We work closely with at-risk populations to study the impact of extreme weather events and the changing climate on lives and livelihoods around the world. In collaboration with women workers from India’s informal labor economy, we are quantifying the impact of heat and humidity on human health and wages and co-creating toolkits with these communities to measure the efficacy of proposed adaptation interventions. Our policy and education work spans global audiences.
We are the inaugural recipient of Harvard’s university-wide Salata Institute Climate Cluster grant and co-lead the South Asia Climate Adaptation Cluster.
Dr. Balsari directs Harvard’s tri-institute Climate and Human Health physician fellowship at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, C-Change, and the FXB Center for Health and Human Rights.
Research
Community HATS
The Community HATS (Heat Adaptation and Treatment Strategies) project quantifies the impact of heat and humidity experienced in the microenvironments of the poor at home and at work, on their health, wellbeing and wages.
This first of its kind study in the world will track microenvironments of nearly 1000 women for over a year, measuring the impact of prolonged heat exposure on human physiology, mental health, education, and work capacity.
Grant Support: Salata Institute Climate Cluster grant; Mittal Institute Climate Platform; others.
Landscape Analysis of Climate Adaptation Action in South Asia
As an Inaugural project of the Harvard Salata Institute, this project, co-led by faculty from Earth and Planetary Sciences, Business, Medicine and Public Health, in collaboration with civil society organizations and academic institutions from India and Bangladesh, this project seeks to map adaptation interventions to heat and extreme weather events across India and Bangladesh.
Visit this webpage for more information.
Digital Tools
Climateverse
Access to high-quality data is crucial for crafting effective climate change interventions. Communities most at risk for climate change have limited access to the information they need to make informed decisions.
Climateverse addresses data quality, access and usability by providing an open access repository of curated climate data sets. Leveraging Large Language Models and Generative AI, Climateverse lowers the barrier to data access and use.
Grant support: Climate Change Solutions Fund, provided by the Office of the Vice Provost for Climate and Sustainability at Harvard University.
Policy
Heat Conference in New Delhi
The frequency and intensity of heatwaves is increasing across the Global South, and especially in South Asia, significantly impacting population health, labor productivity, agricultural output, and environmental stability.
Critical knowledge gaps preclude effective planning for protecting populations across both short and long timescales. Solutions to address the wide scale disruption in how and where people live, commute, and work, as well as how and where they grow their food, and how communities receive those displaced by drought and floods, will require multi-pronged interdisciplinary planning.
To accelerate related research and policy-making, the Heat Conference hosted by the Lakshmi Mittal and Family South Asia Institute at Harvard University will convene in March 2025 in New Delhi, focusing on key themes to advance research and policymaking by involving at-risk communities, civil society, corporations, and experts in various fields.
No Ordinary Heatwave
In collaboration with the National Foundation of India, the Community Science Alliance, and the India Meteorological Institute, our team produced a popular educational video on heat stroke awareness and personal protection, titled ‘Yeh Garmi Nahin Hain Aam’ (This is no ordinary heat).
The video was first shared at COP28; then disseminated by the Indian Meteorological Department via their social media channels during the heatwaves of 2024. This release was accompanied by an op-ed in the Indian Express, “First, understand that this is no ordinary heatwave.
Adapting to Climate Change in South Asia and West Africa Workshop
In November 2023, various institutes at Harvard University including the Lakshmi Mittal and Family South Asia Institute, the Salata Institute for Climate and Sustainability, and the FXB Center for Health and Human Rights, conducted a three-day workshop focusing on the severe impact of climate change in South Asia and West Africa.
The workshop examined preliminary findings from climate adaptation research initiatives in both regions. Key topics included assessing regional capacities, identifying stakeholders, and improving local, regional, and international climate preparedness through a cross-regional exchange of strategies.
Policy Brief on Climate Change
Ahead of COP28, findings from the Mittal Institute’s inaugural climate conference in March 2023 and a workshop on climate adaptation in South Asia and West Africa held in Cambridge in November 2023 were published as a policy brief, “Climate Change in South Asia: Requisites for a Sustainable Future.”
The policy brief outlined the need to prioritize at-risk communities, plan for various time horizons in implementation projects, and create climate consciousness through accessible knowledge dissemination.
Climate and Human Health Fellowship
Our intensive two-year program includes a master’s degree in public health or public policy at Harvard University; internships at external organizations and agencies; opportunities to learn and engage in advocacy; and training to lead independent research at the intersection of climate change, human health and policy.
Mentorship is provided by an interdisciplinary team of faculty from across Harvard.
Climate Adaptation in South Asia Research Cluster
This project, backed by Harvard’s Salata Institute for Climate and Sustainability, focuses on enhancing climate adaptation at multiple levels in South Asia, particularly regarding climate-related migration. The team will collaborate with partners to develop and scale diverse climate adaptation strategies, such as health, technological, and policy solutions. These strategies are designed to address challenges posed by droughts, floods, and sea-level rise, ranging from habitat modifications to disease surveillance and comprehensive insurance and response plans for climate-induced disruptions.
Team leads: Professors Caroline Buckee, Peter Huyber, Tarun Khanna, Jennifer Leaning, Dan Schrag, and Satchit Balsari.