Climate Change and Human Health: Transdisciplinary Perspectives

The manifestations of climate change through tropical cyclones, floods, heatwaves, air quality deterioration, shortage of fresh water, inland wildfires, and food shortages pose adverse health burdens on humanity. As the evolving field of research, climate change and human health are of interest to various academic disciplines, such as public health and development, that need awareness of how the changing climate is causing shifts in disease incidences, triggering sensitive communicable diseases, and shifts in a wide range of other health outcomes. Given the anticipated future changes in climate, health risks are poised to proliferate leading to high mortality rates across the globe. In the main, climate change now accounts for mental health conditions, maternal child mortalities, respiratory infections, cardiovascular diseases, heat stress and water and vector-borne diseases.

In light of the health threats posed by climate change, a transdisciplinary standpoint is imperative to advance the understanding of mechanisms by which adaptation and mitigation actions can reduce the adverse impacts of climate change. In this view, transdisciplinary perspectives on climate change and human health address complex and varied challenges in pursuit of collective actions to build climate-resilient health economies and communities.

The interdisciplinary nature of this call enables authors from various academic disciplines to utilize adaptation and mitigation mechanisms established in various communities to safeguard human health from the consequences of climate change. It advocates for a comprehensive, multi-sector, and systemic approach in the future. Furthermore, the transdisciplinary approach also emphasizes the need to prioritize services for disadvantaged groups who are at greater risk. The identification of measures to involve diverse sectors and systems in the governance of health and climate is yet to be accomplished. Against the backdrop of this information, this call targets various stakeholders, who include academics, climate change activists, health professionals, natural and agricultural scientists, economists, students, and researchers involved in climate change and health, to contribute to this cause.

We welcome research papers, including empirical and position papers, methodological studies, reviews and perspectives. The themes in this Research Topic are broad and can cover a wide range of subjects. Different perspectives exist for contributors regarding the relationship between health and climate change. (1) The reasons behind climate change and how humanity contributed to the current climate catastrophe; (2) The effects of climate change on human health; (3) Evidence-based solutions to the impacts of climate change on health; (4) Role of adaptation and mitigation strategies in addressing the health impacts of climate change. In light of the foregoing, this compilation advances SDGs 13: Climate Action and SDG 3: Good Health and Wellbeing.

This Research Topic welcomes contributions on themes including, but not limited to, the following:

• Importance of transdisciplinary approaches to climate change and health

• Nexus between climate change, mental health and wellbeing

• Perspectives on the governance of climate and health

• Public health responses to hot and cold weather

• Health impacts of climate change on minority and vulnerable populations

• Approaches to climate change and health

• Indigenous health and local communities

• Impacts of extreme heat, cyclones, and other extreme weather events

• Impacts of climate-related air, land, and water pollution

• Economic assessments of climate health implications and adaptation efforts

• Health and social costs of climate change

• Health aspects of climate-linked migration

• Nutritional impacts of climate change

• Intersectoral approaches to climate and health

• Climate change and cardiovascular diseases

• Heat waves and heat stress

• Climate change and maternal child health

• Analyses of adaptation plans

• Climate change adaptation/resilience and mitigation in health systems.