As climate change intensifies, the need for targeted adaptation strategies becomes increasingly urgent, particularly in mountainous regions where extreme weather events pose unique challenges. Responding to this need, the MOUNTADAPT project aims to enhance healthcare resilience in these vulnerable areas. This article explores the necessity of strengthening such resilience and highlights key climate-related hazards that impact essential services and infrastructure.
The urgency of climate adaptation
Countries, regions, and urban areas worldwide are facing intensified hazards, which lead to loss of life, health risks, damage to infrastructure, and economic instability. According to the European Environment Agency, climate-related disasters have cost EU Member States approximately 650 billion euros between 1980 and 2022, with an alarming increase in recent years.
Climate change has a significant impact on healthcare systems, beyond just financial losses in the sector. Around 67% of cities globally anticipate disruptions in their public healthcare infrastructure due to climate hazards. This necessitates a science-based approach to improving resilience and preparedness within healthcare systems, especially in vulnerable mountain areas.
MOUNTADAPT’s focus:
Strengthening healthcare
climate resilience
MOUNTADAPT brings together municipal authorities, regional bodies, and community members to co-design, develop, and test climate adaptation solutions across four mountain biogeographical sites known as “demonstrators”:
- Grenoble Alpes Metropole, France
- Region of Tyrol, Austria
- Alba Iulia Municipality, Romania
- Selnica ob Dravi Municipality, Slovenia
Each of these regions faces unique and common climate-related challenges but, despite their differences, they share a common goal: to build resilient healthcare systems capable of withstanding climate shocks.
Identifying key climate hazards
A crucial aspect of MOUNTADAPT’s research is the identification of 12 key hazards affecting mountain health systems, categorized under the World Health Organization’s (WHO) framework (Workforce; Energy; Wash & Health Care Waste; Infrastructures, technologies, products and processes) for climate resilience:
- Heatwaves
- Floods
- Storms
- Wildfires
- Air & Water Quality Degradation
- Viral Risks & Infectious Diseases
- Landslides
- Snow Avalanches
- Gradually Increasing Temperature
- Drought
- Extreme Precipitation & Mass Movement
- Urban Heat Island Effect
These hazards threaten essential healthcare services by disrupting energy supply, workforce availability, waste management, infrastructure, and overall population health.
Common vulnerabilities and impacts
The MOUNTADAPT study reveals that the demonstration sites experience similar vulnerabilities and impacts, regardless of the specific hazards they face. This points to shared challenges among healthcare systems and regions in mountainous areas. According to the study, 44.1% of the vulnerabilities and 35.8% of the impacts are common across the four demonstration sites, highlighting the widespread nature of these issues.
Among the vulnerabilities identified by demonstration sites, the most significant common vulnerability concerns the most vulnerable groups in society i.e., homeless and low-income citizens, and represents 7,4% of all types of vulnerability. This is linked to the most significant common impact, which is an increased mortality among vulnerable populations, accounting for 6,9% of all types of impact.
The Path Forward
MOUNTADAPT’s first findings give a foundational understanding of the risks and challenges facing mountain regions due to climate change.
As the project progresses, MOUNTADAPT will provide innovative, localized solutions to climate-proof health systems in mountain areas, ensuring that communities are prepared for the evolving climate crisis.
Stay tuned for more insights and progress reports as we work towards a more resilient future!
