SPRINGS

BACKGROUND: Global warming and climate extremes such as heavy precipitation, flooding, and drought are increasing risks for waterborne diarrheal disease. While these effects already burden low- and middle-income countries, where diarrheal diseases are the second leading cause of childhood deaths, Europe has shared and underappreciated vulnerabilities. There is an urgent need to prepare and protect our water and communities from these threats. AIM: To inform key climate, environmental, and health adaptation policies, in order to support and prepare citizens, communities and governments by better measuring the impact of future climate shocks on the burden of water-borne diarrheal diseases. APPROACH: We bring together scientists from climate, environment, health, and social sciences to collaborate with communities, industry, public authorities and policy makers across socioeconomic settings. We will model the future impact of global climate change, on local water quality and quantity, and diarrheal disease outcomes. In case studies in Ghana, Tanzania, Italy, and Romania, we will measure current interactions of climate, behaviour, and water quality on pathogen-specific diarrheal disease risks and the safety of water supply systems. We will engage individuals and communities to understand situated understandings and practices to improve risk communication and ownership. With policy makers, we will design appraisal structures to assess the economic impact and value of planetary health interventions to prevent climate-related diarrheal disease. IMPACT: SPRINGS will improve integrated climate and health surveillance, create climate-resilient water supply systems, engage citizens and stakeholders, and use evidence-based value assessments to prioritise interventions to prevent climate-induced diarrheal disease. Long term adaptive capacity and climate-resilience will increase in Europe and beyond, preventing unnecessary illness and deaths from waterborne diarrheal disease.