Active Climate, Earth & Environment Public Health & Healthcare

Effects of Polar Climate Change on Global Health and Healthcare

Funder Wellcome Charity-funded
Associated organisations University of Exeter · World Economic Forum Europe PMC affiliations are not treated as award recipients or mapped locations.
Funding £2.3M
Period Mar 2024 — Mar 2027

In plain English

AI plain-English summary

Nine of the 16 global climate tipping points sit in polar regions, and five are expected to be crossed before the planet warms by 2°C. Current health models largely ignore these polar tipping points—such as collapsing ice sheets or thawing permafrost—and the cascading risks they pose to human health worldwide. This project builds two new models, Health-POLAR and Healthcare IND-POLAR, to plug that gap. The consortium, including the University of Exeter, Arctic Basecamp, and the World Economic Forum, will feed polar science into health outcome models and risk analytics, then communicate those risks to policymakers, healthcare leaders, and communities in climate-vulnerable regions. If successful, the research could reshape how governments and health systems prepare for climate-driven threats—from heatwaves and infectious disease spread to supply chain disruptions for medicines and medical equipment. It would give decision-makers concrete, quantified risks rather than vague warnings, enabling targeted adaptation plans. The project runs for three years across five work packages, and aims to establish a structured, ongoing dialogue between polar scientists and the health sector.

View original technical description
The "Effects of Polar Climate Change on Global Health and Healthcare" project aims to develop new integrated assessment models, Health-POLAR and Healthcare IND-POLAR, to supplement existing climate health analyses by assessing the additional impacts of polar tipping points. With 9 of the 16 global climate tipping points located in polar regions and five expected to be crossed before +2C of warming[1], understanding these regions' roles is crucial. This project will address the gap of underreported risks posed by polar tipping points on global health and the healthcare sector, effectively communicate these impacts and enable policymakers, healthcare industry leaders, and citizens in climate- vulnerable regions to develop more effective adaptation plans. The project will be conducted across 5 work packages for three years with the following objectives: - Integrate polar science knowledge into leading health outcome models and risk analytics. - Raise awareness of and engagement with key target audiences on the global risks of health outcomes resulting from polar change. - Establish structured approaches for dialogue and action on adaptive solution pathways, laying the foundation for ongoing communication and engagement. The project consortium includes: University of Exeter, Arctic Basecamp, and the World Economic Forum.

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Researchers

Gail Whiteman (EPMC Awardee)Gill Einhorn (EPMC Awardee)

Related Research

Grants with similar aims, by meaning.

Linking Climate Change and Health for Enhanced Policy Action
Strengthening Climate Change and Health Thought Leadership with Africa in Focus
Tracking the impacts of climate change on maternal and child health: the Global Heat Attribution Project (GHAP)
Biogeochemical processes and ecosystem function in changing polar systems and their global impacts (BIOPOLE)
Half a degree Additional warming: Prognosis and Projected Impacts on Health (HAPPI-Health)

Original classification

Climate Impacts Award

Plain English summaries and category classifications on this site are generated by AI and may not perfectly reflect the original research.