Building Resilience: How Recent Federal Policy is Laying the Groundwork for Improved Climate Adaptation
Adapting to the changing climate is crucial to protecting Americans’ health and the nation’s public health agencies have a key role to play in climate response planning and programs.
(Washington DC – July 22, 2024)
This TFAH issue brief reviews the intersections between climate adaptation and public health. It is designed to serve as a resource for public health departments to help them bring their expertise in health surveillance, health communications, partnerships development, and health equity to multisector climate adaptation programs.
The brief analyzes three federal actions: the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the Inflation Reduction Act, and the Justice40 Initiative and details how these programs are supporting climate adaptation efforts at the state, tribal, and local levels. It discusses the value of comprehensive and multisector climate adaptation approaches and the importance of public health agencies being at the table during climate adaptation programs planning. Public health’s experience in data analysis, program planning, and health equity, plus its grounding in community relationships, make it a critical partner in any climate adaptation programming.
The three initiatives discussed in the brief are part of a new, more structured federal approach to managing the impacts of global warming but sustained investment in climate resilience programs will be needed. Also critical will be ensuring climate adaptation investments that benefit all communities and pay particular attention to historically underserved areas.
