Human Health in the Face of Climate Change: Science, Medicine and Adaptation

There is significant scientific evidence indicating that the global climate is changing, largely due to human activities. Such climatic fluctuations may adversely impact human health and well-being in a variety of ways, including through exposure to extreme weather events; disruption of ecosystems, agriculture, and food production; expansion of infectious diseases; and increased levels of harmful air particulates. New research seeks to provide a deeper understanding of the health consequences of climate change on humans — including better quantification of these effects — to improve health preparedness and protect vulnerable populations.

The New York Academy of Sciences along with the “la Caixa” Foundation and BIOCAT will host a multidisciplinary conference that brings together climate scientists, atmospheric/oceanic scientists, ecologists, evolutionary biologists, epidemiologists, public health specialists, and policy-makers, among others. This 2-day conference will highlight the latest research on climate change/ adaptation and its subsequent effects on human health, including vulnerability due to extreme weather events, land-use change and agricultural production, variable epidemiology of parasites and infectious diseases, and climate-altering pollutants.