Climate Change and Humanitarian Health: Challenges, Solutions and Opportunities for Research and Innovation

Climate change is one of the greatest threats to lives and livelihoods globally. Environmental destruction, extreme weather events, natural disasters and food and water scarcity are just some of the effects being felt by populations around the world, but for those living in humanitarian contexts, the impacts can be even greater.At last year’s COP meeting, the closing Declaration on Climate, Relief, Recovery and Peace cited concerns that global efforts to build climate resilience remain insufficiently tailored to the needs and challenges of people, communities and countries affected by crises – recognising that these are the populations on the frontlines of the climate crisis.Our recent situation analysis likewise noted that while there is a growing body of evidence on climate change and health, only a fraction of that is relevant to humanitarian populations. Moreover, humanitarian actors appear absent in the ever-growing climate research-policy space, meaning evidence gaps and research needs specific to the sector also go unaddressed.In November, we will be hosting a webinar, with the Fogarty International Centre, to further explore opportunities and challenges related to health research at the intersection of humanitarian crises and climate change. The webinar serves as primer for our May 2025 Research Forum where we will be exploring the theme of ‘Bridging Global Health Research and Humanitarian Response in a Climate-Impacted World’.As we look towards these two upcoming events, we’ve gathered insights from our partners who are already supporting local communities to find solutions for addressing the effects of climate change.

How can community-level action begin to influence wider conversations on climate change and public health policy?: A Q&A with Dr Junaid Razzak

One of the panellists speaking at our upcoming webinar is Dr Junaid Razzak, Director of the Centre of Excellence for Trauma and Emergencies at the Aga Khan University and a Professor of Emergency Medicine and Population Health at Weill Cornell Medicine. Dr Razzak and his team have developed and tested interventions to reduce the impacts of extreme heat in urban Pakistan.The team have since launched an initiative for raising public awareness and developing strategic measures to mitigate the impact of heatwaves in partnership with Pakistan’s Provincial Disaster Management Authority, including a video highlighting key messages for community awareness.What does your work tell us about the key actions that need to be taken to lessen the impact of the climate crisis on public health?Community members and policy makers are listening. They want to know what exactly they need to do and can do in their context. We need to improve and simplify the guidance we give to people on the street, to policy makers and to healthcare providers. Community Health Workers can be great source of behaviour change to mitigate climate's health impact, while more clear diagnostic criteria and diagnostic tools need to be available to emergency clinicians.How can those working in public health at community level contribute to the global debate on climate change?I think we need to move from studies showing the impact to focus on solutions – solutions that are evidence based, for which research funding and research expertise would be required. Those working in public health at community level sometimes see climate change as a competing problem, taking resources away from what their teams are working on. If they see it as a cross-cutting theme in everything being done at the community, sort of the new ‘social determinants of health’, it will make thinking about, talking about it and finding solutions much easier.Are there any other ideas or reflections you would like to share?Heat is a problem which we all feel but we can't measure its impact on human health. It's because we don't have definitions and tools to measure the climate related disorders. Centers of Excellence (for research and education) based in high-risk, low-capacity settings will help these countries leapfrog and not follow the model of knowledge development of the past century which delayed development of contextual, contemporary solutions.

Putting community needs at the heart of climate research and action: A Q&A with Jessica Novia

Our situation analysis highlights that without the insight of people affected by crises, it is impossible to fill existing knowledge gaps and find solutions to alleviate the worsening effects of climate change on those most impacted. Research and policy agendas should aim to better understand adaptive measure taken by those vulnerable populations who bear the brunt of the climate crisis.We know that climate research is a fast-moving area, with an ever-increasing mix of individual advocates, groups and organisations joining the conversation, however in the research-policy space, humanitarian stakeholders go underrepresented, with local and indigenous populations particularly absent from the existing evidence.Jessica Novia is Program Manager for YAKKUM Emergency Unit (YEU), an NGO based in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. A fellow member of the Community-Led Innovation Partnership, YEU supports local innovators to find new solutions for delivering inclusive emergency response in their communities.What can the humanitarian sector learn from community-level responses and initiatives when aiming to lessen the impacts of the climate crisis on public health?Humanitarian interventions should align climate action with local priorities and existing resources to address the impacts of climate change. From our work with women’s groups in urban areas of Yogyakarta, the majority of the community prioritizes meeting basic needs such as water, food, and income, making it challenging to link climate action directly to daily survival. However, when climate actions are tied to pressing urban issues, these initiatives become more relevant and sustainable.Communities have highlighted health challenges such as respiratory issues, high blood pressure, and joint inflammation. While these are not directly linked to climate change, they are often worsened by it. This suggests that health interventions in humanitarian work should look beyond traditional climate-related diseases and consider broader health impacts. Similarly, strengthening community mental health support and promoting gender-responsive strategies through training and capacity strengthening activities at the community level, along with organizing women’s groups, is essential for more effective disaster response.The humanitarian sector can learn from bottom-up approaches by incorporating community wisdom and ensuring that interventions are grounded in local practices. Climate action through grassroots innovations demonstrates the power of collective action. These initiatives not only address climate impacts but also improve public health and nutrition. Empowering local women’s groups to identify risks and lead solutions has proven effective, indicating that humanitarian actors should promote community-led, inclusive resilience building.In your view, how can the humanitarian sector better involve itself in conversations about climate change? And what does it stand to gain from this involvement? Climate adaptation and mitigation align closely with disaster management principles, with disaster risk reduction aiming to reduce risks and climate change mitigation aiming to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. To put it briefly, it is important to integrate a climate change lens into humanitarian and response planning by ensuring the inclusion of risk assessments, early warning systems, and disaster preparedness.With the increasing funding and grants dedicated to climate mitigation activities, it's important to note that developing countries’ adaptation needs are estimated to be 10-18 times greater than current funding levels. This gap highlights the importance of involving the humanitarian sector, as it already has experience managing risks that overlap with climate impacts.To succeed, climate actions must be collective, as the problem is just too vast and complex to be addressed. Thus, better collaboration with local communities and local stakeholders should be fostered to ensure long-term sustainability and ownership.Are there any other ideas or reflections you would like to share?The climate crisis is highly complex, with risk drivers closely linked to development challenges such as health, and the correlation between mental health and climate impacts is influenced by many factors. Addressing the climate crisis requires a cross-cutting approach that considers gender perspectives, social and economic factors, culture, and social inclusion.Innovations developed by communities have a high potential for sustainability because they are more cost-effective and foster a strong sense of ownership. Stakeholders should prioritize a bottom-up approach to climate action, ensuring that interventions are more targeted, relevant, and impactful.This Q&A has been edited for length, but you can read Jessica and the YEU team’s full responses to our questions below this article.

Understanding the next steps for climate research and innovation

Like many other organisations, we are still just beginning our journey into climate change and it’s impacts on humanitarian response and populations affected by crisis. We want to work with actors at global, regional, national and local levels, to support research and innovation that builds resilience in the face of climate risks, but we have to do this with intention.Our journey is continuing with our upcoming webinar, and our May 2025 Research Forum and we look forward to sharing more as we articulate our way forward in climate research and innovation.[.slimline-cta-box][.slimline-cta_heading]Find out more[.slimline-cta_heading][.slimline-cta_paragraph]For more insights on the intersection between research, climate change and public health, register for our upcoming webinar and read the recommendations from our situation analysis.Learn more about our long-term commitment to environmental responsibility.[.slimline-cta_paragraph][.slimline-cta-box]