220 analyzed countries and 287 out of 940 cities saw the average person experience strong climate influence for at least one-third of the season.

The briefing outlines five key heat metrics—land surface temperature, air temperature, heat index, wet bulb globe temperature, and thermal comfort indices—detailing their specific uses and limitations. It argues that while traditional metrics are useful for regional analysis and safety limits, thermal comfort modeling is essential for understanding human-scale heat exposure and designing local interventions like shade and wind corridors. The document provides a framework for matching these metrics to goals such as protecting pedestrians, reducing energy use, or lowering citywide temperatures.

The report examines the link between urban sprawl and high energy consumption, arguing that current energy policies overlook the role of urban design. It advocates for "complete communities"—dense, walkable, mixed-use neighborhoods—as a primary strategy for emissions reduction. Using the Sustainable Asset Valuation (SAVi) methodology, the report compares car-centric and sustainable transportation scenarios in Winnipeg, finding that sustainable shifts offer significantly higher net benefits and a superior benefit-to-cost ratio. It identifies key barriers such as NIMBYism, flawed municipal governance, and the financial instability caused by sprawl, while proposing solutions including zoning reform, parking policy changes, and new municipal revenue tools.

A case study in Bharatpur, Nepal, reveals that dengue and skin infections are significantly associated with proximity to garbage disposal sites, with skin infections further linked to reliance on surface water. While nature-based solutions (NBS) like green streets and rainwater harvesting show potential for reducing hazards by managing stormwater and improving hygiene, the report concludes that NBS cannot substitute for essential urban infrastructure such as piped water and municipal solid waste management.

The text emphasizes that Brazil's vast size and climatic diversity require detailed observational studies to distinguish between natural variability and long-term climate change. It highlights that interannual variability, driven largely by El Niño and La Niña, can alter seasonal rainfall in the Amazon by a factor of more than four. The author cautions that most precipitation trends in Brazil are linked to interdecadal oscillations—such as the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO) and the Interdecadal Pacific Oscillation (IPO)—rather than global warming. Additionally, the document notes a trend of increasing air temperatures in the tropics of South America since 1948, contrasting with a negative trend in the subtropics since the mid-1990s, and mentions the influence of land-use change and biomass burning on air temperature in the Amazon and Cerrado.

The report evaluates the revitalization of Sherwan Hill Adventure Park in Abbottabad, Pakistan, as part of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Cities Improvement Project. Using the Sustainable Asset Valuation (SAVi) methodology, the analysis compares a nature-based infrastructure scenario—including reforestation and expanded green areas—against a business-as-usual scenario. The findings indicate that the project provides a significant return on investment, with every USD 1 spent yielding USD 2.49 in benefits over 30 years, totaling PKR 1.8 billion in avoided costs and gains across health, employment, property values, and climate resilience.

The report examines the integration of nature-based solutions (NbS) in Swedish municipal stormwater management. It finds that while NbS principles are embedded in most municipal steering documents, the specific term 'nature-based solutions' is rarely used. There is a significant lack of standardized cost data, particularly for operations and maintenance (O&M). While co-benefits like flood risk control and water quality are widely recognized, others such as the heat island effect and carbon sequestration are underrepresented. The report highlights complexities in the division of responsibilities between municipal departments and private landowners and notes that current regulatory frameworks often fail to fully account for the multiple co-benefits of NbS.

The paper examines the 'co-impacts'—both intended and unintended, positive and negative—of urban climate policies. It argues that current literature and city plans overemphasize positive co-benefits (such as improved air quality and health) while neglecting adverse effects and equity considerations. The authors propose a 'people, planet, and profit' framework to categorize these impacts across various urban strategies, including building retrofits, circular economy initiatives, and transport shifts, to help cities avoid policy backlash and ensure a just transition.

