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Half of the world’s population lives in cities, and that proportion is expected to increase to 70% by 2050. With their large populations, lack of green spaces that can cool a warming environment, and aging infrastructure vulnerable to floods and other extreme weather, many of the world’s cities are unprepared for climate change.

Proactive action is needed to make cities more resilient to climate change and capable of protecting community health, according to a new report released today (Sept. 26) by the Yale School of Public Health (YSPH), the Resilient Cities Network, and The Rockefeller Foundation.

The report, “Urban Pulse: Identifying Resilience Solutions at the Intersection of Climate, Health, and Equity,” is based on a survey of nearly 200 city leaders in 118 cities and 52 countries about their preparedness for responding to climate-related health threats. Less than half of the cities reported having a climate resilience plan, and only one in four indicated that their plan addressed climate and health. The research was funded by The Rockefeller Foundation, which also announced today that it will invest more than $1 million to help cities implement the report’s recommendations. The announcement was made during Climate Week NYC.

The Urban Pulse report highlights the need for city leaders to recognize the impact of climate change on residents’ health, including mental health, “through resources, infrastructure, and collaboration to ensure that these profound threats have been limited,” said Jeannette Ickovics, the lead author of the report and the Samuel and Liselotte Herman Professor of Social and Behavioral Sciences at YSPH.

"We call on the global community to put health at the heart of the urban climate change agenda," Dr. Jeannette Ickovics stated. A health-centered response to climate change by cities is crucial for global health, she added.

“We call on the global community to put health at the heart of the urban climate change agenda, to amplify and scale-up evidence-based solutions, and to invest in new financing models that prioritize rapid disbursement to cities so that they can build and sustain resilience,” she said.

Ickovics and her team of faculty and students at the Yale Center for Climate Change and Health, Yale Institute for Global Health, and Yale Planetary Solutions are working with Resilient Cities Network to address climate, health, and equity challenges in low- and middle-income countries as city populations rise across the world.

According to their report, cities like Rio de Janeiro in Brazil and Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam likely will experience dengue fever outbreaks due to larger mosquito populations. Coastal cities like Miami in Florida or Dubai will likely face more frequent flooding from rising sea levels.

"Cities are acutely aware that climate change poses serious health risks which disproportionately affect populations that face vulnerabilities," said Lauren Sorkin, executive director of Resilient Cities Network. "The R-Cities network of chief resilience officers is at the forefront of addressing these challenges."

Based on their survey data from city leaders in Africa, Asia,and Latin America,IckovicsandtheResilientCitiesNetworkassembled10recommendationstoguidelocalgovernmentleadersinmakingtheircommunitiesmoreclimateresilient.Theseinclude:

- Identifying unique climateshocksandstressors

- Implementingdata-drivencommunity-focusedadaptationprograms

- Investingingreenenergy

- Establishingearly-warningmechanismsforclimateevents

- Fosteringcity-to-citycollaborations

The Rockefeller Foundation's investment will empower C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group — a global coalitionofnearly100mayors—toaddressclimatechangeandResilientCitiesNetworktoimplementthereport'srecommendationsthroughcity-ledactionplanslikethosementionedinthereport,suchasRio de Janeiro'spushforecastdengue,andacommunity-engagementinitiativeforcholeravaccineuptakeinLusaka,Zambia."As thesecasesmakeclear,"TheRockefellerFoundation'spressreleaseannouncingtheinvestmentstates,"city-ledactioncansavelives."IfplanchampionedbythisreportwereimplementedforjustoneheatwaveinDhaka,Bangladeshpreliminaryestimatesfounda$1to$7returnoninvestmentintermsoflivessavedamongmostvulnerableillustratingtremendouseconomicvalueatstake,thefoundationreported.TheRockefellerFoundation'sannouncementatClimateWeekNYCfollowedapaneldiscussionaboutclimateandhealthresilienceincitiesledbyTheRockefellerFoundationtheResilientCitiesNetworkandYale."We must leverage this research touniteinavisionofurbanresilience harnessingourcollectivewisdomandstrengthtobuildahealthiermoreequitableandsustainableurbanenvironmentforall"Ickovicssaid.Thepanelendedwithacall-to-actionfromDr.VanessaKerryaseniorfellowattheYaleJacksonSchoolofGlobalAffairs.ContentfromaRockefellerFoundationnewsreleasewasusedinthisarticle.