Scientists, policy makers and the public must work together more closely to tackle urban health risks and make cities more liveable, experts agreed at a forum in east China's Xiamen on Thursday and Friday.
The event, organized by the Urban Health and Wellbeing Program of the International Council for Science, gathered an international mix of scientists in atmospheric, medical, social and computer sciences, as well as representatives from science funding organizations, local municipalities and NGOs.
"The challenges urban planners are confronted with are immense and require intelligent solutions and support from complex systems modelers," said Franz Gatzweiler, executive director of the program.
With Gatzweiler warning that the outcomes of those models are not easily understood, communicated and implemented, the delegates found common ground on the need to involve local people in modeling urban health issues and generate and communicate scientific knowledge in a way that can usefully inform policy choices.
Participants in the forum also agreed on collaborating in the design of a training program and a model project in China.
"The unmatched speed and scale of China's urbanization make the country a living laboratory for urban health research," said Zhu Yongguan, director general of the Institute of Urban Environment under the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).
Common urban health threats include air pollution, infectious diseases, and lifestyle conditions such as obesity and cardiovascular disease. Rapid urban environmental change combined with climate change is another real threat, causing thousands of premature deaths every year.
Over half of the world's population lives in cities, and it is increasing by about 2 percent annually. More than two billion urban dwellers are expected to be added over the next three decades.
The Urban Health and Wellbeing Program is co-sponsored by the Inter-academy Medical Panel and United Nations University, and based at the CAS Institute of Urban Environment in Xiamen.
