Executive Summary ix Three Key Messages The study yields the following three key messages. First, while planning adaptation investments in the health sector must be a significant component of an overall climate change adaptation strategy, to a large extent it remains an approach based on reacting to an increase in the health impacts of climate change as opposed to preventing such increases. Sectors in which prevention can take place include agriculture, water financing, and disaster risk management. A climate change adaptation strategy that focuses on preventing the projected health impacts of climate change is likely to be more effective (in terms of both impacts and costs) than a strategy focused on reacting. Second, and as a corollary to the above message, the health benefits of adaptation investments in agriculture, water, and disaster risk reduction should be explicitly accounted for in the design and economic analysis of such investments. Lacking such explicit consideration, the nature and extent of these adaptation investments are likely to be inappropriate (under-investment in adaptation and/or selection of inadequate adaptation options), and will result in health impacts and costs that could otherwise be limited or avoided. There is a fundamental need to better understand the nature of the health impacts of climate change as well as of the health impacts of investment projects, including adaptation projects in agriculture, water, and disaster risk reduction. Incorporating measures that produce health benefits in climate change sector development can provide strong justification for supporting climate change action and investments. Third, climate experts, health experts, and economists need to better communicate with each other to ensure that information produced by one group of experts is of use to other groups. In this way, it is possible to provide investment projects and programs that are better integrated and that present a development case that decision makers can understand and support. The study does not aim to comprehensively address all health issues raised by climate change, nor does it attempt to provide comprehensive answers to issues cited above. Its greatest benefits may be to stimulate awareness about the projected impacts of climate change on health among policy makers, climate change experts, and economists in DMCs, and thereby address significant gaps in our existing knowledge.