Table 2. Common implementation barriers facing CCH interventions
Barrier Problem statement Reasons
Policy–practice disconnect Many governments acknowledge CCH risks, yet climate policies rarely translate into on-the-ground health interventions.
  • Climate adaptation is seen as a “future” issue rather than an immediate health priority.
  • Ministries often work in silos—health and environment policies don’t align.
  • Political and economic interests resist change.
Underfunded and over-reliant: the donor dependency problem Many interventions lack sustainable funding and remain pilot projects rather than long-term solutions.
  • Ministries of health often prioritize immediate crises (e.g. infectious disease outbreaks) over long-term climate adaptation.
  • Low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) depend on short-term donor funding, leading to interventions that collapse once funding ends.
Not measured = not managed: the data problem Governments need CCH surveillance systems to track risks (e.g. air pollution, disease outbreaks), but many lack real-time data.
  • Data systems often don’t integrate climate and health records.
  • In LMICs, health surveillance relies on paper-based records or poorly maintained digital systems.
  • AI tools exist but require large amounts of reliable data to be effective.
Left behind: without people, interventions fail Even the best interventions fail if people don’t trust them.
  • Misinformation and climate denialism reduce public trust in interventions.
  • Top-down interventions that ignore local knowledge struggle with uptake.
  • Fear of government overreach—some communities reject climate policies as “anti-economic.”