Mapping climate change and health indicators

This report identifies indicators being used by countries in assessments of their current and future vulnerability to the health risks of climate change (known as vulnerability and adaptation assessments, V&As) and reports on health national adaptation plans (HNAPs), submitted to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

The review process included evaluating reports from member countries of the Alliance for Transformative Action on Climate and Health (known as ATACH), from all six regions of the World Health Organization, that were available on the Alliance’s website from January 2015 to November 2024. A total of 31 reports from 22 countries were available, of which 15 were V&As and 16 were HNAPs. This report identified common indicators used by countries as well as differences in indicators and approaches.

Overall, 3 880 indicators were extracted, although many of them were not written as indicators; however, their conversion to indicators was feasible. The summary indicator tables were developed from these data. Indicators were categorized by the main areas that emerged from evaluating the causal pathways between climate change and health, which include hazards, exposures, vulnerabilities, climate-sensitive health outcomes and their impacts on health systems and facilities, future changes in the climate and in health risks, and enabling factors.

The mapping exercise summarized the indicators identified, removed repetitions and merged similar indicators, resulting in 1 684 summary indicators.

This report found inconsistencies among countries in their understanding of the indicators, the definitions used for them, and their application. Nevertheless, countries are using their indicators to support national and local decision-making processes.

Further discussion with countries and experts is needed to decide whether a core set of common indicators would be useful to assist countries in conducting both V&As and HNAPs. The summary list of indicators identified here can be used for that purpose.