The Mountadapt project will reduce the impact of climate change on people's health and health systems

Extreme weather events caused by climate change impact public health, individual health and healthcare systems. This translates into hundreds of thousands of deaths, a potential economic cost of billions of euros and consequences that will last for years. The Mountadapt project, in which the University of Deusto participates, aims to develop solutions and strategies to improve climate adaptation in the field of health and protect the well-being of communities living in Europe's mountain regions.

Co-financed by the European Union, through its Horizon Europe “Climate, Energy and Mobility” program, this project involves the eVIDA research team from the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Deusto, whose principal investigator is Begoña García Zapirain. From the start of Mountadapt in June 2024 until its completion, scheduled for May 2027, the work of the team led by García Zapirain is focused on two fundamental tasks. On the one hand, the creation of a training course and awareness campaign on the impact of climate change on health aimed at professionals in the health sector. On the other, eVIDA develops predictive models with artificial intelligence for both adverse weather events and their impact on health. This will enable health professionals to prevent, prepare for, detect and respond in time to climate change threats to health.

Populations at particular risk

For the pilot tests, Mountadapt will work in mountainous regions of Austria, France, Romania and Slovenia. Populations in these areas are particularly exposed to problems such as reduced air quality, more frequent and intense heat waves, high pollen exposure and increased risk of landslides and floods. All of these can lead to public health problems such as cardiovascular, chronic and respiratory diseases; infectious diseases transmitted by insects and animals; and physical safety risks.

In this challenge of strengthening the resilience of the health system in the selected areas, reducing the impact of climate change on public health, Deusto collaborates with and relies on the expertise of the 27 Mountadapt partners, including health centers, public authorities, innovators, researchers and citizen communities.

MOUNTADAPT is a project co-funded by the European Union (Grant agreement ID: 101155958) through its Horizon Europe “Climate, Energy and Mobility” program.

Coordinating partners: Euroquality, National Centre For Scientific Research - Demokritos and Health Care Without Harm Europe.

Participating partners, in addition to the University of Deusto, are: Hamburg Institute Of International Economics, Università Degli Studi Del Piemonte Orientale 'Amedeo Avogadro' and Consortium of the Working Community of the Pyrenees.

Pilot test sites:
- Austria: Amt Der Tiroler Landesregierung (Office of the Tyrolean Provincial Government), Tirol Kliniken Gmbh, the private university UMIT-TIROL, Austrian National Public Health Institute
- France: Grenoble-Alpes Métropole, Grenoble Alpes University Hospital and Grenoble Alpes University.
- Romania: Directorate of Social Assistance, Alba Iulia (DAS)
- Slovenia: The Community Healthcare Center Dr. Adolf Drolc Maribor (HCM), The municipality of Selnica ob Drava and Energy and Climate Agency of Podravje.

Project replication sites: Servei Andorrà D'Atenció Sanitària (Andorra), Emergency County Clinical Hospital Pius Brinzeu Timisoara (Romania) and Hamburg.
Solutions Providers

Solutions Providers: Suez Aria Technologies, Floralis-UGA Filiale, CrisiSoft, Irideon y Scientific And Technical Centre For Building (CSTB).