Climate, health equity, and the built environment: A video on heatwaves in schools, Spain
As climate change persists, its consequences are impacting people’s health and wellbeing. In Spain, the warmer months are faced by increasing heat waves. Children are more vulnerable to the effects of heat stress, and in 2020, 79% of children in Spain were exposed to high heatwave frequency.
Many of the schools in Spain were built decades ago and are not equipped to cope with the more extreme weather in recent times. As a result, children endure their lessons in overly warm classrooms, which can break their concentration and make them fall behind on schoolwork. They are also exposed to health threats from heatwaves, including dehydration, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke, as well as longer-term consequences.
"If you have a healthier environment, you are more likely to learn and if you have a higher level of education, you are more likely to be in better health."
Ana Gil Luciano
Ministerio de Sanidad, España
EuroHealthNet and the Ministry of Health of Spain, visited the school IES Los Castillos in Alcorcón, Spain, to learn how teachers and students are using innovative measures to reduce the impacts from heat stress on the school building, and to educate students on how to be more environmentally conscious. From greening areas to creating more shade, teachers and students are working together to protect their health and wellbeing.
This video is part of a series on 'Climate, health equity, and the built environment', with support from the European Climate Foundation. Upcoming videos in this series will focus on climate-neutral hospitals in Austria, a ban on solid fuel use in Ireland to improve air quality, and reducing energy poverty in Bulgaria.
The video series is part of EuroHealthNet's call for an EU Strategy on Climate and Health.
