You cannot register for this webinar

Co-sponsored by Peking University's Institute for Global Health and Development and the Asia Health Policy Program Speaker: Ashwin Rode, Director, Scientific Research, Energy Policy Institute at Chicago (EPIC), University of Chicago Rainfall and flooding frequently disrupt the lives of urban residents worldwide, posing significant public health risks. Rapid urbanisation is exposing larger and more vulnerable populations to these hazards, while climate change intensifies rainfall patterns, and rising sea levels impair drainage systems. Despite the growing recognition and urgency of these hazards, the health impacts of rainfall remain poorly understood, and those of sea level rise are entirely unquantified. Without robust quantification, we lack a complete understanding of the health risks posed by extreme weather and climate change, particularly in rapidly growing megacities where vulnerable populations are disproportionately affected. Here, we estimate the mortality consequences of rainfall in one of the world’s largest cities – Mumbai, India. We integrate high-resolution data on rainfall, tides, and mortality, to analyse how extreme rainfall and its interaction with tidal dynamics contribute to urban health risks. We find that rainfall causes roughly 8% of Mumbai’s deaths during the monsoon season, and that nearly 90% of this burden is borne by slum-residents. We also find that children face the biggest increase in mortality risk from rainfall, and women face a greater risk than men. Additionally, we demonstrate that mortality risk from rainfall increases sharply during high tides and use this relationship to project how rising sea levels will amplify rainfall-induced mortality in the future.