One Health at COP31: Building resilience across climate, food and health systems

As world leaders prepare to gather in Antalya, Türkiye, for the 2026 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31), the connections between climate change, food security and health are increasingly important. The One Health approach offers a practical way to address these interconnected challenges, helping countries build resilience while protecting the health of people, animals, plants and ecosystems.

Taking place from 9 to 20 November 2026, COP31 will focus on accelerating the implementation of climate commitments, strengthening adaptation and mobilizing finance for climate action. With food, agriculture and health featuring together as a dedicated thematic day on 9 November, the conference presents an important opportunity to advance integrated approaches to climate-related health risks.

Climate change is reshaping health risks

Climate change is affecting human, animal, plant and ecosystem health in multiple, interconnected ways. Rising temperatures, changing rainfall patterns and increasingly frequent extreme weather events are placing pressure on agrifood systems, threatening livelihoods and creating new challenges for disease prevention and control.

Changing environmental conditions can alter the distribution of disease vectors, including mosquitoes and ticks, increasing the risks of vector-borne diseases affecting people and animals. Floods and droughts can disrupt food production, compromise water quality and sanitation, and increase vulnerability to foodborne and other infectious diseases.

Plant health is also under growing pressure as changing climatic conditions influence the distribution and spread of pests and diseases. At the same time, biodiversity loss, land degradation and ecosystem disruption can undermine the natural systems on which food security, livelihoods and health depend.

These challenges cannot be addressed effectively by individual sectors working in isolation. The One Health approach recognizes the interdependence of human, animal, plant and ecosystem health and promotes coordinated action to prevent, prepare for and respond to shared risks.

One Health and the priorities of COP31

Building on the outcomes of COP30 in Belém, Brazil, COP31 will place particular emphasis on turning climate commitments into practical action. Several priorities are especially relevant to One Health.

Strengthening climate adaptation and resilience. Climate adaptation must consider the health of people, animals, plants and ecosystems together. Integrated surveillance, early warning systems, stronger veterinary and plant health services, and improved preparedness can help countries anticipate and manage climate-sensitive health threats. Protecting livelihoods and strengthening the resilience of agrifood systems are equally important.

A key issue at COP31 will be how countries measure progress towards adaptation goals, including through indicators related to food and agriculture under the Global Goal on Adaptation. FAO is supporting efforts to strengthen the measurement of agricultural adaptation, helping countries assess vulnerabilities, monitor progress and identify where further action and investment are needed. Integrating One Health considerations into these efforts can help ensure that adaptation measures account for interconnected risks across health, agriculture and ecosystems.

Transforming agrifood systems. Agriculture and food systems are both vulnerable to climate change and central to climate solutions. Sustainable agricultural practices, improved animal and plant health, better management of natural resources and healthier ecosystems can strengthen food security while supporting climate adaptation and mitigation.

Protecting biodiversity and ecosystems. Healthy ecosystems help regulate climate, support food production and provide essential services, including clean water and disease regulation. Protecting forests, restoring degraded landscapes and managing land use sustainably can deliver benefits for biodiversity, climate resilience and health.

Mobilizing finance for implementation. Scaling up integrated approaches requires sustained investment. Climate finance offers opportunities to strengthen prevention, surveillance, biosecurity, ecosystem management and other capacities that contribute to resilience. Demonstrating the economic and societal benefits of One Health can help countries identify investment priorities and mobilize resources.

FAO's role in advancing One Health and climate resilience

FAO supports countries in applying One Health approaches to strengthen agrifood systems, improve preparedness and reduce health risks at the human–animal–plant–ecosystem interface.

Through surveillance, early warning, risk assessment, capacity development and policy support, FAO helps countries anticipate and respond to threats that are increasingly influenced by climate and environmental change.

For example, FAO's work on One Health and Earth observation demonstrates how satellite observations, climate information and disease surveillance data can be combined to better understand emerging risks. Tools such as the Rift Valley fever Decision Support Tool use environmental and climate information to support risk monitoring and early warning, helping countries anticipate outbreaks and take preventive action.

FAO also supports countries in strengthening animal and plant health systems, improving biosecurity and building surveillance capacities that contribute to climate resilience. These efforts help protect agricultural production and livelihoods while reducing the potential impacts of climate-sensitive pests and diseases.

Recognizing that effective adaptation depends on sustained investment, FAO works with countries to identify, prioritize and cost One Health interventions. By assessing the economic and societal benefits of prevention and preparedness, these efforts help build the case for investment in integrated approaches that can deliver benefits across sectors.