Belem Health Action Plan Climate and Health Connections

The Belem Health Action Plan has been preconditioned by the 2025 Global Conference on Climate and Health in Brazil, and will be officially launched throughout COP30 in November 2025. This program aims to establish the international agenda on addressing the two issues of climate change and human health. Nonetheless, the non-participation of India in the meeting was interpreted as a failure to draw meaningful lessons, since its model of development is integrated so as to provide a valuable insight into the manner in which welfare, the environment, and health results can be interconnected.

India's Programmes as Models

The key welfare programs in India demonstrate the possibility of achieving important climate and health co-benefits of policies whose main objectives are not climate ambitions. An example of this is the PM POSHAN (Mid-Day Meal) Scheme which provides nourishment to more than 110 million children not only combating malnutrition but also promoting a more climatic resistant, natural grain-based food system. With Swachh Bharat Mission, the sanitation levels were improved and the public health and the hygiene of the environment met. Much like MNREGA not only rejuvenated the ecosystems, but also generated employment in the rural areas and the Ujjwala Yojana brought about air pollution reduction as the shift in households to a clean cooking fuel. Together, these programmes indicate how good welfare policy can be used to spur both environmental and health benefits.

Leadership and Community Participation.

The political commitment has played a significant role in the introduction of such initiatives. The Prime Minister taking direct leadership contributed to inter-ministerial interaction and continues the momentum. Making the action around climate a question of individual health makes it urgent and more relatable. Another community-based pillar of success has been community participation. The campaigns such as Swachh Bharat resonated with cultural values whereas POSHAN was based on the involvement of school committees and parent groups to enhance grassroots involvement.

Building on Institutions

These policies flourish on the basis of utilizing the institutions instead of establishing new institutions. Extensiveness and efficacy were primarily conveyed by the local government institutions, self-help groups, and Accredited Social Health Activists. By enabling such actors to be more aware of the climate-health connections, sustainability and enhanced advocacy will be guaranteed.

Beyond Carbon-Centric Climate Governance.

The experience of India indicates a framework based on three pillars, namely political prioritisation of climate as a health issue, incorporation of health impact assessment in all climate related policies, and participatory implementation based on communities. The climate action can be made more relatable and effective by linking cleaner air, safe water, and healthy food with the real health outcomes.