Climate crisis and health in cities

We are organising a new seminar as part of the collaborative partnership between the Mémora Foundation and the Víctor Grífols i Lucas Foundation within the “Cities that Care” project. This initiative aims to place care at the centre of municipal policies, with a focus on preventing and addressing end-of-life vulnerability and unwanted loneliness.

We live in complex times, and cities—spaces of coexistence and collective organisation—are facing multiple, overlapping crises. Among these, the climate crisis stands out as one of the most significant structural challenges facing both present and future cities. It is neither distant nor abstract: extreme heat waves, poor air quality, urban flooding, and water scarcity already affect many urban areas. These impacts are felt most acutely in neighbourhoods with precarious infrastructure, limited green spaces, poorly insulated housing, and reduced access to public services. As a result, they have a direct effect on people’s health, creating a double vulnerability—both social and environmental.

A “City that Cares” must not only adapt to climate change, but do so by prioritising the needs of the most vulnerable. This seminar will address these issues from an ethical and public health perspective, examining the health impacts of the climate crisis as well as potential strategies and actions that can be implemented by cities.

With the collaboration of: