Public Health Leadership in Regional Climate Action Planning: Los Angeles County as a Case study

Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (LACDPH) is playing a leadership role in developing a countywide climate action plan and proposing adaptation responses that are locally supported and appropriate for building local capacity, sharing knowledge with the public, and implementing sustainable development and climate protection at the local level. One challenge LACDPH leadership faced is that many staff did not understand how climate change and health impacts fit in within their existing program framework. To engage the current public health workforce, LACDPH is collaborating with faculty and doctoral students conducting climate change and health research at the University of California, Los Angeles Fielding School of Public Health on a series of workshops on local climate change impacts and the potential health co-benefits of mitigation and adaptation activities. Each workshop session consists of a brief lecture followed by a brainstorming activity in which LACDPH staff and representatives from partner organizations collaboratively develop strategic actions to build community resiliency to climate change in Los Angeles. Participants have reported increased knowledge of the linkage between climate change and health and better understanding of how those impacts influence their current work. Participants also discuss how current program strengths and partnerships can be leveraged to develop sustainable climate action plans that consider the health impacts on vulnerable communities. In addition to building local capacity, these workshops serve as a successful model for active adaptation planning that could be disseminated to other jurisdictions.