A web-based platform https: //cch. icddrb. org/ is providing a comprehensive resource for understanding the effects of climate change on health.
The USAID funded Research for Decision Makers (RDM) activity, icddr,b and Data for Impact (D4I) organised a special session on Tuesday with health journalists, giving them a hands-on tour to the website.
It serves as a one-stop resource for the latest data, research, and information on this important and rapidly evolving topic.Dr. Peter Kim Streatfield, Emeritus Scientist at icddr,b and the project lead, started the session with a presentation on how climate change is affecting human as well as global health.
He also stressed on the data scarcity issue and how it’s hard to find good realiable and real time data on climate change in Bangladesh.
Followed by Dr. Streatfield’s talk, Tanvir Ahmad, Research Officer, HSPSD, icddr,b demonstrated the website's features and functionality, showcasing its ability to provide real-time information on climate change and its impacts on health, including temperature, humidity, and air quality data updated hourly through an external Air Quality Device based in Mohakhali.
The website provides a plethora of information and tools regarding the effects of climate change on health in Bangladesh, including data on vector-borne diseases, heat waves and heat stress, air pollution, and food security, among others.
In addition, it provides information on climatic disasters, such as cyclones, floods, and droughts, as well as local and global climate change-related factors, such as sea level rise, salinity intrusion, sea surface temperature,
atmospheric CO2 and global warming, greenhouse gas emission, El-Nino/La-Nina, Indian Ocean Dipole, etc.
This site is developed with support from USAID’s Research for Decision Makers (RDM) initiative.
Followed by Dr. Streatfield’s presentation and launching of the website, a very engaging discussion session took place, where climate change and health experts, scientists, researchers, and programme implementers took part to disucss on the importance of this website and how to make it more resoruceful in future.
Among others Dr. Shams El Arifeen, Senior Director (MCHD), icddrb; Dr. Mizanur Rahman, Country Lead of Data for Impact; Shusmita Khan, Knowledge Management and Communications Specialist of Data for Impact; also attended the event.