P-70 Klimatilpasning og folkehelse: Perspektiver til norske beslutningstakere.

Health and climate change are inextricably linked and working across multiple sectors is essential for building comprehensive climate change adaptation strategies.

Background: Climate change is according to the World Health Organization (WHO) the greatest threat to human health in the 21st century that needs an immediate response. The ENBEL project gathers 16 partners from Europe and Africa and aims to develop syntheses of knowledge on climate and health generated in international research projects funded under the Belmont Forums Collaborative Research Action and the EU. The syntheses are relevant for national and regional policy in the EU aiming to shape low-carbon economies and build climate-resilient futures. An important task in the ENBEL project is to identify the views of European stakeholders and decision makers on how best to integrate climate change adaptation and health policy at a local and national level. In this study, we present the views of selected Norwegian policy makers on climate change adaptation and its connection to health adaptation. The ENBEL project received funding from the European Union's Framework Program for research and innovation Horizon 2020 under grant agreement number 789723974.

Methods: Semistructured digital interviews were con- ducted with representatives from Norwegian municipalities and national administrations involved in the management of health and climate change issues. Topics discussed included strategies and resources for climate adaptation and connection to health adaptation, needs for research evidence, collaboration with other organisa-tions, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on adaptation. The interviews were transcribed, and the interview data were reviewed and summarised using a simple content analysis approach.

Results: Preliminary results show that Norwegian municipalities made some connection between climate change adaptation and public health although their primary focus was on safety and emergency preparedness in the event of natural hazards. Financial and human resources are available but the lack of stringent requirements for action from governmental authorities creates challenges. For building and maintaining net- works, municipalities are active mostly at a regional and national level. Participation in international projects offers opportunities to develop relevant networks at a national level.

Conclusions: Better coordination between relevant actors in public health and climate change adaptation is needed to take into account the impacts of climate change on health.