Periodic Reporting for period 2 - ENBEL (Enhancing Belmont Research Action to support EU policy making on climate change and health)
Periodo di rendicontazione: 2022-05-01 al 2024-01-31
Climate change is according to the World Health Organization (WHO) the greatest threat to human health in the 21st century. But despite increasingly stronger calls for reframing climate change as an urgent health issue, many research communities are still operating in silos, impeding the much-needed production of genuinely integrated and evidence-based policy advice for the mitigation of climate change health risks. Awareness among policy makers on the need to step up on climate action for health protection is also still too low.
The overall aim of ENBEL (Enhancing Belmont Research Action to Support EU Policy Making on Climate Change and Health) has been to achieve convergence between climate change and health research and policy making and thereby support European and global endeavors to build a low-carbon, climate-resilient future.
The ENBEL project supports EU policy making by bringing together leaders in climate change and health research and by coordinating a network of major international health and climate research projects under the Belmont Forum’s Collaborative Research Action (CRA) on Climate, Environment and Health (CEH), EU’s Horizon 2020 programme, and other EU funded schemes. In line with the objectives, ENBEL has successfully increased the involvement of these research projects in relevant research and policy networks, conferences and workshops, and has helped improve the flow of information and knowledge on climate change and health among stakeholders and target groups. ENBEL has synthesized evidence on climate change and health links based on the included projects and has engaged with decision-makers and stakeholders involved in climate adaptation and health policies to understand their evidence needs. ENBEL has translated scientific evidence from the network into targeted outputs relevant for EU, national, regional and local policy.
Overall, ENBEL has created a space for interaction between climate scientists and health researchers and contributed to raising awareness of how climate change impacts human health. Outputs from the network have been disseminated to decision-makers, civil society, the scientific community and the general public
The overall aim of ENBEL (Enhancing Belmont Research Action to Support EU Policy Making on Climate Change and Health) has been to achieve convergence between climate change and health research and policy making and thereby support European and global endeavors to build a low-carbon, climate-resilient future.
The ENBEL project supports EU policy making by bringing together leaders in climate change and health research and by coordinating a network of major international health and climate research projects under the Belmont Forum’s Collaborative Research Action (CRA) on Climate, Environment and Health (CEH), EU’s Horizon 2020 programme, and other EU funded schemes. In line with the objectives, ENBEL has successfully increased the involvement of these research projects in relevant research and policy networks, conferences and workshops, and has helped improve the flow of information and knowledge on climate change and health among stakeholders and target groups. ENBEL has synthesized evidence on climate change and health links based on the included projects and has engaged with decision-makers and stakeholders involved in climate adaptation and health policies to understand their evidence needs. ENBEL has translated scientific evidence from the network into targeted outputs relevant for EU, national, regional and local policy.
Overall, ENBEL has created a space for interaction between climate scientists and health researchers and contributed to raising awareness of how climate change impacts human health. Outputs from the network have been disseminated to decision-makers, civil society, the scientific community and the general public
ENBEL’s approach for enhancing the impact of research findings were through a) networking , b) research syntheses , c) engaging with decision-makers focusing on Europe and Africa, d) dissemination and communication.
The key activities and results of ENBEL have been:
1. We brought together international climate change and health researchers, experts and practitioners at international conferences, workshops, symposiums and meetings to bolster the outputs of the Belmont Forum CEH and EU funded projects and contribute to awareness and policy advice on climate change and health links. Key conferences where we have presented include COP26, 27 and 28, European Climate Adaptation Conferences (ECCA2021/2023), European Public Health Conferences, International Society of Environmental Epidemiology conferences (ISEE), WHO’s Regional Consultation on Climate Change and Health and the 12th European Congress on Tropical Medicine and International Health. The ENBEL2023 Conference on Connecting Health and Climate Change was held in Stockholm October 2023, gathering about 300 participants from 35 countries.
2. We have established a climate and health network in Africa, the CHANCE network (Climate-Health Africa Network for Collaboration and Engagement). It has held 11 digital network meetings, facilitating interaction and coherence between the climate and health community in Eastern and Southern Africa. The network includes policy makers, NGOs, researchers and other stakeholders from several countries, including Kenya, Botswana, South Africa, Tanzania and Uganda. The first CHANCE network conference took place in South Africa in June 2022, and the second took place in Botswana August 2023.
3. Development of the ENBEL portal www-enbel-knowledge.eu has contributed to bolstering the outputs of ENBEL and the associated projects. The portal includes a library of over 250 training courses and learning materials to facilitate capacity building on climate change and health links as well as knowledge on the health impact of climate change gathered through ENBEL and its network. The portal includes e.g. research factsheets, videos, policy briefs and tools. Also, 23 ENBEL knowledge products (including policy briefs, research factsheets, videos and the ENBEL knowledge portal) are published in the European Climate and Health Observatory and other external portals.
4. The systematic comparison of the projects in the ENBEL network (research projects funded by the Belmont Forum CEH and the EU) helped to identify commonalities in the research methods and researched populations as well as the research gaps and future research priorities.
5. The project has engaged in stakeholder mapping in Europe and Southern/Eastern Africa, including reviews of national climate adaptation strategies and national climate adaptation plans for European countries, and meetings with the EU, WHO, national and local government stakeholders in Europe, and international decision-making networks, as well as African stakeholders, to understand evidence needs.
