Diversifying Climate and Health Modelling Capacity Programme

The countries most vulnerable to climate change are also the ones least able to model its health impacts, because the entire global modelling pipeline—from scenario frameworks to Earth system models—has been built and run almost exclusively by researchers in wealthy nations. This programme tackles that imbalance directly. It offers hands-on training in Integrated Assessment Model development, climate attribution methods, and health-focused climate services, prioritising researchers based in low and middle income countries. The core problem is not just a lack of data, but a lack of local expertise to generate and interpret projections that reflect regional realities. If successful, the programme will build a permanent, self-sustaining network of modellers in the places that need them most. This could transform how governments in climate-vulnerable regions plan for heatwaves, disease outbreaks, or food system disruptions—decisions that currently rely on models designed for other continents. The work is applied and capacity-building in nature, not fundamental science; its immediate value lies in who gets to ask the questions, not just in the answers themselves.