Health Adaptation Option from an Ecohealth Approach - Bolivia

This activity is applying an ecohealth approach to assess climate change impacts on human health in an urban population setting in Bolivia. It is looking at vulnerability for dengue fever and diarrhea at the Pilcomayo river watershed. Based on the results of its interdisciplinary assessments, it will come up with action-research studies to address the situation.

Key facts:

This activity proposed a new methodology for assessing the impacts of climate change on human health using an ecohealth approach;
This activity is raising awareness about water and climate change vulnerability;
It is also promoting the use of clean technologies to reduce local greenhouse gas emission activities.

The problem

Growing cities worldwide are very sensitive to the impacts of climate change. Cities in Bolivia’s Chaco ecosystems are less developed and have a higher level of vulnerability. Chaco is characterized by high temperature and low and erratic precipitation throughout the year. This region is highly vulnerable to recurrent droughts that are causing people to lose their cattle and crop production.

The solution

This activity proposed a new methodology for assessing the impacts of climate change on human health using an ecohealth approach. It is looking at several variables including epidemiology, social, economic, hydrologic, ecosystem conservation and health adaptive capacity along with related climate and spatial data to understand the cause of dengue diarrhea in the Pilcomayo watershed. This project began with a high vulnerability assessment and a few adaptation strategies which include a dengue early warning system, raising awareness about water and climate change vulnerability; establishing systems to compensate and protect watersheds and springs; capacity building; water-borne disease prevention actions; and promotion of clean technologies to reduce local greenhouse gas emission activities.

Helping the planet

This activity is raising awareness about water and climate change vulnerability. It is encouraging people to protect their watersheds and springs. It is also promoting the use of clean technologies to reduce local greenhouse gas emission activities.

Helping people

This activity aims to get commitment from various strategic players in each country, like municipal governments and local decision makers, to promote public policy with clear strategies to address the problem of climate change and its impact on human health. Through the generation of a learning process and a commitment from leaders, behavior change regarding habits and practices of the population will change for the better.

Scaling Up

This activity can be scaled up wherever climate change is impacting human health.