Climate Program

The Built Environment Unit launched the Climate Program in 2019 after significant contributions from Harris County Public Health (HCPH) climate change working group and multiple research fellows. The Climate Program aims to protect the health of Harris County residents from the effects of climate change by applying the core functions of public health. This program will develop and support:

Strategies intended to increase climate resilience
Strategies that affect policy as well as individual behavior change
Strategies that apply the principles of health equity
Strategies that have health and climate co-benefits
Actionable solutions for the Harris County community

The Climate Program will ensure a collaborative, cross-sectoral and interdisciplinary approach to addressing climate and health. Harris Cares 2020 outlines some of the climate challenges faced in Harris County and the importance of implementing solutions. Climate and health science is still emerging and evolving, however the time to prepare and reduce the impact on public health is now.

For more information contact:

Harris County Public Health
Built Environment Program
(713) 274-6300
Main Switchboard:
(713) 439-6000
builtenvironment@phs.hctx.net

Extreme Heat

Air Quality

Flooding

Introduction to Climate and Health

Climate impacts health in a variety of ways. Refer to Climate and Health 101 to learn more about climate changes and their impact on health outcomes.

Explore Climate and Health 101

Projects

The Climate Program has been working on several projects since its creation in 2019. Harris County Public Health (HCPH) collaborated with the City of Houston and other community partners to successfully complete an urban heat mapping campaign. Currently, the Climate Program is working on creating climate and health risk profiles. This two-part project will inform vulnerability assessments and disease burden projections for Harris County.

Resources

Community resources provide information helping address climate impacts, as well as offering additional climate and health education.

Climate and Health Resources