Resilience: Climate and Health for People and the Planet - A Focus on Cities

Join Yale Professor Jeannette Ickovics for this presentation exploring multi-sector and transdisciplinary approaches to supporting health in a changing climate. Drawing expertise from a range of disciplines including epidemiology and economics; architecture and medicine; environmental science and global affairs; Professor Ickovics will discuss how cities play a key role in advancing preventive approaches to: support health, build resilience, and decarbonize health systems. She will consider how climate change is intensifying critical public health challenges and adding pressure to health systems, with vulnerable and low-income communities bearing the greatest burden. Her work emphasizes the urgent need to transition away from a top-down, treatment-based model to a more holistic approach with greater emphasis on prevention. In lieu of this focus, Professor Ickovics will articulate solutions to strengthening urban resilience through preventative programs and policies. She will present health assets and challenges in cities, especially in the context of climate change.

Central to the presentation is the first report of the Resilient Cities, Reimagining Health initiative demonstrating the need for place-based, climate-sensitive, preventive health approaches. Through structured review and economic analysis, the report provides quantitative evidence on how climate will impact public health needs; key interventions to improve health, reduce costs and emissions, build equity and resilience; and a high-level framework for successful, city-led capacity building and implementation. Participants are invited to read the report, linked in the Related Readings section on this page.