A new briefing by adelphi warns that the world is critically under-investing in health systems needed to withstand climate impacts. Despite growing recognition that “climate financing is health financing”, only $173 million – a mere 0.5% of all multilateral climate finance, and 2% of total adaptation finance – has been directed toward health sector adaptation since 2004.
The Nexus of Adaptation and Health Finance: Mapping multilateral climate funds’ investments and national needs finds that countries vulnerable to climate impacts are already facing mounting health threats, from heat and deadly diseases to collapsing health and infrastructure. Despite this, and despite improvements in recent years, multilateral funding continues to overlook health needs caused by climate impacts.
“The climate crisis and its impacts on human health are severe and life-threatening – already impacting health especially in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia,” says Mathilde Wilkens, co-author of the briefing. “Linking multilateral climate funds investments with countries national needs and priorities in the health sector as well as prioritizing investments in vulnerable countries is key for leveraging change towards resilient health systems.”
Countries are signaling urgent need, but finance is not following
The briefing provides an analysis of all the current 67 National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) submitted by 2025, and their related health counterparts (HNAPs) submitted to the UNFCCC, and found that 87% of NAPs include health priorities, and 39% specify a dedicated health budget. In all, the combined health sector needs amount to $2.54 billion. Of this, only 0.1% is currently covered by multilateral financing to date.
Countries across the world have recognized the importance of addressing the health and climate nexus, and states such as Nepal and Bangladesh have demonstrated strong planning for climate-resilient healthcare. Without new investment, however, implementation will stall.
“As one of the world’s most climate-vulnerable countries, Bangladesh faces escalating health threats from climate change, from infectious diseases to heat stress and mental health impacts, which threaten the wellbeing of million,” says Md Shamsuddoha, Chief Executive at the Center for Participatory Research and Development-CPRD, Bangladesh. “ As this latest report highlights, in order to safeguard communities and advance our National Adaptation Plan goals in regards to public health, it is necessary to scale up multilateral climate funds for Bangladesh’s health sector, as well as bolster integrated risk analysis and reporting. Strengthening climate-resilient health systems and early warning capacities will be key to protecting lives and driving resilient development.”
The Briefing also highlights that it is crucial to ensure adaptation finance makes its way to those who need it the most. While half of all funding, for example, reached Least Developed Countries, only 4% supported fragile or conflict-affected areas, where health systems are most at risk. At the same time, not a single country-specific health adaptation project has been funded in South Asia in the studies period, despite the region representing an estimated 18% of future climate-related health impacts.
A critical year for change
The briefing comes at a pivotal moment as governments are set to meet at COP30 next week for what has been termed the “Adaptation COP”. At Belem, world governments are set to operationalize the Global Goal on Adaptation, and the Brazilian COP30 Presidency will launch the Belém Health Action Plan. In light of the upcoming COP and these key initiatives, the briefing recommends the following:
