Associated organisationsDrexel University · IND Carolina Nazzal 2239 · IND Fernanda Kroker-Lobos 263897 · IND Marcio Alazraqui 233249 · IND Olga Sarmiento 155920 · Instituto Nacional de Salud Publica · Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile · Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia · Universidade de São Paulo · Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais · University of California, BerkeleyEurope PMC affiliations are not treated as award recipients or mapped locations.
Funding£6.1M
PeriodNov 2023 — Nov 2028
In plain English
AI plain-English summary
Nearly 400 cities across 11 Latin American countries will be linked in a single research network to track how climate change is harming people’s health. The problem is that Latin American cities face rising temperatures, extreme weather, and shifting disease patterns, yet policymakers lack the region-wide data needed to act effectively. Most existing studies focus on single cities or countries, making it impossible to compare strategies or spot broader trends. The SALURBAL-Climate project fills this gap by building a unified data resource that covers diverse urban environments—from coastal megacities to high-altitude capitals. If successful, the project will transform how city governments, health ministries, and community groups respond to climate threats. For example, planners could identify which neighbourhoods need cooling infrastructure first, or which adaptation strategies—such as green roofs or early-warning systems for heatwaves—save the most lives per pound spent. The network will also train a new generation of researchers and advocates across the region, ensuring that evidence drives policy long after the grant ends. The ultimate change is a shift from reacting to climate disasters to anticipating and preventing them, with equity built into every decision.
View original technical description
The overall goal of SALURBAL-Climate (Climate Change and Urban Health in Latin America) is to catalyze the creation of a climate change and health research, policy and practice community across the Latin American region that generates, requests, and uses evidence to drive urgent policy and community actions. Our project will deliver a significant shift in the way in which health effects of climate change are understood and acted on across Latin American cities. Project aims are: (1) In partnership with stakeholders, leverage and expand the exceptional SALURBAL data resource encompassing nearly 400 cities across 11 countries to identify impacts of climate change on health and equity; (2) Inform policy action through assessment and communication of the expected health and health equity impacts of promising climate mitigation/adaptation strategies in cities in Latin America; (3) Support field-building and capacity strengthening in climate and health research with an emphasis on generating impactful research that is timely and actionable, engaging diverse institutions and individuals; and (4) Support policy action and advocacy and build capacity across a diverse and inclusive network for understanding and responding to the impacts of climate change on health and health equity in Latin American cities.
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