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A Research Agenda to Protect Human Health and Build Resilience in the Face of a Changing Climate (2025)

Chapter: 2 KEY FINDINGS AND RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES

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Previous Chapter: 1 CLIMATE AND HEALTH RESEARCH GAPS

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Suggested Citation: "2 KEY FINDINGS AND RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES." National Academy of Medicine. 2025. A Research Agenda to Protect Human Health and Build Resilience in the Face of a Changing Climate. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/28669.

2
KEY FINDINGS AND RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES

Climate change is already impacting everyone, everywhere—but the magnitude and distribution of those impacts vary. This research agenda highlights the profound and multi-faceted impacts of climate change on human health, identifying critical gaps that need to be addressed to protect public health and well-being. While much is known about climate change’s adverse effects on health, there are key opportunities to address knowledge gaps (see Table 2-1).

TABLE 2-1 | Research Opportunities in Climate Impacts on Health

Domain	Research Area	Description	Key Questions
Domain 1: Climate Impacts on Health and Related Economic Outcomes in the United States	Understanding and Reducing Vulnerability	Investigate how climate change interacts with social determinants (e.g., income, education, housing stability) to influence exposure and vulnerability to health risks. Identify strategies to protect high-risk populations and reduce inequities.	How effective are current strategies in reducing climate-related health inequities? What best practices can be identified and implemented to address disparities? Which strategies effectively reduce vulnerability in high-risk populations? What role do specific social drivers, such as income and housing stability, play in shaping climate-related health risks, and how can they be mitigated?

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Research Area	Description	Key Questions
Mechanisms of Climate-Related Illnesses	Study the biochemical, molecular, cellular, socio-behavioral, and socioeconomic mechanisms by which climate changes (e.g., temperature fluctuations, pollution) impact health, including biological effects and interactions with socioeconomic factors.	How do specific climate changes affect biological mechanisms underlying health risks? How can insights into these mechanisms inform targeted interventions? What adaptive strategies are most effective in mitigating long-term impacts?
Longitudinal Studies on Climate and Health	Conduct long-term studies to track health outcomes of populations exposed to climate hazards over time to understand chronic health impacts and differential effects across diverse demographic groups.	What chronic health impacts develop over time from climate exposure? How do factors like age, socioeconomic status, and location affect vulnerability? Which preventive measures are most effective based on longitudinal insights?
Quantifying Health and Related Economic Burdens	Quantify direct and indirect health and economic costs of climate impacts (e.g., hospital admissions, health care costs, lost productivity) to better inform policy and resource allocation.	What are the economic and health costs of climate impacts? How do mental health impacts and displacement contribute to these costs? How can economic data guide effective adaptation strategies?

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Domain	Research Area	Description	Key Questions
	One Health Research	Apply a One Health approach that connects human, animal, and environmental health, integrating cross-species surveillance, disease prediction models, and antimicrobial resistance research.	How can One Health improve predictions for zoonotic disease outbreaks linked to climate change? How can surveillance across species be effectively integrated to monitor and respond to emerging health threats due to climate-driven ecosystem changes? How does climate change influence antimicrobial resistance pathways, and what strategies can mitigate its spread across human, animal, and environmental health domains?
Domain 2: Crosscutting Strategies to Support Climate-Health Resilience and Infrastructure: Adaptation, Mitigation, and Equity in Action	Integration of Mitigation and Health Co-Benefits	Assess and quantify the health benefits of greenhouse gas reduction and other climate mitigation strategies to enhance respiratory health, cardiovascular health, and mental well-being.	What are the most effective mitigation strategies that provide health co-benefits? How can a health-first approach guide decision making in climate mitigation? What role do local health priorities play in implementation?
	Community-Based Adaptation Strategies	Explore localized, community-driven adaptation strategies (e.g., urban greening, water management) to build resilience and address climate and health challenges in vulnerable communities.	What are the most successful community-based adaptation models? How can these models be adapted across cultural and environmental contexts? What methods support community-driven solutions in diverse areas?

