Il verde urbano ai confini tra adattamento e mitigazione dei cambiamenti climatici

Abstract

In urban areas, environmental exposures to air pollution, extreme temperatures and noise as well as socio-economic inequalities are amplified. Urban green spaces offer dual benefits: they help mitigate climate change and improve public health by fostering connection to nature, reducing noise and air pollution, mitigating the urban heat island effect, and promoting physical activity. Within the 2023 "Cobenefici di Salute ed equità a supporto dei piani di risposta ai cambiamenti climatici in Italia" project funded by the Ministry of Health, we identified health indicators to assess climate action co-benefits, including those on cardiovascular disease mortality and morbidity, birth outcomes and mental health. An increase of 0.1 in the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) was found to be associated with a 3% reduction in cardiovascular mortality rates (95% CI: -4% to -1%). Such estimates will be applied in health impact assessment studies to help guide effective climate adaptation and public health strategies.