Climatic hazards, health risk and response in developing countries

The Fellowship programme advances a new field within hazards research geared to enhancing understanding of how people and institutions in developing countries respond to the health risks posed by extreme climatic events. Climatic hazards such as flooding, drought, storms and thermal stress affect much of the globe, and their intensity has been predicted to increase under climate change. In many low-income countries environmental hazards can cause severe health outcomes through complex epidemiological and behavioural pathways. This research examines how people and institutions perceive, cope with and adapt to the health risks, and the conditions, processes and differential capacities that shape responses to them. The programme commences with theoretical development of the field, drawing on wider insights on vulnerability and adaptation to hazards, disaster and climate change. This is followed by three phases of field research in hazard-prone communities in Vietnam and Bangladesh. In parallel with this work is an emphasis on networking, publication and dissemination, designed to engage and communicate with a wide range of audiences and users. This package of activities will build a firm foundation for the further development of a research field likely to grow in importance in the context of future climate change.