Exploring Urban Health and Climate Resilience: Highlights from the 20th Annual ICUH Conference

Taking place in Marrakech, Morocco, 18-21 November 2024, the conference is the premier global gathering of interdisciplinary researchers, policy-makers and community advocates committed to improving urban health worldwide

The 20th Annual International Conference on Urban Health (ICUH) brought together 364 delegates from over 65 countries and six continents to Marrakech, Morocco. This year’s theme, ‘Activating urban health strategies for a climate-resilient tomorrow’ set the stage for thought-provoking discussions, innovative research, and actionable solutions during the 128 dynamic sessions.

 ICUH conference venue, Water Museum, Marrakesh, Morocco 

Among the contributors were members of the UBDPolicy consortium. Georgia Dyer presented preliminary findings of the UBDPolicy project, presenting the premature mortality attributable to major pollutants in over 800 European cities for 2015 and 2018.

Georgia Dyer presenting preliminary findings of the UBDPolicy project

Additionally, consortium members Natalie Mueller, Lambed Tatah, Sasha Khomenko, James Woodcock, and Carolyn Daher hosted a symposium titled, ‘From Epidemiological Evidence to Policy Action: The Role of Health Impact Assessment (HIA) in Urban Health Initiatives’. This session showcased six ongoing HIA projects from European, African, and South American cities. It emphasised the practicality of HIA as a tool for promoting urban health while underscoring the critical need for interdisciplinary collaboration and stakeholder engagement in the process.

The three-day conference featured two plenary sessions each day, addressing pressing topics such as:

• Advancing health equity through healthy public spaces
• The mental health and well-being impacts of climate change on children.
• How health systems can adapt to mitigate environmental impact while meeting the evolving needs of vulnerable populations.

Visual representations of the panelist discussions were produced in real-time throughout the sessions, amplifying the key concepts and takeaways messages.

Plenary session ‘Protecting Minds, Shaping Futures: The Mental Health and Children’s Well-being Crisis in a Changing Climate’

One of the conference’s stand-out features was its commitment to empowering the younger generation. Each panel included a young advocate for climate change mitigation and adaptation, ensuring an equitable and forward-thinking approach was at the heart of every discussion.

The event proved to be a vibrant platform for collaboration and knowledge exchange, connecting researchers and professionals united by a shared mission: building healthier, more equitable, and sustainable urban futures.