IGIA-SETH: unravelIinG the ImpActs of droughtS on human healTH

This project 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).

The IGIA-SETH project is led by Dr. Coral Salvador. It is funded by an SNSF Ambizione grant and started 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 will provide evidence on the impacts of different drought conditions on specific health outcomes through  multi-location assessments across multiple countries worldwide 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 various health outcomes, with a particular focus on relevant and less-studied conditions. Currently, in autumn 2025, we are making substantial progress on the first global-scale assessment of the impacts of  droughts at short and long time scales on mortality.

WP4 aims to clarify the role of demographic, socioeconomic, climatic, and contextual factors as potential effect modifiers to identify vulnerable regions and population groups.

Finally, 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.

Recent events

Coral Salvador and other members of the Climate Epidemiology and Public Health research group participated in the preparation of a poster titled Climate Change, Droughts, and Health: What you need to know for the Nacht der Forschung (Night of Research) held in Bern on September 6, 2025. This initiative aimed to bridge the gap between science and society by providing visibility to a relevant yet neglected topic in climate epidemiology and fostering dialogue on the current and future challenges posed by climate change. 

In February 2026, we welcomed Emilie Schwarz as a PhD student within the IGIA-SETH framework. Under the supervision of Coral Salvador and Ana M. Vicedo-Cabrera, Emilie will develop her doctoral thesis titled “Droughts and Health: assessing risk and vulnerability patterns”. Her current work focuses on the impact of droughts on cause-specific mortality at a global scale. Preliminary findings from her research were recently presented at the Swiss Global Change Day in Bern (April 2026).   

In March 2026, Coral Salvador was invited to participate in the Climate Impacts in a Changing World 2026 conference held in Uppsala, Sweden, from March 9 to March 11. She delivered an oral presentation presenting results from an exploratory assessment of the role of air pollution as a potential mediator in the association between drought and mortality. The experience was highly rewarding, strengthening the international visibility of this research area and fostering new opportunities for future collaboration. During this conference, Coral Salvador and Ana M. Vicedo-Cabrera participated in the FutureMed coordination meeting and engaged in insightful discussions with scientists and stakeholders. The IGIA-SETH’s goals were also shown in that meeting.  

The first results of WP2 were presented at the inaugural workshop and training school organized by the FutureMed COST Action, held in Chania from September 29 to October 1.

At this occasion, Dr. Coral Salvador coordinated and chaired a workshop session on “Climate Extremes, Risk, and Impacts on Landscape in the Mediterranean” and gave a talk on “Assessing mortality risk patterns associated with droughts in a multi-location study”. She additionally led an activity about designing an integrated action plan to manage drought risks in public health at the training school and participated as a co-author in a poster titled “multi-scale assessment of the extreme heat intensification under climate change and its impacts on health in the Mediterranean region

We have currently completed the manuscript for the first study of the project, which provides the first global quantitative evidence of increased mortality impacts attributable to droughts across different accumulation periods and identifies key vulnerability drivers across diverse geoclimatic, demographic, socioeconomic, and environmental contexts. She will present these findings at the General Assembly of the European Geosciences Union (EGU) conference as an oral presentation on Wednesday, 6 May.