Systems approach to climate services for health

Abstract

Climate change and variability remain a pressing global challenge directly and indirectly affecting human health. This has increased the demand for usable climate information for adaptation to climate related health challenges and for building effective response strategies. Climate services for health can help to enhance human well-being and in extreme cases can save human lives by reducing morbidity and mortality. Very little has been done and understood about how we can enhance climate services for health. The main aim of this perspective article is to bring empirical evidence, conceptual clarity and interdisciplinary approaches to policy makers and practitioners dealing with this crucial issue. The article explores the application of a holistic, broadly termed ‘systems’ approach to climate services for health in the context of adaptation and resilience. It uses illustrative examples from Ethiopia, Bhutan and Germany to demonstrate and elaborate the application and merits of the systems approach to emerging climate services for health. The systems approach improves conceptual thinking about climate services for health. In addition, it is a valuable analytical framework that unifies the diverse stakeholders involved in health adaptation and resilience planning, interventions and policy making. This perspective article fills in the existing gaps in scientific literature on the subject and enhances conceptualisation of climate services for health. It makes suggestions to improve understanding of climate services for health.