HealthCare Preparedness in the Era of Climate Change
The Shahar Program is a flagship initiative led by the Ministry of Health and the Heschel Center for Sustainability, in collaboration with Ben-Gurion University. As Israel’s first professional leadership program of its kind, “Shahar” builds a professional community of leaders ready to take initiative from within the healthcare system.
The program delivers cutting-edge technical knowledge and operational frameworks through an interdisciplinary approach. This methodology recognizes that national health resilience requires cross-sectoral innovation and a modernized understanding of the healthcare sector’s role within a changing climate.
Each participant applies these tools to conduct pioneering research into what a climate-ready health institution looks like in Israel. This work results in a clear strategic vision and a set of actionable policies that they can implement directly in their own workplace.
Why Shahar Matters for Healthcare Climate Readiness in Israel
Climate change has evolved from a distant environmental concern into an immediate health emergency identified by the World Health Organization as the single greatest threat to public health in the 21st century. In response, the Shahar Program was established to transition Israel’s healthcare system from reactive crisis management toward long-term strategic resilience.
Preparing our national infrastructure for this reality is more than a technical requirement, it is a profound leadership challenge. Beyond the direct risks of shifting epidemiological patterns and extreme weather, climate change acts as a “threat multiplier” that disproportionately impacts vulnerable populations and widens existing gaps in healthcare access.
To meet these challenges, we must move toward a proactive model that treats health, environmental stability, and community wellbeing as interconnected. This shift requires a new generation of leaders equipped with a systemic perspective and a commitment to future generations. Through the Shahar Leadership Network, we provide the collaborative tools and policy frameworks necessary to transform environmental pressures into a lasting model for national security and social equity.
Partnerships
The program operates in partnership with the Ministry of Health and was established as a primary deliverable of the Ministries National Climate Adaptation Plan. It serves as the operational fulfilment of the plan’s first strategic action channel, transitioning national policy from theoretical framework to institutional implementation.
Creating Lasting Systemic Change
Shahar aims to accelerate the transformation of Israel’s healthcare system for a changing climate. By translating knowledge into institutional action, the program advances preparedness, strengthens resilience, and helps embed climate considerations across healthcare policy and practice.
Addressing key areas such as workforce readiness, green healthcare, public engagement, institutional resilience, food security, vector-borne diseases, planning and infrastructure, and data-driven decision-making, the program takes a comprehensive approach to climate and health preparedness. To support this work, Ben-Gurion University is developing an original workbook that equips participants with the technical knowledge, practical tools, and strategic frameworks needed to lead implementation within their own institutions. These efforts contribute to a growing national capacity to protect public health and strengthen healthcare preparedness in the face of climate-related challenges.
