Strategies to Address Climate-Related Challenges

1. Climate-Resilient Infrastructure: States, municipalities, cities, towns, and rural areas alike must invest in facilities designed to withstand extreme weather, with features like water recycling, solar power, and storm water management including retention ponds.

-- Note: Retention ponds can pose daily hazards especially to children and those with developmental disabilities. However, they can be put underground (e.g., engineering and urban planning is required).

2. Targeted Education Programs: Tailored water safety curricula must include climate-specific risks specific to that region (e.g., floodwater dangers, rip current safety).

3. Community Outreach: Local organizations & public sector intervention is necessary to reach populations most affected by climate change and structural inequities.

4. Policy Advocacy: Funding and policy changes can help ensure safe, accessible water spaces in communities as part of climate adaptation plans.

5. Research & Data Collection: Research evidence and data reveal the intersection of climate change and water safety to guide interventions and resource allocation effectively.

Built Environment and Blue Spaces

Addressing planetary health challenges requires a coordinated, interdisciplinary approach that considers both the immediate and long-term impacts of our warming climate on drowning prevention and water safety education.

For Further Reading / Research Publications:

• A descriptive study of fatal drownings among children and adolescents in the United States, with a focus on retention pond deaths, 2004–2020. Bista, S; Michaels, N.L., 2025. 

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Urban Planning & Infrastructure Implications & Solutions