Extreme Weather Events And Public Health Responses

on the environment and actively to reduce the burden of mortality and disease on human populations and ecosystems. T ere is no time for complacency. Actions must be taken urgently to protect the environment of Europe and assure the health of its citizens. 1 Executive Director, European Environment Agency 2 Director, Special Programme on Health and Environment, WHO Regional Of ce for Europe 00_weather 00_weather events_neu. indd XVIII events_neu. indd XVIII 22. 06. 2005 22. 06. 2005 13:01:07 13:01:07 Editorial 'Si le respect de l´homme est fondé dans le coeur des hommes, les hommes f niront bien par fonder en retour le système social, politique ou économique qui consacrera ce respect' "Lettre à un otage", Antoine de Saint-Exupéry T e global climate is changing. During the last 100 years warming has been observed in all continents with an average increase of 0. 6 ± 0. 2 °C (man ± SD) in the course of the 20th century. T e greatest temperature changes occurred at middle and high latitudes in the northern hemispheres. T e trend towards warmer average surface temperatures for the period since 1976 is roughly three times that of the past 100 years as a whole. In the last decades warming seems to be attributable to human activities (man-made environmental changes) like land-use changes, deforestation, urbanisation and the reduction of wetlands. Global climate change is likely to be accompanied by an increase in frequency and intensity of extreme weather events.

In February 2004, the WHO Regional Office for Europe and the European Environment Agency organized an expert meeting to exchange information and develop recommendations on public health and environmental responses to weather and climate extremes, floods, heat-waves and cold spells. The meeting was kindly hosted by the Ministry of Health of Slovakia. The meeting recommendations were adopted at the Fourth Ministerial Conference on Environment and Health, Budapest, Hungary, 2004.

This book reflects a collection of case studies and experiences of experts, ministries and international organizations. It gives an overview of various topics, such as:

- Will climate change alter climate variability?

- The 2003 European heat-wave

- The health impacts of temperature extremes

- Public health responses to temperature extremes

- The health impacts of floods

- Case studies on health system responses to extreme events