This projct aims to advance knowledge of the effects of droughts on human health worldwide, applying state-of-the-art methods in climate epidemiology to new data resources, including the largest weather and health data ever assembled by the Multi-Country Multi-City collaborative research network (more on the grant here).
This project is led by Dr. Coral Salvador and funded by an SNSF Ambizione grant, starting in July 2025.
Climate change is increasing exposure and vulnerability to extreme weather events such as droughts, posing unprecedented challenges to public health and exacerbating social inequalities. However, evidence of the effects of droughts on human health remains limited and inconsistent, and underlying mechanisms mediating the association and vulnerability patterns are still uncertain. Existing studies are scarce, geographically limited, and focused on mortality, using different analytical methods and drought metrics. The project will address existing knowledge gaps through five interconnected Work Packages (WPs), supported by an interdisciplinary and international network of collaborators.
WP1 aims to develop a comprehensive theoretical framework on the complex connections between droughts and health outcomes.
WP2 and WP3 aim to provide evidence on the impacts of different drought conditions on specific health outcomes in a multi-location setting. We will evaluate the performance of drought metrics, the influence of drought characteristics on the estimates, the mechanisms involved, and the combined effects of compound events (e.g., droughts and extreme heat) on different health outcomes, with particular attention to relevant and less understudied conditions. We are completing the first assessment on the impacts of short-term and long-term droughts on mortality on a global scale. Results were presented at the first workshop organized by the FutureMed COST Action celebrated in Chania from 29 September to 1 October.
WP4 aims to clarify the role of demographic, socioeconomic, and contextual factors as potential effect modifiers to identify vulnerable regions and population groups. WP5 aims to estimate mortality effects associated with droughts under different future scenarios.
IGIA-SETH will lay the foundation for relevant yet neglected topics in climate epidemiology, providing valuable evidence that will help to manage the health burden and social inequalities related to droughts in a climate change context.