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Research Area	Description	Key Questions
Targeting Vulnerable Populations and Addressing Equity	Prioritize research to understand the impact of climate on vulnerable populations (e.g., low-income, older adults, children) and address social drivers of health to reduce disparities.	How can climate-health interventions be designed for vulnerable populations? What policies effectively mitigate compounded climate and social inequities? How does socioeconomic status shape climate-health vulnerabilities?
Leveraging Indigenous Knowledge	Document and integrate Indigenous knowledge with scientific approaches to create culturally appropriate and comprehensive adaptation frameworks.	How can traditional Indigenous practices be systematically incorporated into climate adaptation? What barriers exist in integrating Indigenous knowledge into policy? What opportunities support collaboration with Indigenous communities?
Implementation Science for Climate-Health Interventions	Identify effective methods for integrating climate-health interventions into health care systems and public policies, focusing on stakeholder engagement and evaluation of existing practices.	How effective are current climate-health interventions in reducing exposure and impacts? What barriers exist in implementing interventions? How can stakeholder engagement be enhanced for greater uptake?
Developing Resilient Health and Infrastructure Systems	Design climate-resilient health systems and infrastructure (e.g., water, sanitation, energy) that can withstand climate impacts and safeguard public health during extreme events.	Which technologies are most effective for building climate-resilient health systems? How can critical infrastructure be adapted to reduce climate-related health risks? What factors aid successful implementation?

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Domain	Research Area	Description	Key Questions
Domain 3: Research and Technology Infrastructure and Capacity Building	Building Interdisciplinary Research Ecosystems	Develop strategies to integrate climate science, health research, and social sciences, promoting collaboration and conducting longitudinal studies to enhance understanding of climate-health interactions.	How can interdisciplinary research on climate and health be promoted and supported? What challenges and opportunities exist for longitudinal studies? How can collaborations with social sciences enhance research outcomes?
	Enhancing Climate-Health Surveillance and Data Collection Systems	Develop real-time surveillance systems integrating climate, environmental, and health data to inform timely public health interventions, especially in underserved communities.	How can innovative data collection methods address climate-health data gaps? What role do remote sensing, AI, and community-based monitoring play in improving climate-health data systems?
	Addressing Data Gaps and Enhancing Capacity in Vulnerable Communities	Focus on improving data collection, analytical capacity, and tools in vulnerable communities to support local climate-health research and interventions.	What are the most significant data gaps at the community level, and how can they be addressed? What strategies can build research capacity in resource-limited settings? How can communities engage in local climate-health studies?
	Harnessing Emerging Technologies for Climate-Health Research	Explore the potential of sensors, AI, advanced modeling, and big data analytics to improve predictive models, enhance data analysis, and create innovative climate-health solutions.	How can AI improve predictive models for climate-health risks? What are best practices for integrating AI and modeling in climate-health research? What ethical considerations are needed for AI and modeling applications?

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Domain	Research Area	Description	Key Questions
	Developing a Climate-Savvy Workforce	Strengthen the capacity of health care professionals and researchers to address climate-related health issues through collaborative training and learning.	What are the most effective training programs for health care professionals on climate-related health issues? How can public health infrastructure better respond to climate-health challenges? How can collaboration be enhanced?
Domain 4: Policy and Public Communication, Education, and Engagement	Policy and Governance for Climate Adaptation and Mitigation	Examine how policy frameworks and governance structures can support effective mitigation and adaptation and prioritize health equity, particularly for marginalized communities.	How can policy frameworks improve coordination and implementation of climate-health strategies? Which governance models best support collaboration, trust, and inclusion of marginalized communities?
	Enhancing Two-Way Communication	Research effective two-way communication methods between scientists and the public, focusing on knowledge exchange with marginalized communities to promote collective climate action.	How can public input be systematically integrated into climate-health research? What strategies foster mutual education and empower communities? What impact does public engagement have on intervention effectiveness?
	Developing Inclusive and Equitable Engagement Frameworks	Explore community-based participatory research, digital engagement, and countering disinformation to enhance inclusivity and behavioral change in climate adaptation and mitigation efforts.	What inclusive frameworks best support community engagement? How can digital platforms broaden engagement? What are effective approaches to countering climate-health disinformation?

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Domain	Research Area	Description	Key Questions
	Effective Climate-Health Communication for Policymakers	Investigate strategies for communicating climate-health science to policymakers, translating complex findings into actionable policy recommendations to inform decision making at all levels.	What frameworks can translate scientific findings for policymakers? What communication strategies are most effective with policymakers across ideological perspectives?