Strengthening resilience through adaptation
EFA is dedicated to advocating for and implementing climate change adaptation policies to protect patients with chronic respiratory diseases, allergies, and skin conditions. These strategies are essential for preparing and responding to health impacts, improving quality of life for the most sensitive groups.
Why adaptation matters for patients
The first European Climate Risk Assessment in March 2024, led by the European Environment Agency (EEA), revealed critical climate-related health risks, necessitating urgent action. EFA recognises the need for targeted adaptation policies, ensuring patients voices are included in policymaking, leading to more effective and inclusive solutions. This advocacy is crucial for individual health and the resilience of communities and healthcare infrastructure.
Our commitment to climate change adaptation
In recent years, the EU has taken significant steps toward strengthening adaptation. The adoption of the EU Strategy on Climate Adaptation in February 2021 set a long-term vision for climate resilience by 2050, establishing the European Climate and Health Observatory to provide key information on climate impact to health, including respiratory health. The EU One Health approach integrates the health of humans, animals, and the environment, recognising climate-driven hazards as a key threat.
EFA’s work on adaptation policies aims to implement measures promoting resilience and addressing the specific health needs of patients with chronic respiratory diseases, allergies, and skin conditions, protecting them against climate-driven health risks.
Our Adaptation advocacy objectives and policy recommendations:
- Enhance preparedness and response capacities for climate-driven health risks, including effective heat health action plans and civilian protection from wildfires, ensuring that vulnerable individuals receive timely help.
- Call for an EU-wide real-time monitoring and forecast network for pollen concentrations to help patients manage their conditions and daily life during pollen peak periods.
- Raise public awareness about the health impacts of wildfires, sandstorms, and flooding, especially for vulnerable groups.
- Advocate for health impact assessments for all climate and environmental policies to ensure the needs of vulnerable patients are met.
- Support civil society participation in climate adaptation initiatives, ensuring community voices are heard and integrated into policy decisions.
- Advocate for the availability of resources for social mobilisation to enhance societal resilience and empower communities to take collective action against climate change impacts.