Beyond the narrow lens: the power of an interdisciplinary approach to climate and health research and training
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Beyond the narrow lens: the power of an interdisciplinary approach to climate and health research and trainingOver the past 15 years, there has been an increasing commitment to educate and develop the health workforce on the impacts of climate change, integrating key competencies related to climate into medical education and training.[1][2][3] Modifications in medical training include the introduction of new core competencies such as climate change into global health curriculum.4 However, to effectively tackle the health impacts of climate change, we argue that integrating climate into medical and public health education is insufficient; rather, we call for an integration of climate and health into a wider variety of disciplines.We are a consortium of researchers working on climate and health from Bangladesh, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, the Philippines, Uganda, and the USA, and we come from a wide range of disciplinary backgrounds (table).We represent educators, researchers, and students.In this Comment, we argue that climate and health curriculum and competencies that are being proposed for the medical community should also be integrated into the curricula of many additional disciplines.For example, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Sixth Assessment Report chapter on health, wellbeing and the changing structure of communities lists a wide range of adaptation strategies to promote health in a changing climate.5 The table lists a selection of these adaptation strategies, and we identify one non-medical discipline that would support this adaptation in an interdisciplinary manner.Our vision is that students studying earth sciences, social sciences, and arts are exposed to curricular content on climate and health, with the aim of developing a truly interdisciplinary workforce that can meaningfully reduce the health impacts of climate change.Students with this interdisciplinary education would be equipped to tackle climate and health solutions, such as tailoring disaster risk management plans to community contexts, designing climate-resilient infrastructure that incorporates both hydrology and health information, and applying systems thinking or modelling to evaluate which interventions are working in a given context.For example, hydrology students would benefit from education in climate and health.Any flood protection
Source: The Lancet Planetary Health
Authors: Erin Coughlan de Perez, Ahmed Ishtiaque Amin Chowdhury, Glecy Atienza, Sonia Binte Murshed, Ramon Christopher A Caballero, Dennis De La Torre, Aira Joy Delos Angeles, Desderius Haufiku, Alexa Samantha R Hernandez, Md. Monirul Islam, Kenneth Lekatsa, Selma Lendelvo, Tandi Litwayi, Makoala V Marake, Joalane Marunye, Mashfiqus Salehin, Kebitsamang Mothibe, Elena Naumova, Mothusi Nyofane, Garimoi Christopher Orach, Mecthilde Pinto, Leah Poole-Selters, Md. Hasanur Rahman, Relebohile Agnes Mojaki, Mamakase Grace Sello, Shampa, Akriti Sharma, Nazifa Tabassum, Carolyn Van Sant
Language: English
Subfield: Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $6,680
OpenAlex ID: W4415768330