Risks and solutions: how climate change is impacting our water and health

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Climate, Energy & Natural Resources

15May2024

starts 11:00

ends 12:15

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🔴WATCH: Risks and Solutions: How climate change is impacting our water and health

In Europe, the climate is changing quickly. Extreme weather events that have taken place over recent years offer an indication of what is to come under future warming conditions.

Climate change impacts the water cycle, causing flooding, water scarcity and drought. In addition, climate-related changes in water quality threaten human health. All of the above could become more severe and far-reaching in the future without greater adaptation measures.

More frequent and intensive flooding has cost lives and livelihoods across Europe, while at the same time, more than 50% of the continent has, in recent years, been affected by extreme drought conditions, which also breed a range of negative social, economic and human outcomes.

However, there are solutions that can be applied to reduce and prevent the serious health impacts resulting from these climate-related changes.

At this event, Leena Ylä-Mononen, Executive Director of the European Environment Agency (EEA), will present a new report: “Responding to climate change impacts on human health in Europe: focus on floods, droughts and water quality”.

This report, produced by the EEA under the European Climate and Health Observatory initiative, aims to help policy-makers understand the ways in which floods, droughts and worsened water quality under a changing climate, impact human health and well-being.

We will also welcome senior representatives from the European Commission, and other key stakeholders, who will consider the policy responses to improve climate adaptation measures and enhance our climate resilience.

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PHOTO CREDIT: Shutterstock/luchschenF

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Speakers

Philippe Roux started his career in the French social sector in 1985 while studying social sciences, European law and public health. He joined the European Commission and the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction in 1998. In 2005, he came back to the European Commission as Coordinator of the Diet, Physical Activity and Health European Platform, before being appointed Head of the Units ‘Country Knowledge and Scientific Committees’ (2016), ‘Health Information and Integration in all Policies’ (2020) and ‘Cancer, Health in all Policies’ (2022). In 2021, he was one of the driving forces for setting up the European Climate and Health Observatory. Since September 2023, Mr. Roux has been the Acting Director of ‘Public Health, Cancer and Health Security’.

Guido Schmidt is a German PhD in environmental engineering who currently works as Senior Policy Expert at Fresh Thoughts Consulting GmbH. Schimdt has 30 years’ experience in better understanding, preventing and solving water and environmental problems and conflicts. He has worked on water management and climate adaptation and cross-cutting topics, such as public and stakeholder involvement and international cooperation in Europe, Asia and Latin America.

Elena Višnar Malinovská is the Head of the climate adaptation & resilience Unit at the European Commission’s DG CLIMA. In her role, she leads the work on the EU strategy on climate adaptation, the Horizon Europe Mission on adaptation and first European Climate Risk Assessment.

Leena Ylä-Mononen has worked with national, European and international environmental policy and administration for over 30 years. Before joining the EEA, Ylä-Mononen was director general at the Finnish Ministry of the Environment, where she was in charge of the Ministry’s Climate and Environmental Protection Department, dealing with environmental policy issues and EU files. Prior to joining the Ministry Ylä-Mononen worked in management positions at the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) in Helsinki, first as a head of unit and then as one of the directors. She also worked at the European Commission, Directorate-General for Environment, on policy files related to chemicals, pesticides and multilateral environmental agreements related to chemicals.

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