Climate change directly affects humans, plants, animals and soil. It is imperative that policy makers and the public understand this threat and develop adaptation measures and strategies to strengthen climate change resilient structures in Austria and protect human, animal and plant health. This should be done from a One Health perspective. This report summarizes AGES projects implemented along the interface of climate, health and food security. The following key themes were identified: Heat as a direct threat to human health, increased incidence of pathogens of zoonotic character, the management of water, neophytes as weeds, nutrition and food security, and risk perception and communication in the context of climate change. Key AGES projects in these areas include: The heat mortality, mosquito, pest and bathing water monitoring. In addition to research work, AGES also has responsibility here for citizen science approaches, awareness building, public outreach, and collaboration among multiple stakeholders. Sustainably funded monitoring programs are necessary to protect health. Only in this way can climate-related changes affecting (infectious) diseases as well as plant health be detected in time. Heat-related excess mortality and heat stress must be addressed through prevention and education in order to reduce mortality and morbidity in the future. In international comparison, there is also a need to catch up in mosquito and tick monitoring.

Author:inside: Barbara Kovács, Philipp Von Gehren, Bernhard Benka, Jörg Wipplinger, Annette Nigsch, Katja Merc, Florian Heger, Georg Duscher, Karin Bakran-Lebl, Magdalena Purker, Nikolaus Schobesberger, Swen Follak, Walter Pribil, Kathrin Kerndl, Ingrid Kiefer