This Working Group (WG) is designed to tackle the pressing issue of the health impacts of climate change on vulnerable populations, particularly in the Global South, with a specific focus on Asia. Climate change exacerbates existing inequalities, disproportionately affecting marginalised groups, especially those in low-income regions. Asia, home to many of the world’s most vulnerable populations, faces unique challenges related to climate-induced health risks, from rising temperatures to increasing natural disasters, which compound existing socio-economic and health vulnerabilities.

Relevance of the Working Group

A significant knowledge gap exists in understanding the climate change-health nexus, particularly concerning vulnerable populations in Asia. Additionally, there is a pronounced lack of collaboration and knowledge exchange among scholars working in this domain, with many researchers operating in disciplinary and geographical silos, especially those from resource-constrained regions with limited research infrastructure. This WG seeks to address these gaps by creating an inclusive, cross-regional and interdisciplinary platform to foster international collaboration, enabling scholars to share expertise, advance research, and co-develop innovative solutions. By facilitating these connections, the WG aims to significantly elevate the academic and policy discourses on climate-related health impacts in Asia and contribute to informed global action on this critical issue.

Topics

• Assessing the health risks associated with climate change, such as heat-related illnesses, undernutrition, and the spread of infectious diseases.
• Identifying the populations most at risk, including low-income communities, rural populations, migrant workers, and those living in disaster-prone areas.
• Exploring policy responses and adaptive strategies to mitigate these health impacts.
• Facilitating cross-disciplinary research and collaboration, incorporating insights from public health, environmental science, social sciences, and policy studies.

Aim of the Working Group

This working group aims to connect and establish a network of scholars and practitioners working on the climate-change nexus in Asia. The group will establish an inter-disciplinary ‘home’ for researchers, enabling the sharing and discussion of innovative methodologies, preliminary results, and reports and papers. The aim is to create a forum to support and deepen collaboration. The overarching aim of this WG is to create a robust network of scholars focused on Asia (and the wider Global South), fostering collaboration and the exchange of ideas. By establishing this network, we aim to:

• Facilitate the sharing of research findings and methodologies.
• Promote collaborative projects that address critical health challenges exacerbated by climate change.

Build capacity for scholars, particularly those based in Asia, to engage in high-level research and contribute to the global academic discourse on climate and health