Urban local governments and human health in a climate of change

Abstract

This chapter seeks to make, therefore, is to the development of a coherent, prioritised understanding of the health risks of climate change and the possible adaptation options of local government. Climate change can affect human health directly and indirectly through changes in the distribution of disease vectors, food and water-borne disease, the quality and availability of food and water, and poor air quality. The most obvious conduit into urban local government and adaptation is an understanding of how urban planning practitioners are rising to the climate change challenge. Despite the link between climate change vulnerability and urban planning, there has been only a limited response to the role that urban planning can have in terms of health outcomes. Driven by the World Health Organisation's Healthy Cities Initiative, healthy urban planning focuses on the positive health impact of how readers plan and build the city in which readers live.