Campinas and Belo Horizonte, Brazil, Convene Public Authorities and Residents to Discuss Health Impacts of Extreme Heat

Climate change is making heat waves more intense and frequent, with urban centers suffering some of the most severe impacts. This comes with escalating threats to human health — whether caused by direct exposure to heat and sunlight or by pathogens that thrive in warmer or more humid environments.

Extreme heat is already one of the main threats to city dwellers and will only worsen in an increasingly hot world. Faced with this new reality, cities and communities need deeper knowledge about the health impacts of urban heat in order to build effective and efficient adaptation solutions.

During UN Environment Week, celebrated annually in early June, WRI Brasil supported the cities of Belo Horizonte and Campinas in raising awareness among the public and city employees about the threat of extreme heat. Open panels brought together municipal leaders, public servants, researchers and urban heat experts to discuss the health effects of heat and solutions to address this problem in the context of the climate crisis.

These activities were carried out within the scope of the Heat and Health in Brazilian Cities project, co-led by WRI and the Climate Change and Urban Health in Latin America (Salurbal) project at Drexel University. Through research and community engagement, the initiative seeks to understand connections between extreme heat, health, and the social and built environment at the neighborhood level. This knowledge will help to address heat-driven health risks for some of the most vulnerable residents across Belo Horizonte and Campinas.

Lectures, Debates and Information

The Health and Heat in Brazilian Cities project unites municipal teams and city residents to guide research efforts and help design and implement adaptation responses that both protect health and promote equity. Activities during Environment Week consisted of information panels and discussion sessions. Informational banners on the impacts of climate change and extreme heat, as well as guidance and recommendations for the public, were displayed at the event.

Campinas' event, held in the Red Hall of the Municipal Palace, featured a keynote address led by Nelson Gouveia, a professor in the Department of Preventive Medicine at Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo (FMUSP). This was followed by a panel discussion featuring Wagner Ramalho, Founder and CEO of Prato Verde Sustentável; Professor David Lapola, representing Centro de Pesquisas Meteorológicas e Climáticas Aplicadas à Agricultura at the Universidade Estadual de Campinas (CEPAGRI/UNICAMP); and doctoral student João Victor Martinelli. Finally, Christiane Sartori, from Secretaria Municipal de Saúde, Prefeitura Municipal de Campinas (SMS/PMC), presented ongoing actions and programs led by the Campinas Occupational Health and Determinants Coordination Office. The event was attended by Mayor Dario Saadi and Councilman Doctor Yanko, as well as the municipal secretaries of Climate, Health and Social Assistance at the opening ceremony.

In Belo Horizonte, the Heat and Health panel was held at Américo Renné Giannetti Municipal Park and featured a keynote address by Waleska Caiaffa, professor of Epidemiology and Public Health at the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG) School of Medicine. The lecture included questions developed by the Belo Horizonte Special Climate Change Coordination Office (COEMC) in partnership with the Belo Horizonte Urban Health Observatory (OSUBH), which were answered in a collaborative manner with the audience.

WRI Brasil is now leading working groups with representatives from different departments of the Belo Horizonte and Campinas city governments to discuss solutions and identify vulnerable territories and social groups. Technical workshops are also planned in both cities, seeking to involve members of different neighborhoods and communities, social leaders, and public officials in discussions around heat risks and challenges.