Climate and Health

Confronting the Impact of Climate Change

Over the last 10 years, water and food scarcity have instigated many episodes of civil unrest and war.  Intense weather events and long-term environmental degradation that could reduce food production and inundate coastal cities are a few of the many dangers to human health that climate change poses. Looking ahead, one of society’s greatest challenges will be sustaining population health in the face of climate change. Water will be scarce in some areas while others will suffer from flooding, and patterns of infectious diseases will change as a result.

We are already seeing these effects. Climate refugees—people who leave their homes because of the effects of climate change—are becoming more common. Research, expertise, and compelling evidence for policy solutions are needed to understand these changes and to determine how to lessen their effects, build resilience, and help convince governments to enact policies that can slow climate change and mitigate its impact.

A leader in the science of solutions, the Mailman School created the first program in climate and health in a school of public health. This program has been a world leader in producing innovative, cross-disciplinary, translational scholarship on the human health dimensions of climate change.

To build on the strength of this program, expand its work, and increase the number of students  trained in this field, the School will establish the Center on Climate and Health with the goal of using evidence to support policy and action with greater global impact and encourage cross-industry partnerships to mitigate climate change and its adverse effects. This center—the global source of definitive science and evidence to guide policy—will convene leaders to build knowledge for collective action.

Learn More

For more information about supporting the School’s Center on Climate and Health, including naming opportunities to endow the Center and its associated professorships, fellowships, and scholarships, please contact:

Laura Schacter Sobel
Assistant Dean of Development
617-413-6832
ls3875@cumc.columbia.edu