NEW YORK, Sept. 26, 2024
Outlines a three-step action plan for action and commits more than $1 million to helping cities save lives
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NEW YORK, Sept. 26, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- During New York City Climate Week, The Rockefeller Foundation released a three-step roadmap to help cities around the world more effectively plan for, and respond to the global health emergency caused by climate change. With more than half of the world's population living in urban areas, Urban Climate-Health Action: A New Approach to Protecting Health in the Era of Climate Change, identifies the critical gaps in city-level responses to climate-induced health threats. The Rockefeller Foundation announced today that it will invest more than $1 million to support the plan's implementation through grants, including to C40 Cities and Resilient Cities Network.
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"From New York to Nairobi, Bogotá to Bangalore, cities worldwide are facing rising health risks and increased stress from climate change," said Elizabeth Yee, Executive Vice President of Programs at The Rockefeller Foundation. "This report highlights immediate, actionable steps mayors, health officials, and residents can take to protect lives and improve well-being."
While the health implications of climate change are global, cities, which are home to an estimated 5 billion people, are already bearing the brunt of the crisis. By 2050, nearly 70% of the world's population is expected to live in a city, each facing unique health risks caused by climate change. The features that define cities—dense populations, concrete landscapes, limited greenspace, and proximity to water— intensify heat, increase pollution, and spread disease. Cities like New Delhi and Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso are experiencing unprecedented heatwaves, while Dhaka, Miami, and Dubai face more frequent and severe flooding. Rio de Janeiro and Ho Chi Minh City have seen increased cases of dengue fever due to expanding mosquito habitats.
The Urban Climate-Health Action report was informed by data from the Urban Pulse: Identifying Resilience Solutions at the Intersection of Climate, Health and Equity survey that was also released today. Conducted by Yale School of Public Health and the Resilient Cities Network, with support from The Rockefeller Foundation, the survey reveals that of nearly 200 city leaders in 118 cities in 52 countries, 70% of city leaders recognize these climate-related health threats, and over 90% report economic losses from such events. Despite this, few cities have emergency response plans that use reliable climate data, and only 20% have strong inter-departmental coordination.
In response, The Rockefeller Foundation outlines its three-step action plan for cities:
The Foundation's roadmap for cities also includes seven case studies demonstrating successful programs across three continents, including:
As these cases make clear, city-led action can save lives. If the action plan championed by this report were implemented for just one heatwave in Dhaka, preliminary estimates by Mathematica, a leading policy research firm, commissioned for this report, finds a $1 to $7 return on investment in terms of lives saved among the most vulnerable -- illustrating the tremendous economic value at stake.
"Cities are flying blind to the impact climate change is having on human health, and people are needlessly suffering as a result," said Dr. Naveen Rao, Senior Vice President of Health at The Rockefeller Foundation. "Integration across sectors is vital to respond to the unfolding climate-health crises."
To put this roadmap into action, The Rockefeller Foundation is supporting C40 Cities and Resilient Cities Network in separate grants to implement recommendations laid out in this report. A grant to the Resilient Cities Network, made up of over 100 cities advancing urban resilience globally, will support the Urban Pulse: Climate, Health, and Equity in Action program by creating a city-led Community of Practice and integrating health priorities into climate adaptation and mitigation efforts. Another grant to C40 Cities, a network of nearly 100 mayors of the world's leading cities working to confront the climate crisis, will support heat-health pilot initiatives to assist city officials and other stakeholders to better respond to health impacts on vulnerable communities during extreme heat events. These investments are part of the Foundation's $100 million commitment to test and scale climate and health solutions, announced at the inaugural COP28 Health Day in December 2023.
Statements of Support:
About Resilient Cities NetworkResilient Cities Network is the world's leading urban resilience network. It brings together global knowledge, practice, partnerships, and funding to empower its members to build safe and equitable cities for all. Its unique city-led approach ensures cities drive the agenda to benefit the communities they serve. At work in over 100 cities worldwide, the Resilient Cities Network supports on-the-ground projects and solutions to build climate resilient, circular and equitable cities while also facilitating connections and information-sharing between communities and local leaders. For more information, please visit https://resilientcitiesnetwork.org.
About C40 Cities C40 is a network of nearly 100 mayors of the world's leading cities working to deliver the urgent action needed right now to confront the climate crisis and create a future where everyone, everywhere, can thrive. Mayors of C40 cities are committed to using a science-based and people-focused approach to help the world limit global heating to 1.5°C and build healthy, equitable and resilient communities. We work alongside a broad coalition of representatives from labour, business, the youth climate movement and civil society to support mayors to halve emissions by 2030 and help phase out fossil use while increasing urban climate resilience and equity.
The current co-chairs of C40 are Mayor Sadiq Khan of London, United Kingdom, and Mayor Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr of Freetown, Sierra Leone; three-term Mayor of New York City Michael R. Bloomberg serves as President of the Board. C40's work is made possible by our three strategic funders: Bloomberg Philanthropies, Children's Investment Fund Foundation and Realdania.
To learn more about the work of C40 and our cities, please visit our website or follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn.
About The Rockefeller Foundation The Rockefeller Foundation is a pioneering philanthropy built on collaborative partnerships at the frontiers of science, technology, and innovation that enable individuals, families, and communities to flourish. We make big bets to promote the well-being of humanity. Today, we are focused on advancing human opportunity and reversing the climate crisis by transforming systems in food, health, energy, and finance. For more information, sign up for our newsletter at rockefellerfoundation.org and follow us on X @RockefellerFdn.
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