Bulletin No. 1, 2016

What a University Can Do about Climate Change 17 empower the public, especially the vulnerable groups, to protect themselves from heat-related illnesses and seek medical help at an early stage.’ The Right Thing to Do H e r p r e v i o u s r e s e a r c h o n temperature-related mortality and hospital admission rates revealed how prolonged hot days during summer led to various kinds of health issues and the loss of human lives in Hong Kong. However, at the time when these research projects were conducted, climate change did not receive as much recognition as it does now. Professor Chan recalled the challenges when her team applied for research funds and had to wait for at least five years for their papers to be accepted and published by international academic journals. But the difficulties did not stop her as she continued to research, t e a c h a n d e v e n c o n d u c t f i e l dwo r k i n r u ra l Ch i na— ‘because that’s the right thing to do’, the forward-thinking scholar said, ‘I always believe it’s just a matter of time for my ideas to be accepted by the academia and reach the general public. Doing the right thing is easier said than done. For Professor Chan, the motivation comes from every single person she encountered in her research a n d h u m a n i t a r i a n w o r k . ‘Climate change is real and so is every story told by its victims,’ Professor Chan said, ‘That’s why researchers and public health specialists need to continue working on the prevention of deaths, illnesses and injuries caused by ex treme weather conditions. Luckily, I am not working alone.’ Professor Chan is grateful for the opportunities offered by CUHK to examine this multi-disciplinary subject together with experts in CUHK’s Institute of Environment, Energy and Sustainability and Institute of Future Cities. She concluded, ‘It’s rewarding to work with colleagues from other academic departments to save the planet, as well as to safeguard the health of everyone affected by climate change.’ Climate Change is real and so is every story told by its victims. (daily mean temperature) threshold for temperature-related mortality During the summer in Hong Kong: increase in natural mortality for an increase in 1°C above 29°C (daily mean temperature) in areas with high UHI effects* increase in natural mortality in areas with high UHI effects and lower mean wind speeds* increase in hospital admissions for every increase of 1°C above 29°C (daily mean temperature)# *Research conducted in collaboration with the School of Architecture, published in PLoS ONE #Research published in Bulletin of the World Health Organization