Living with the Elements: Weather, Climate, and Human Health

Our environment is changing, and research and knowledge on how the environment is affecting human wellbeing and health is becoming more and more important. Technical progress does not always make us more resilient to atmospheric impacts. There are many ongoing research projects, many of which studies already been done. Therefore, there is a significant amount of knowledge already gathered, but does it help decision makers and the general public to make informed decisions? Are we making the best job of interconnecting research findings and tailoring them into ready-to-use information? The communication aspects of biometeorology are one of the most important factors in the communication of science and the tailoring of policies to develop actions and protection measures for human health. Information needs to be presented in a way that is easy to understand and tailored to the needs of the users. In addition, the communication channels to be used must be focused on the target audience. Another important factor is the media to be used.

This presentation is a wrap-up of these aspects presented at the workshop and an overview of the existing human biometeorological information already available. We had covered several aspects of the important fields of human biometeorology, not only the thermal aspects such as quantification of heat, cold and other related factors for different and spatial aspects such as heat and extreme heat conditions in terms of quantification and development of heat warnings, but also quantification of indoor conditions and outdoor parks and spaces. It also includes the application of prediction models for different climates and situations. Human biometeorology includes not only the thermal aspect (heat stress), which seems to be the most relevant in the context of climate change, but also the aspects of air pollution and the combination of thermal and air pollution aspects. Much more science is needed here, as the adverse effects on human health are not limited to the effect of one factor alone, but to the combination of several factors at the same time.

Finally, communication by scientists and weather forecasters with many years of experience is crucial and valuable for the successful application of biometeorological knowledge and information for daily life and long-term climate-resilient planning in the context of climate change.