As humanity grapples with two of the most pressing challenges of our time — climate change and pandemics — it has become clear that these threats are deeply interconnected. Climate change amplifies the risks of pandemics by altering ecosystems, increasing the risk of zoonotic spillover, and shifting the behaviors of pathogens, vectors, and hosts. At the same time, pandemics, epidemics, and other health emergencies place immense stress on health systems and infrastructures, which can challenge response to climate-induced emergencies at the global, national, and local levels. Addressing these dual crises requires urgent, collective action that integrates climate adaptation, preparedness, and health resilience into a cohesive strategy.
Pandemic Action Network’s Building Future Resilience: Tackling the Interconnected Threats of Pandemics and Climate Change report outlines the many connections between climate change, health, and pandemic threats, highlights the interlinked challenges they pose, and proposes actionable pathways for building robust, integrated, and context-specific resilience. Critically, the report recommends three key actions:
- Better articulate, map, and plan for the integrated vulnerabilities from pandemic and climate threats
- Invest in targeted solutions to respond to known risks at the pandemic and climate change interface
- Prioritize, build, and finance pandemic- and climate-resilient health systems
