NH Climate and Health Program
Lead Organization: NH Division of Public Health Services
Program Name: NH Climate and Health Program
Summary:
The New Hampshire Climate and Health Program works to build community resilience to threats such as extreme heat and injury, flooding and injury, tick habitat, and vector-borne disease. The program serves the public via a focus on target populations, including the elderly, lower-income communities, and individuals spending time outdoors. The program funds partners for two multi-year interventions to address 1) severe weather and home emergency preparedness among older adults in a river valley, and 2) expanding insect seasons, tick exposure, and tick-safe practices among outdoor counselor and campers in the Seacoast region. A heat-safety flyer was created for the elderly population to warn about hot weather and provide suggestions on how to stay cool, hydrated, and informed. One of the program’s internal agency adaptation activities is updating a state-level extreme heat response plan. Another internal adaptation activity is to fund the testing of shellfish in warming waters to reduce the risk of food-borne disease. The Climate and Health Program has collaborated with the Environmental Public Health Tracking Program to post information for heat injuries on an interactive data portal.
Climate-Ready State funded since 2012
Relevant Links
- Climate Change in Southern New Hampshire: Past, Present, and Future: https://sustainableunh.unh.edu/sites/sustainableunh.unh.edu/files/images/southernnhclimateassessment2014.pdfpdf iconexternal icon
- Climate Change in Northern New Hampshire: Past, Present, and Future: https://sustainableunh.unh.edu/sites/sustainableunh.unh.edu/files/images/northernnhclimateassessment2014.pdfpdf iconexternal icon
- Heat Safety Flyer for Older Adults: https://www.dhhs.nh.gov/dphs/climate/documents/seniorheat.pdfpdf iconexternal icon
- Heat and Health: Understanding Community Risk: https://www.nh.gov/epht/environmental-topics/documents/heat-health.pdfpdf iconexternal icon
- Tracking Climate Change via an interactive data portal: https://wisdom.dhhs.nh.gov/wisdom/#TopicGroup_4BB20C4ADE6C4F60A4E387E9E1210BAEexternal icon
To learn more, please visit: https://www.dhhs.nh.gov/dphs/climate/index.htmexternal icon
Contact information: climate@dhhs.nh.gov