Climate health convening in Bellagio

Climate change, caused by the burning of fossil fuels that produce greenhouse gases is the greatest threat facing the planet in the twenty-first century. Its effects are multifarious and include extreme weather events (hotter temperatures, more severe storms, increased drought), rising sea levels, loss of species, food insecurity and forced displacement. Climate change’s effect on human health specifically is likely to be profound, driving mortality, morbidity and economic loss due to an increase in malaria, childhood deaths due to diarrheal diseases and premature deaths due to outdoor pollution, among others.

Responding to this unfolding crisis, The Rockefeller Foundation hosted a convening in Bellagio, Italy on 9-13 April 2024 that was attended by Rashid Seedat, the GCRO’s Executive Director. The convening sought to facilitate convergence among three intersecting groups – climate services experts, health observatories and urban resilience teams. The aims included developing a common understanding of the current efforts and barriers to progress; aligning on an approach to institutionalise systems that enable local health decision-making to be more responsive to climate information and developing a roadmap to generate momentum and a call to action.

Participants were brought together from all corners of the world working in the Brazilian Climate & Health Observatory, WHO’s Integrated African Health Observatory, Pasteur Institute (Vietnam), Columbia Climate School, Imperial College London, Rio de Janeiro Municipal Health Secretariat, UN-Habitat, WHO/WMO Joint Office for Climate Health, Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research, C40 and Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre. These experts brought a tremendous bank of knowledge and expertise to the meeting. The event took place at the Bellagio Center, owned by The Rockefeller Foundation, situated on the beautiful shores of Lake Como in northern Italy. This well-known facility hosts workshops and month-long residencies for individuals working on specific projects in a picturesque setting.

The intense workshopping over several days generated a clear set of outcomes:

• A system connecting the global dimension, a national enabling environment and local/urban climate-informed health action.
• Draft theory of change that shows how a set of initiatives implemented by a global coalition of partners can deliver impact at a local level; and
• Advocacy at global multilateral fora and proposed timeline.

The convening was a great experience regarding the strategic focus, facilitation, quality of the inputs and the insightful contributions of experts drawn from around the globe. There was a lot of interest in the GCRO and its operating model to inform the establishment of local health-climate observatories in vulnerable localities. A great learning and networking experience on the whole.