MEDICUS: Education for a Climate-Resilient and Healthy City

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Heat, pollen, air pollution: Climate change is already noticeable in Munich and is increasing health-related burdens. This is particularly evident in the growing number of hot days: According to Munich’s Department for Climate and Environmental Protection (RKU), 26 hot days and 6 tropical nights had already been recorded by August 3, 2026. By comparison, the long-term average for 1991–2020 is only 11 hot days and no tropical nights per year in Munich.

How can people cope with these increasing climate-related health risks? This is the question addressed by the interdisciplinary research project MEDICUS – Adaptation Strategies to the MEDIcal Implications of Climate Change for Urban TranSformation. The project runs from March 2026 to February 2031 and is funded in the second funding phase of the Bavarian Climate Research Network (BayKlif2). Participating institutions include LMU Munich, the University of Augsburg, Augsburg University Hospital, and the Technical University of Munich.

MEDICUS investigates how climate change, heat, and air pollution affect health in cities and how urban areas can be designed to become more climate-resilient. Particular attention is paid to vulnerable groups such as children, older people, and people with chronic illnesses. Using urban climate modelling, real-world laboratories, and digital tools, the project aims to develop scientifically sound and practical strategies for healthy and climate-resilient urban development.

An important component of the project is education for urban transformation. Knowledge alone is not enough: people need to be able to assess risks, know about concrete ways to protect themselves, and be empowered to take effective action in their everyday lives. The project therefore investigates which strategies people already use and which competencies they still need to cope with climate-related health risks.

Together with particularly affected groups, new teaching and learning formats are being developed, tested, and evaluated in real-world laboratories in Munich and Augsburg. These formats are closely aligned with people’s everyday lives and emphasize participation and collaborative learning. Digital tools such as a resilience app and a serious game complement these approaches.

Because climate resilience requires both a city that adapts its built environment and planning to the impacts of climate change and people who know how to protect themselves and others, education is a key element. MEDICUS therefore brings together research, urban planning, health sciences, and education to identify concrete pathways towards a healthier and more climate-resilient city.