MOOC: Climate Change and Health
About this course
Climate change is currently at the center of the world’s attention, with delegations from more than 190 countries meeting in Paris for the COP21 to negotiate an agreement how to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to keep global warming under 2°C.
There are not many world citizens who do not have their children’s and their own health as a top priority. So why is health not more prominent topic in the debate on climate change and its impacts? We hear a lot about polar bears and smokestacks in the media, but very little on the many and the large health impacts of climate change. With this MOOC, we want to provide state-of-the art evidence of the link between climate change and the health of populations.
Who is this course for?
We address the general public from all parts of the world.
Health professionals may have a special interest and are very welcome, so are teachers and journalists, who may use this MOOC to disseminate the evidence provided. People working in meteorology and climate sciences, too, may be interested in health impacts and are welcome. In this interface between health and climate, there are few experts. So every interested global citizen, whether expert or not, is welcome to chime in.
What will I learn?
Knowledge: You will become familiar with the nature of health impacts worldwide, and for your country in particular. Further you will get to know best practices from around the world in adaptation strategies and the promotion of health co-benefits. There will be discussion forums for disease- and target-group specific interest groups, e.g. a forum on child malnutrition from climate change or health effects on the elderly.
Skills: You will analyse your country as a case study throughout the course and share this work with other course participants on our country-specific platforms. You will understand the limits and strengths of your own country’s climate adaptation plan.
Action: Hence you will be able to engage national and local policy makers to improve health protection from climate change in your country. Interviews with national policy-makers will be part of the course.