Climate change and health in cities: Impacts of heat and air pollution and potential co-benefits from mitigation and adaptation

Sharon Harlan, Darren M. Ruddell

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

287 Scopus citations

Abstract

Excess morbidity and mortality related to extremely hot weather and poor air quality are found in cities worldwide. This is a major public health concern for cities now and looking toward the future because the interactions of global climate change, urban heat islands, and air pollution are predicted to place increasing health burdens on cities. The proposed mitigation and adaptation strategies in cities' climate risk management plans may produce health co-benefits by reducing emissions and cooling temperatures through changes in the built environment. There are challenges, however, to implementing the plans and the most widely documented beneficial policy to date is the adoption of heat warning and air quality alert systems to trigger emergency responses.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)126-134
Number of pages9
JournalCurrent Opinion in Environmental Sustainability
Volume3
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - May 2011

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Environmental Science
  • General Social Sciences

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