6. Active and strategically planned communication and dissemination activities through films, newsletters, podcasts, web, social media, media engagement and stakeholder meetings. Research knowledge and outputs from the network projects are disseminated through our channels and at relevant policy and scientific events contributing increased awareness of the climate and health links
The key activities and results of ENBEL have been:
1. We brought together international climate change and health researchers, experts and practitioners at international conferences, workshops, symposiums and meetings to bolster the outputs of the Belmont Forum CEH and EU funded projects and contribute to awareness and policy advice on climate change and health links. Key conferences where we have presented include COP26, 27 and 28, European Climate Adaptation Conferences (ECCA2021/2023), European Public Health Conferences, International Society of Environmental Epidemiology conferences (ISEE), WHO’s Regional Consultation on Climate Change and Health and the 12th European Congress on Tropical Medicine and International Health. The ENBEL2023 Conference on Connecting Health and Climate Change was held in Stockholm October 2023, gathering about 300 participants from 35 countries.
2. We have established a climate and health network in Africa, the CHANCE network (Climate-Health Africa Network for Collaboration and Engagement). It has held 11 digital network meetings, facilitating interaction and coherence between the climate and health community in Eastern and Southern Africa. The network includes policy makers, NGOs, researchers and other stakeholders from several countries, including Kenya, Botswana, South Africa, Tanzania and Uganda. The first CHANCE network conference took place in South Africa in June 2022, and the second took place in Botswana August 2023.
3. Development of the ENBEL portal www-enbel-knowledge.eu has contributed to bolstering the outputs of ENBEL and the associated projects. The portal includes a library of over 250 training courses and learning materials to facilitate capacity building on climate change and health links as well as knowledge on the health impact of climate change gathered through ENBEL and its network. The portal includes e.g. research factsheets, videos, policy briefs and tools. Also, 23 ENBEL knowledge products (including policy briefs, research factsheets, videos and the ENBEL knowledge portal) are published in the European Climate and Health Observatory and other external portals.
4. The systematic comparison of the projects in the ENBEL network (research projects funded by the Belmont Forum CEH and the EU) helped to identify commonalities in the research methods and researched populations as well as the research gaps and future research priorities.
5. The project has engaged in stakeholder mapping in Europe and Southern/Eastern Africa, including reviews of national climate adaptation strategies and national climate adaptation plans for European countries, and meetings with the EU, WHO, national and local government stakeholders in Europe, and international decision-making networks, as well as African stakeholders, to understand evidence needs.
6. Active and strategically planned communication and dissemination activities through films, newsletters, podcasts, web, social media, media engagement and stakeholder meetings. Research knowledge and outputs from the network projects are disseminated through our channels and at relevant policy and scientific events contributing increased awareness of the climate and health links
The project has brought together climate change and health researchers and research projects from different international fundings sources (mainly EU’s Horizon 2020 and Belmont Forum) and experts and created a collaborative network expected to last beyond the project period. Outputs from ENBEL will support evidence-based decision-making and help raise awareness of the health impacts of climate change.
The CHANCE network has secured funding for additional network meetings and activities beyond the ENBEL project period through another EU Horizon Europe funded project coordinated by a partner in ENBEL contributing to enhance the impact and sustainability of the CHANCE network.
Key results of the project include:
1. The organizing of an international scientific Conference on Connecting Climate Change and Health in 2023 (ENBEL2023 ).
2. Better flow of information and knowledge on climate change and health to low and middle income countries through workshops, toolkits, CHANCE network activities and collaboration with the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre and their large network of national societies.
3. Research syntheses of scientific findings from the Belmont Forum CEH and EU-funded projects as well as identification of key climate adaptation strategies.
4. Gap analysis of adaptation response measures in Europe and East and Southern Africa to better understand knowledge needs and evidence gaps.
5. Translation of scientific evidence from the network projects into targeted policy briefs (9) and outputs relevant for EU, national and regional/local policy.
6. Plain language summaries of project findings and films and videos making the results more accessible to the general public and non-scientific community (14 research factsheets + 11 films).
7. Final policy conference in Brussels targeting EU stakeholders
The CHANCE network has secured funding for additional network meetings and activities beyond the ENBEL project period through another EU Horizon Europe funded project coordinated by a partner in ENBEL contributing to enhance the impact and sustainability of the CHANCE network.
Key results of the project include:
1. The organizing of an international scientific Conference on Connecting Climate Change and Health in 2023 (ENBEL2023 ).
2. Better flow of information and knowledge on climate change and health to low and middle income countries through workshops, toolkits, CHANCE network activities and collaboration with the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre and their large network of national societies.
3. Research syntheses of scientific findings from the Belmont Forum CEH and EU-funded projects as well as identification of key climate adaptation strategies.
4. Gap analysis of adaptation response measures in Europe and East and Southern Africa to better understand knowledge needs and evidence gaps.
5. Translation of scientific evidence from the network projects into targeted policy briefs (9) and outputs relevant for EU, national and regional/local policy.
6. Plain language summaries of project findings and films and videos making the results more accessible to the general public and non-scientific community (14 research factsheets + 11 films).
7. Final policy conference in Brussels targeting EU stakeholders