Climate Change and Health (CLIHE) 2020-2023

CLIHE examines and anticipates the health risks and uncertainties caused by climate change and the social consequences of its health impacts. The programme seeks ways of combating adverse health effects and adapting to climate change.

It has been estimated that climate change is one of the world’s largest health threats in the current century. The impacts of climate change and mitigation measures on human health and wellbeing have received relatively little research attention in Finland. The impacts may be beneficial or harmful, affecting health directly or indirectly.

The Academy Programme Climate Change and Health aims to provide the knowledge base needed when selecting best practices for adapting to climate change. An essential element in this aim is to utilise the information provided by different climate scenarios about the dynamics of change and regional variation.

The increasing occurrence of extreme weather phenomena such as storms, floods, heat waves and droughts directly affects health and wellbeing. As the climate warms, even animal-transmitted diseases spread effectively, as host organisms are able to expand their habitats further northwards. The increasing spread of plant diseases may, in turn, significantly affect food production, for example. In addition, a high rate of migration will expose Finland to the risk that previously eradicated or new infectious diseases will spread.

Increasing health problems caused by climate change also increase the cost burden to society. Since the health effects of climate change are the sum of many factors, scientific research provides information that can predict both the health effects and the economic risks and uncertainties that they cause. The ability of Finnish society to adapt to the challenges of climate change is comparatively good.

The Academy Programme’s funding budget is 8 million euros. The Research Council of Finland has chosen seven research consortia (29 subprojects) to the Academy Programme.

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