Charisma

Urban areas, where these structures are highly concentrated and vegetation or water is limited, become “islands” of higher temperatures relative to outlying areas. These zone are referred to as ‘urban heat islands’. This phenomenon is observed globally, also in India. This urban heating effect on top of the warming by climate change can have severe consequences. Climate change leads more frequent and intense heat waves. Urban areas already suffering from the heat island effect will bear the brunt of these extreme heat events.

Since India is fastly urbanising, this is a growing concern for authorities at national and local level. India’s urban population is expected to double by 2050 to 800 million, from 420 million in 2015. The phenomenon of urban heat island risk to threaten not only the wellbeing of the city dwellers, but also their health. Although several Indian cities have heat-action plans in place, whereby authorities suggest and prescribe the public timely measures to minimize the impact of heat-waves, such actions are short-term (i.e. typically a few days in advance). Given that climate-change aggravates heat-waves and with climate-change being a long term effect, adaptation measures need to be put in place now to minimize future heat-wave impacts. No-regret measures, meaning, adaptation measures that remain effective even in decades to come, therefore need to consider the evolution of climatic changes towards the future. This is what the climate-health information service of CHARISMA will enable. 

Simultaneously climate change is expected to have a negative impact on the prevention and control of vector-borne diseases, like Malaria, Dengue, Chikungunya, Filariasis, Japanese Encefalitis and visceral Leishmaniasis. Therefore, in CHARISMA we combine information allowing us to map the presence of a vector and living conditions of people living in cities with information from public health authorities to model disease risk at the ward level. The ultimate objective is to develop a spatial decision support system that is ran by urban public authorities to plan vector and disease monitoring and control.

The project has three main objectives. First, facilitate and support the drawing up of strategies and no-regret action plans for climate adaptation with focus on heat and health related issues by giving access to quantitative information for effective risk management. Second, deliver the necessary spatial data for local urban administrations to carry out impact analysis for the development of climate adaptation plans for heat stress management and effectively combatting vector-borne diseases (spatial planning, green space management, health and emergency services, social services). To this extent an information platform was developed through co-creation with authorities. Third, raise awareness among authorities, academic institutes and citizens regarding climate change and potential impacts

Conference: https://urbcare.org/

Project website : https://charisma-india.eu/en  

Video : https://youtu.be/KykUCf5daVU

Platform : https://charisma.marvin.vito.be/selection

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