Climate change poses global health threats and requires urgent investment

A 2026 report by international researchers highlights that climate change is an urgent global public health threat. Beyond environmental shifts, rising temperatures, prolonged heatwaves, droughts, and floods are directly impacting human health and straining healthcare systems. Heatwaves, in particular, are linked to an average of over 540,000 estimated deaths annually between 2016 and 2023, causing dehydration, heat exhaustion, and heatstroke.

To address these challenges, the European Investment Bank (EIB) has announced plans to invest 30 billion euros in climate adaptation projects by 2030. This amount doubles the bank's previous commitment for the first half of the decade. The funding aims to support water management, modern agricultural methods, and resilient infrastructure against floods and droughts. Economic estimates suggest that every euro invested in prevention and adaptation can save ten euros in future damage and repair costs.