Lack of attention for health in rural areas, when it comes to climate adaptation measures, limits the impact such measures can have. Furthermore, climate adaptation measures are currently insufficiently integrated with other regional challenges and public health. In a transdisciplinary study this consortium integrates rural priorities for climate change with health risks and opportunities for local communities, by studying three rural regions in the Netherlands: Hogeland, Alblasserwaard en NoordOost-Brabant. Based on this approach we will combine: 1) health impact assessment and (realist) review methods to examine local consequences of climate change; 2) stakeholder and cost-benefit analyses to identify appropriate and healthy adaptation measures and relevant stakeholders; 3) analyses of best practices in the three selected regions to design inclusive, connective and forward-looking governance structures. Potential measures, their societal benefits and enabling governance structures will be discussed with local stakeholders in existing or co-created rural living labs. This will result in identification of win-win action perspectives that address healthy climate change adaptation as well as other rural development challenges, and the associated design of governance structures that ensures the effective implementation of these measures. A better understanding of how climate change affects health in these rural areas and of what governance structures/arrangements and adaptation measures are optimal for local communities, will lead to breakthroughs in tackling the health consequences of climate change comprehensively on regional and national levels. Moreover, by including learning communities of the rural labs and (national and local) networks, the consortium ensures that the identified adaptation measures are viable and implementable and can be transposed to other regions. As such, rural populations will be enabled to tackle the health challenges of climate change through successful climate adaptation measures and interventions that can serve multiple purposes in pursuit of a healthy, natural and vital rural environment.
