• Energy Research
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• 15. Life on land close
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The climate crisis and its consequences represent the greatest challenge facing human health and health care system in the 21st century. It threatens to undermine the last decades of health gains. Rising temperatures, fires, floods and droughts can directly and indirectly cause human pathologies, that are physical and mental. Extreme weather events lead to loss of life, basic life resources and cause severe mental burden. More intense and frequent heat waves due to global warming impact human health and increase mortality, especially for those most vulnerable. The heat-related health risk depends on individual state of health as well as environmental and socioeconomic characteristics of residential areas. Increasing exposure to air pollutants, due to wildfires and anthropogenic emissions, raises respiratory and cardiovascular mortality. Climate warming changes ecosystems and enhances biological invasions that can better adapt to warm environments. Pathogen profiles are changing, transmission and spread of vector-borne diseases as Malaria or Dengue are increasing. Further, rising temperatures and air pollution increase the production and allergenicity of pollen, associated with higher prevalence of allergic diseases. Protective environmental factors, as biodiversity or diverse microbiome, should be given greater consideration in future research.Health sector has the central responsibility as the fifth-largest greenhouse gas emitter to transform in a climate-neutral and sustainable way, e. g. by efficient use of resources. Further education and training in this area should be intensified and included in curricula for medical staff. Furthermore, medical professionals must educate patients about the burden of climate change, climate resilience, and the benefits of CO2 reduction - for human but also for planetary health.

Allergenic pollen are natural, biological airborne particles and the main cause of allergic respiratory diseases. The measurement of allergenic pollen is a required measure in preventive healthcare and indicates changes in the pollen spectrum as to be expected in the context of climate change.The only nationwide pollen measuring network in Germany is operated by the Foundation German Pollen Information Service, however, its continuity and further development (a hybrid system with manual and automated pollen traps) are not financially guaranteed. In the summer of 2017, the interdisciplinary working group "National Pollen Monitoring" was formed to exchange corresponding perspectives for Germany.Between November 2017 and June 2018, the working group met for three days of discussions, each with a different topic. The internal protocols for each meeting served as a basis for the position paper, which the working group used to complete their work.Due to the impact of allergenic pollen on human health and the significance of allergic diseases for the health service, the working group is in favour of the nationwide pollen monitoring being included in the catalogue of government responsibilities, which secure the basic supply of essential goods and public services of general interest.Regarding any possible assigned responsibilities within the governmental framework, different options were discussed. Independent from future responsibilities, co-operation between metrological, medical and scientific facilities is essential for adequate preventive healthcare.