Climate change in Illinois is manifesting as increased precipitation, rising temperatures, and intensified summer droughts, leading to significant infrastructure damage and public health risks. Since the 20th century, average annual precipitation has risen by 12-15%, while extreme events have increased by 40%, causing frequent flooding and sewage overflows in cities like Chicago. Rising temperatures are most pronounced in winter, with a predicted average increase of up to 9°F by 2100, which threatens agricultural yields—potentially reducing corn yields by 23-34% by mid-century—and necessitates an estimated $6.1 billion for school air conditioning by 2025. Additionally, intensified summer droughts threaten crop yields and river navigation, notably impacting barge transportation on the Mississippi River, while increasing the risk of wildfires and health issues from Canadian wildfire smoke.

The report details how Los Angeles County is affected by severe storms, rising sea levels, temperature extremes, and extreme drought. It highlights that flood risk threatens 27% of buildings in the city of Los Angeles and that the county spent 64% of the last 23 years in drought. The document provides extensive lists of potential costs, including infrastructure projects like seawalls, energy efficiency retrofits, and water treatment updates, while noting that disadvantaged populations are disproportionately exposed to flood risks.

Maryland is experiencing accelerating climate risks, including rising sea levels, more frequent extreme precipitation, intensified droughts, and increasing temperature extremes. These changes are causing significant land loss, infrastructure damage, and public health crises, necessitating costly adaptation measures such as seawalls, flood-proofing, and cooling systems.

The report details how climate change is accelerating in Nevada, leading to increased drought, extreme heat, and erratic precipitation. It outlines the resulting economic burdens, including the costs of wildfire suppression, water conservation efforts to protect Lake Mead, and the need for infrastructure upgrades to mitigate flooding and heat-related health risks.

The report details how climate change is increasing the frequency and severity of extreme weather in New Hampshire, leading to significant infrastructure damage and economic losses. It highlights a 12% increase in annual precipitation since 1901, a 2°F rise in average annual temperature since 1971, and a 7-inch rise in sea level since 1950. The document outlines necessary adaptation costs across public health, infrastructure, and local planning to mitigate risks to the state's winter recreation industry, coastal properties, and public school systems.

Dar es Salaam is one of Africa's fastest-growing cities and Tanzania's economic hub, though it faces significant challenges in infrastructure and governance. While the city's GDP is growing and it leads the country in startups and telecommunications, it is characterized by high levels of informality, with 70% of the population living in informal settlements. Public services such as water, sanitation, and waste management are underperforming, and the city is highly vulnerable to flooding and urban heat. Governance is heavily centralized, with local authorities relying on the national government for approximately 75% to 90% of their revenue, severely limiting their fiscal autonomy and ability to address local needs.

The Latino Climate Justice Framework 2025-2028 outlines systemic inequities facing Latino/a/e communities, including higher energy burdens, exposure to fossil fuel pollution, and lack of access to nature. It proposes specific policy objectives across energy justice, climate resilience, worker protections, and migration rights, while warning against 'false solutions' like carbon capture and storage. The framework emphasizes the need for equitable clean energy transitions, the protection of climate-displaced persons, and the liberation of Puerto Rico from restrictive energy and economic policies.

In 2024, the GreenLatinos Sustainable Cities Urban Greening Initiative distributed $2.65 million in grant funding to 12 awardees across Albuquerque, Chicago, and Los Angeles. The program utilized a community advisory board of 18 leaders to ensure funding decisions reflected the needs of affected communities. Funded projects include community gardens, composting initiatives, and riverfront revitalization. The initiative also integrated advocacy, bringing awardees to Washington, D.C. to engage with federal agencies and elected officials on topics such as urban heat, polluted sites, and language justice in urban greening outreach.

The ADAPTE project uses GIS to map the intersection of air pollution, extreme weather, and social vulnerability in Latin American cities. Findings indicate that PM10 and NOx levels in Mexico City, Santiago, and Bogota significantly exceed WHO standards. The research highlights that respiratory and cardiovascular mortality risks vary by city, season, and age group, with children in Bogota showing higher respiratory risk during cold seasons and elderly populations showing higher cardiovascular risk during the same period.

Analysis of 242 U.S. cities shows that fall temperatures have increased by an average of 2.5°F since 1970, with the most intense warming occurring in the Southwest. This trend is characterized by a higher frequency of above-normal temperature days, which prolongs risks related to heat-related illness, wildfires, and allergies, while also affecting agricultural growing seasons and energy demand for cooling.