Dear Colleagues,

According to the United Nations, cities in Asian countries including India and China will account for the majority of the growth in the urban population over the next 30 years. While cities provide significant opportunity, they also tend to highlight vulnerabilities. Urban populations often have to deal with environmental hazards that potentially impact human health outcomes. These can include thermal stress caused by urban heat islands; morbidity associated with increased air pollution; direct and indirect health impacts of natural disasters such as floods, bushfires and extreme storms; increases in vector-borne diseases due to higher temperatures and changed habitats; and increases in water- or foodborne diseases due to poor sanitation. The theme of this proposed Special Issue of Sustainability is Asian cities, climate change, and human health. The focus will be on:

• Developing an understanding of the nature of the climate change/human health challenge within Asian cities;
• Understanding potential adaptation and mitigation measures;
• Measuring vulnerability as a background to developing successful adaptation and mitigation measures; and
• Analyzing vulnerable populations and understanding the uneven climate/health impacts on vulnerable populations.

It is widely known that while cities provide significant opportunity, they also tend to highlight vulnerabilities. Urban populations often have to deal with environmental hazards that potentially impact on human health outcomes. These can include thermal stress caused by urban heat islands, morbidity associated with increased air pollution, direct and indirect health impacts of natural disasters such as floods, bushfires and extreme storms, increases in vector bourne diseases due to higher temperatures and changed habitats and increases in water or food bourne diseases due to poor sanitation. While all cities are likely to face potential climate change impacts, it is those located in some of the fastest growing regions of the world that are perhaps most vulnerable. The IPCC notes that cities in Asia contain a significant proportion of the global urban exposure and vulnerability related to climate change hazards.

In this context, the theme of this proposed special edition of Sustainability is Asian Cities, Climate Change and Human Health.

Papers are invited that cover, but are not limited to, the main topics of:

• Understanding of the nature of the climate change / human health challenge within Asian cities;
• understanding potential adaptation and mitigation measures;
• measuring vulnerability as a background to developing successful adaptaion and mitigation measures ; and
• analysing vulnerably populations and understanding the uneven climate/ health imapcts on vulnerable populations

Prof. Dr. Scott Baum
Guest Editor

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• cities
• climate change
• human health
• extreme weather events
• urban heat island
• vector-borne disease
• waterborne disease
• foodborne disease
• mortality
• morbidity
• vulnerability