Climate and health on the agenda
In order to coordinate efforts around research in climate and health, the Bjerknes Centre and the Pandemic Centre organized the Climate and Health Initiative on June 14th. Held at Alrek, the session brought together experts and community members to discuss the critical links between climate change and health.
Hovedinnhold
The meeting opened with a presentation by Esperanza Diaz, titled "Linked Challenges, Linked Research?" She highlighted the interconnected nature of global issues, drawing lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic. Diaz emphasized that all disciplines are interdependent, coining the term "Domino society”." She stressed that "Nobody is safe before everybody is safe," and discussed how the pandemic had affected progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Diaz underscored the importance of equity, sustainability, and resilience for global recovery and addressed the multifaceted nature of crises, including climate change, conflicts, and food security, along with the role of social inequities in exacerbating these challenges.
Following this, Noel Keenlyside discussed "Climate Short- and Long-Term Impacts on Health." He warned that we have exceeded our safe operating space and explored the consequences for human health. Keenlyside highlighted the importance of both long-term climate predictions, which can alert us to the consequences of inaction, and short-term predictions, which provide pathways to preparedness and response.
The session also featured pitches from various researchers across diciplines at UiB.
The event concluded with small group discussions focused on collaboration opportunities and key challenges in climate-health research in Bergen. Participants considered questions such as how to collaborate effectively and what tools, channels, and processes are needed. The discussions aimed to identify key challenges in climate-health research that can be addressed locally.
The event was well-received, with participants showing significant interest and engagement. Another meeting is scheduled for September 19th. For those interested in attending, please let us know to receive an invitation once more information is available.
