Climate Change Image

2022 Climate and Health Adaptation Program Grantees Announced

Apr 05, 2022 | Anu Varma, Angana Roy

Local agencies to use funding for air quality improvement, and flood and wildfire risk awareness

Washington, DC, April 05, 2022 The National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO), with support from the Climate and Health Program at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), has awarded the Calhoun County Health Department in Illinois, GreenRoots in Massachusetts, and Public Health—Seattle-King County in Washington with $25,000 each to supplement ongoing climate change and health adaptation initiatives at the local level.

The 2022 report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the United Nations’ body for assessing the science related to climate change, noted that a rapidly warming planet presents both immediate and long-term challenges for human health. Rising temperatures will mean longer, hotter summers; larger, more intense wildfires; and increased rainfall and more frequent floods, among other risks. In addition to acute risks presented by extreme heat and fires, heat waves and wildfire smoke can exacerbate a range of chronic conditions, including respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. Meanwhile, flooding presents an urgent danger for people directly in the path of the floodwaters, and can also result in long-term damage to buildings, leading to problems such as mold growth and sewage leaks. These enormously disruptive events can also contribute to emotional distress when people’s homes, livelihoods, and sense of safety are damaged.

However, there are ample opportunities to adapt to, and mitigate, these risks. Local health departments have a vital role to play in this process. They can deliver education and outreach to residents, maintain health surveillance and monitoring systems, and implement necessary changes in response to the specific risks in their jurisdiction. An effective and well-functioning public health system means healthier and resilient communities, even in the face of unprecedented challenges. As the leading advocate for local public health, NACCHO is pleased to support the work of the following three local health departments through the climate and health grant awards.

Calhoun County Health Department in Illinois is using the grant to raise awareness around climate and health issues, particularly the effects of flooding. Located between the Mississippi and Illinois rivers, Calhoun County is at risk for seasonal flooding, which can disrupt travel, farming, and other daily activities in the community. Climate change is likely to increase the frequency and intensity of flooding across the Midwest and residents of places like Calhoun County have already experienced some of these effects. With this grant, the department plans to build a flood model to help community residents better understand the speed and scale with which floods can sweep through the local area. The health department also plans to host an Earth Day event in April to bring the community together and share educational materials about flooding. By raising awareness on the issue, the Calhoun County Health Department aims to give residents the knowledge they need to safely respond and adapt to their changing environment.

GreenRoots will work with the community in Chelsea, MA to support improved air quality and a “cool block” strategy. Chelsea is adjacent to Boston Logan International Airport. The jet fuel for the airport, as well as much of the gasoline for energy needs in the surrounding area travels up Chelsea Creek while tens of thousands of vehicles cross over Tobin Bridge into the city every day. Other critical industries also operate in and around Chelsea, including one of the largest produce distribution centers on the East Coast. These industrial operations generate noise, traffic, and pollution, placing a heavy environmental burden on the residents of Chelsea. To counter these effects, GreenRoots plans to collect data from existing outdoor air quality monitors maintained by the state and develop a plan to distribute 200 air purifiers. The organization will also use the grant funding to engage the local community in plans to paint white roofs, plant trees, and redesign an area along Mill Creek to create a new park.

With their funding, Public Health — Seattle & King County (PHSKC), in collaboration with two community-based organizations (Mother Africa and Chinese Information Services Center), aims to increase community awareness around the importance of indoor air quality and accessible strategies to help community members improve their indoor air quality during wildfire smoke events and throughout the year to help reduce health disparities among frontline communities. Wildfire smoke has turned into a routine hazard in the Pacific Northwest. Communities that already bear a disproportionate burden of respiratory conditions exacerbated by wildfire smoke, such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, are likely to have the fewest resources available to mitigate their exposure to poor air quality. To help address these issues, Public Health—Seattle & King County will roll out a pilot program for community-based organizations interested in joining PHSKC’s new network of Clean Air Ambassadors, part of a citizen science approach to promoting better air quality in the local community. This effort will involve the development of a community training module and culturally relevant educational materials.

For more information on NACCHO’s climate change work, visit NACCHO’s webpage.

# # #

About NACCHO
The National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) represents the nation’s nearly 3,000 local health departments. These city, county, metropolitan, district, and tribal departments work every day to protect and promote health and well-being for all people in their communities. For more information about NACCHO, please visit www.naccho.org.


NACCHO logo small version02 square N pms321 Invert

About Anu Varma

Pronouns: She/Her

Anupama Varma is a Communications Specialist for Environmental Health at NACCHO.

More posts by Anu Varma

About Angana Roy

More posts by Angana Roy

Related Posts

Woman Suffering with Heat Stroke
  • Webinar, Extreme Weather, Hazards & Health Effects

[Webinar] Test a New Virtual Tool: Plan and Implement...

Join us for a webinar on July 1 about CHaRT, a tool to reduce health risks...

Jun 04, 2025 | Anu Varma

[Webinar] Test a New Virtual Tool: Plan and Implement...

Heat
  • Tools & Resources, Extreme Weather

Heat Action Day 2025: Recognizing Heat Exhaustion and...

June 2 marks Heat Action Day. See how LHDs can be prepared for extreme heat.

Jun 02, 2025 | Aliya Al-Sadi

Heat Action Day 2025: Recognizing Heat Exhaustion and...

WWM workshop smaller graphic 2
  • Funding Opportunity, Epidemiology, Infectious Disease, NACCHO 360

Register for From Sewers to Solutions: Wastewater...

A 2025 NACCHO360 Pre-Conference Workshop. Limited travel scholarships are...

May 21, 2025 | Nikita Kheni

Register for From Sewers to Solutions: Wastewater...

I Stock 1347510474
  • Model Aquatic Health Code

Preventing Pool Chemical Injuries: A Quick Guide for...

Kick off Healthy and Safe Swimming Week with a Pool Chemical Safety, Storage,...

May 19, 2025 | Anu Varma

Preventing Pool Chemical Injuries: A Quick Guide for...

PH EH Chem Prep
  • Tools & Resources

Bridging Public Health and Environmental Health for...

See how LHDs and environmental health professionals support response and...

May 15, 2025 | Nikita Kheni, Sarah Callahan

Bridging Public Health and Environmental Health for...

Lake Erie
  • Webinar, Model Aquatic Health Code

Freshwater Beach Monitoring: Best Practices, Challenges,...

Event covering what it takes to operate a successful freshwater beach...

May 06, 2025 | Olivia Turay

Freshwater Beach Monitoring: Best Practices, Challenges,...

Lead pipe
  • Lead Poisoning

New Video Explains What Communities Can Expect with Lead...

​Watch and share a YouTube video to see the process of lead service line...

May 01, 2025

New Video Explains What Communities Can Expect with Lead...

3 prvcu
  • Vector Control

¿Qué se necesita para responder al dengue?

A blog by NACCHO and Puerto Rico Vector Control Unit staff on dengue outbreak...

Feb 20, 2025 | Angana Roy, Noemí Martínez, JD

¿Qué se necesita para responder al dengue?

Wastewater plant2
  • Infectious Disease, Wastewater

Fostering Local Wastewater Monitoring Network...

FLoW-Net is now open to all Local Health Departments.

Feb 05, 2025 | Nikita Kheni

Fostering Local Wastewater Monitoring Network...

Back to Top