The increasing frequency and intensity of climate-related events—such as heatwaves, floods, air pollution, and vector-borne disease outbreaks—are placing unprecedented pressures on health systems across Asia. Human resources for health are at the frontline of response, yet there remains limited clarity on the specific competencies required across different health cadres to effectively address climate-related health risks.
This webinar will present ongoing research that examines climate-health competencies for diverse health workforce categories, including clinicians, public health professionals, and community health workers, within Asian contexts. The discussion will explore existing global and regional competency frameworks, assess gaps in current training and policy approaches, and highlight emerging practices for integrating climate considerations into health workforce development.
By bringing together global experts and researchers, the webinar aims to contribute to a more systematic understanding of the skills, knowledge, and capacities needed to strengthen climate-resilient health systems.
Keynote: Dr. Cecilia Sorensen
Cecilia Sorensen, MD is the Director of the Global Consortium on Climate and Health Education at Columbia University, Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine at Columbia Irving Medical Center and Associate Professor of Environmental Health Sciences at Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University. As a physician-investigator at the nexus of climate change and human health, translating research into policy, clinical action, and education to build resilience in vulnerable communities is the focus of her research. Her recent work has spanned domestic as well as international emergent health issues related to climate change, including, extreme heat, degraded air quality, extreme weather events, emerging infectious diseases, women’s health, and worker health. Dr. Sorensen is a member of the Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change and serves on the Steering Committee for the National Academy of Medicine Action Collaborative for Decarbonization of the U.S. Health Sector. She is the co-editor of the textbook Climate Change and Human Health: From Science to Practice.
Presenter: Priyanka Tomar
Research Associate, Centre for Social and Economic Progress
Moderator: Neethi V Rao
Fellow, Centre for Social and Economic Progress
