This session deals with the interactions between atmospheric conditions, human beings and the environment (ecosystems, materials) in an interdisciplinary manner as well as on how to warn, respond to and mitigate adverse effects resulting from human activities and climate change. The core questions are to assess how atmospheric conditions can impact the well-being and health of humans, how urban planning can improve atmospheric conditions (air quality, urban climate) and how to transfer such knowledge in a broadly understandable way in order to ensure the appropriate usage of such information. Atmospheric conditions include transient ones driven by weather patterns and long-term climatology as well as how climate change trends may affect these drivers.

In this context, the session will address issues concerning assessment approaches (incl. emission inventories) for urban climate (incl. heat load and cold stress), air quality and health, as well as warning systems and measures in place to mitigate adverse impacts. Modelling and experimental studies on how environmental management, urban planning and design or traffic regulation can improve living conditions and decrease emissions are particularly welcome.

The session will consider the impacts of weather processes with respect to air temperature, air quality and radiation on human well-being and health. Since several methods are in use to compile bio-weather and air quality forecasts, we are looking forward to discussing such approaches and the way to convey such information to end-users and the public, but particularly to special target cohorts. Another aim is to describe ways, how climate and air quality data and information should be transferred and addressed for issues on tourism and recreation but also for people living in urban areas.

The session will also address efforts to combine the different environmental impacts on humans into one single index, as it is well known that humans react to the whole mix of atmospheric stimuli. The aim is to improve the requested information and to look for more efficient ways of conveying the message on a regular basis in order to enable authorities and citizens to make the best use of such information in their everyday activities.

The session can also serve as a dissemination forum for relevant projects, including the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service CAMS, COST Actions, GAW/SAG-GURME, as well as national- and European-scale consortium projects. Please do contact the conveners if you wish to organise a compiled distinctive component in the session.