Welcome to the Belém Health Action Library!
This living library showcases diverse and cross-cutting actions that health systems around the world are taking to adapt, build resilience, and protect communities in the face of climate change. It highlights real-world examples of innovation and impact - showcasing what works, what’s been learned, and how others can follow suit.
This collection was developed to complement the Belém Health Action Plan and the COP30 Special Report on Health and Climate Change. Cases featured in this library are tagged according to the exposures they address, how they relate to the Belém Health Action Plan, and their alignment with components of the WHO Operational framework for building climate-resilient and low-carbon health systems.
Have an intervention to share? Submit your initiative to atach@who.int - and contribute to the growing global evidence driving climate-resilient health systems.
This library was curated by the NUS Centre for Sustainable Medicine in collaboration with the World Health Organization, the Ministry of Health of Brazil and ATACH.
South Australian Heat Health Warning System
The South Australian Heat Health System was designed to incorporate public heat warnings, health advisories, and provide targeted support for at-risk groups. Integrated in design, the system combines early warnings with direct social support mechanisms, including collaborations across law enforcement, social services and more--ultimately making for a no-regret adaptation strategy for extreme heat.
North Carolina's Healthy & Resilient Communities Initiative
The North Carolina Health and Resilient Communities Initiative in the United States helps build community resilience by addressing climate-related mental health impacts. By providing success conditions, co-creating capacity building programmes, and integrating indicators from across agencies, the initiative can inform data-driven solutions and practical solutions to mental health and well-being.
Epidemic thunderstorm asthma risk forecast in Victoria
Following a record-breaking epidemic thunderstorm asthma event in 2016, the state of Victoria in Australia developed an epidemic thunderstorm asthma programme to help at-risk individuals and health services to prepare for healthcare demand surges. The programme was made possible through extensive expert collaboration and cross-sectoral partnerships, further protecting the public from intensifying pollen and storm severity
Infrastructure investment to build drought resilience in Brazil
Brazil's One Million Cisterns Programme was launched in 2003, leading up to over 1 million household cisterns installed as of 2014. Through a community-driven approach, combined with low-cost scalable technologiy and ingrategrated capacity building, the programme had a significant impact on health and well-being across outcomes.
Improving health and nutrition resilience through solar cold chain in Madagascar
Madagascar faces multiple threats to well-being, all exacerbated by climate-related disasters. With support from the World Bank, entry points for climate action were identified and addressed using sustainable solutions such as solar-powered refrigerators, data collection tablets, and climate and nutrition education. Financial flexibility combined with strong governmental support improved both country ownership over the initiative and improved long term preparedness planning.
Argentina: ‘Más Bicis, Menos Emisiones’ (More Bikes, Less Emissions)
Más Bicis, Menos Emisiones is a programme designed to support a transition to clean, sustainable and active modes of transport in Buenos Aires. The recognised need for safe, active travel stimulated the programme, which led to the development of cycle lanes, bike sharing schemes and more. This has led to a significant increase in bicycle trips made in the city, and safer roads. The programme may have also be connected with a notable reduction of CO2 emissions in 2020.
Senegal's partnership-driven heatwave bulletin
Senegal's Ministry of Health in collaboration with the National Meteorological Service and the US National oceanic and Atmospheric Administration jointly developed the country's first Heatwave Early Warning Bulletin. The bulletin's collaborative design and cross-sectoral ownership bridged information gaps and improved communities' capacity to anticiapte and prevent heat-related health impacts.
Strengthening NHS resilience through climate risk management
The National Health System (NHS) in the United Kingdom designed a Climate Change Risk Assessment (CCRA) Tool tailored to health services, including both climate-related risks and known impacts derived from real-world events and case studies. The NHS CCRA tool enables health service leaders and NHS stakeholders to reduce environmental impact and support health system resilience.
Chandragiri’s environmentally-friendly local governance framework
In the Chandigiri municipality of Nepal, a five-year governance framework devised through participatory methods integrated novel indicators into the implementation and monitoring of a sustainability initiative.
Building the climate-ready health workforce of tomorrow
The National University of Singapore's Centre for Sustainable Medicine launched its flagship educational programmemes, a Masters' of Science in Sustainable Medicine and an Executive Fellowship in Sustainable Medicine in 2024. The success of CoSM’s postgraduate programmemes lies in three core strengths: interdisciplinary design, global partnerships, and experiential learning.