Climate and Health Adaptation

The Climate Change and Health Adaptation Resource Guide is designed to empower local health departments (LHDs) in their efforts to address the complex intersections of climate change and public health. Originally developed during the Fall 2022 Climate and Health Adaptation Workshops, this guide has since become a comprehensive, evolving resource that will be updated as needed.

Packed with actionable insights, case studies, resource hubs, toolkits, and funding opportunities, the guide serves as a vital tool for LHDs to navigate challenges such as extreme heat, vector-borne diseases, and weather-related health impacts. It supports climate change adaptation efforts, fosters cross-sector collaboration, and promotes resilience in communities across New York State.

Your feedback and contributions are invaluable! If you have resources to share, updates to suggest, or notice any issues, please reach out to Danielle Pellino at [email protected].

Local action is critical for climate adaptation efforts. To support local health departments in addressing climate change in their communities, NYSACHO and the NYSDOH embarked on an interactive project in early 2020. The intention was to enable local health departments to identify their climate adaptation priorities, identify local partners to work with to address those priorities, and encourage participation in a workshop to “move the needle” on climate adaptation efforts. We greatly appreciate the time and thought that the staff in local health departments contributed to the discussions around their priority climate adaptations.

Together, NYSACHO and NYSDOH proposed five regional meetings in New York State to engage local health departments and key local government agencies in climate and health related activities. These meetings were intended to provide local health departments and their partners the opportunity to discuss collaboration on local climate and health adaptations. As the COVID-19 pandemic evolved, it became increasingly clear that local health departments were completely engaged in response activities and even virtual workshops were not practical. For this reason, the project was put on hold. However, we thought it was important to share what we have learned to date and provide resources we have gathered to support ongoing efforts. For now, we hope that this Climate and Health Adaptation: Moving the Needle at the Local Level project summary and collection of resources is helpful for any county level discussions taking place.

Between April and July 2024, NYSACHO, in collaboration with the NYSDOH, provided funding in the form of “mini grants” (up to $3,000) to ten (10) counties for their climate and health adaptation initiatives. This recap provides an overview of the 2024 funding program, and highlights each project, including successes and lessons learned.

Between April and July 2023, NYSACHO, in collaboration with the NYSDOH, provided funding in the form of “mini grants” (up to $3,000) to ten (10) counties for their climate and health adaptation initiatives. This recap provides an overview of the 2023 funding program, and highlights each project, including successes and lessons learned.