Title: Environmental change and health
Funder: Department of Health and Social Care

Abstract: London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, University College London, the Met office and Public Health England are forming a research unit on Environmental Change and Health . Its five-year programme of research and training will improve understanding of the impacts on health of climate change and other environmental challenges, the actions needed to protect health, and the opportunities for improving health of policies aimed at reducing emissions of greenhouse gases. Members of the consortium have long been at the forefront of research into climate change and health and of other environmental threats to the planet s natural systems on which human populations critically depend. They have provided expert advice to the World Health Organisation, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, UK government departments and many other international and national bodies whose work is vital in coordinating the responses to climate change and other environmental threats. The consortium s research will be developed in partnership with members of the public and representatives of many governmental and non-governmental organisations interested in public policy in such areas as housing, transport, food and agriculture and public health. Twice-yearly workshops with them will be held to help shape, interpret and discuss the research. The research will be multi-disciplinary with inputs from researchers expert in health, behavioural and social science, building science, climate change, health economics, insect biology, mathematical modelling and statistics. The consortium will investigate important emerging events but will focus mainly on: Indicators for tracking the impact and responses to climate change Modelling/analysing the spread across Europe of diseases carried by insects and other infections sensitive to climate Floods and coastal erosion Heat, droughts and wildfires Adaptation of housing to climate change and questions critical to health in the design and refurbishment of homes to improve their energy efficiency The benefits of increasing natural vegetation and water bodies in cities Ways to achieve environmental and health benefits from food and agriculture policy Threats to health from disturbance of the Earth s natural systems beyond climate change Threats to our population of climate change events external to the UK The integrated analysis of policies for health and sustainability Geographical models of the UK population will be used to help quantify and cost the impact on health and social variations in health of these environmental factors and of policies/actions aimed at responding to them. Its evidence will underpin future climate change risk assessment reports aimed at informing government action.

Lay abstract: London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, University College London, the Met office and Public Health England are forming a research unit on Environmental Change and Health . Its five-year programme of research and training will improve understanding of the impacts on health of climate change and other environmental challenges, the actions needed to protect health, and the opportunities for improving health of policies aimed at reducing emissions of greenhouse gases. Members of the consortium have long been at the forefront of research into climate change and health and of other environmental threats to the planet s natural systems on which human populations critically depend. They have provided expert advice to the World Health Organisation, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, UK government departments and many other international and national bodies whose work is vital in coordinating the responses to climate change and other environmental threats. The consortium s research will be developed in partnership with members of the public and representatives of many governmental and non-governmental organisations interested in public policy in such areas as housing, transport, food and agriculture and public health. Twice-yearly workshops with them will be held to help shape, interpret and discuss the research. The research will be multi-disciplinary with inputs from researchers expert in health, behavioural and social science, building science, climate change, health economics, insect biology, mathematical modelling and statistics. The consortium will investigate important emerging events but will focus mainly on: Indicators for tracking the impact and responses to climate change Modelling/analysing the spread across Europe of diseases carried by insects and other infections sensitive to climate Floods and coastal erosion Heat, droughts and wildfires Adaptation of housing to climate change and questions critical to health in the design and refurbishment of homes to improve their energy efficiency The benefits of increasing natural vegetation and water bodies in cities Ways to achieve environmental and health benefits from food and agriculture policy Threats to health from disturbance of the Earth s natural systems beyond climate change Threats to our population of climate change events external to the UK The integrated analysis of policies for health and sustainability Geographical models of the UK population will be used to help quantify and cost the impact on health and social variations in health of these environmental factors and of policies/actions aimed at responding to them. Its evidence will underpin future climate change risk assessment reports aimed at informing government action.

Research activity codes: 2.6 RESOURCES AND INFRASTRUCTURE (AETIOLOGY)
Health categories: GENERIC HEALTH RELEVANCE