Building Resiliency and Readiness in the Face of Climate Change
As the accumulation of greenhouse gases increasingly destabilizes our global climate, scientists across Columbia University are working on multiple fronts to understand and meet this unprecedented challenge to global public health.
At a recent symposium organized by Columbia Mailman School’s C-ARCH (Center for Achieving Resilience in Climate and Health), researchers emphasized the need for interdisciplinary, solutions-oriented work at the intersection of climate and health. Launched in 2025 as an outgrowth of a pioneering Climate and Health program that was initiated in 2008 as one of the first in the nation, C-ARCH is a global solutions lab for responding to and mitigating the manifold detrimental health impacts of climate change while building adaptive capacity. As its name suggests, the Center builds bridges, spanning public health disciplines at Columbia Mailman, collaborations with partners like Columbia’s Climate School and Columbia Global Partners, and, most importantly, with front-line community partners worldwide.
The Latest Science on Climate and Health
Four Columbia Mailman scientists gave short presentations on their work addressing the varied impacts of climate change. Robbie Parks, assistant professor of environmental health sciences, introduced G-TROPIC, an open-source tool providing fine-grained, real-time tropical cyclone data. Xiao Wu, an assistant professor of biostatistics, spoke about his work measuring the effects of cyclones on poverty rates and other socioeconomic indicators. While cyclones have a negative impact in the short term, surprisingly, they were a net positive over the longer term—perhaps due to the effects of gentrification.
As extreme heat events become more common, cities worldwide have developed Heat Action Plans to minimize their impacts. Allison Stewart, a doctoral candidate in environmental health sciences, presented her analysis of these plans, which found that most lack specific mental health interventions, and introduced a public registry to track them. Lewis Ziska, professor of environmental health sciences and a plant biologist by training, highlighted the link between climate change and global hunger, stating that ignorance and poor communication are major barriers to action.
Putting Communities First
Keynote speaker Mitch Stripling, director of NYC’s Preparedness and Recovery Institute, argued that the key factor in an acute climate emergency or other societal stressor is the extent to which communities feel empowered to direct solutions. Research shows that where local individuals have leverage on the outcome of the response, there are more equitable societies and better health outcomes. “It’s time for us to think about it as a decentralized, coordinated network led by government,” with partners from various sectors, he said.
In a discussion moderated by Thoai Ngo, chair of population and family health, panelists stressed the importance of building partnerships with communities on their terms. Researchers should always focus on problems defined by communities, build trust through transparency, and provide in-kind support. Examples discussed included collaborations with the New York City government on heat vulnerability and ICAP’s work linking climate data with HIV patient records in Africa.
Looking to the Future
Darby Jack, professor of environmental health sciences and co-director of C-ARCH with Kiros Berhane, chair of biostatistics, screened a short video featuring messages from community partners in several countries, then concluded the event, soliciting input on the Center’s future. Participants identified opportunities to research disaster preparedness, heat and climate change, climate refugees, and local impacts, such as coastal areas prone to flooding. Taking a wide-angle view, Belkin argued for greater commitment to longer-term research partnerships, noting, “that’s a hugely exciting, critical and catalytic role that universities have.”
