How does climate change affect the health of urban populations? Observations and explanations based on a standardized survey in a small city in Thuringia (Germany)

Abstract

In urban health debate, there is an undisputable consensus that climate change has a significant effect on the health of urban populations, especially in the context of extreme weather events such as heat waves. This paper contributes to this intensifying debate with an empirical case study with which we seek to understand how climate change impacts the health of city populations based on their previous health status. Using the method of a standardized survey (n = 2500) in a small town in Thuringia (Eisenberg), we collect data on chronic diseases, self-assessed evaluations regarding the positive or negative impacts of heat waves in the past, and adaptation practices. Additional to this dimension, we consider further underlying factors such as gender, age, income and education, as well as the micro-geographies of housing on the city quarter level. The initial results of our study show that climate change amplifies existing health inequalities and can potentially increase the wellbeing gap between city residents. This finding is an important insight for policy making to consider climate change impacts in health care systems and strategies for disaster prevention.