Climate change, air pollution, and ecological degradation have had extreme impacts on the health of our planet. Our ability to urgently and ambitiously implement climate crisis solutions will define public health outcomes for generations to come. 

The Climate Change and Planetary Health concentration, launching in fall of 2024, will help you understand the consequences of the current planetary health crisis, including the effects on food, water, air, extreme weather events, heat, migration, and political stability and their subsequent impacts on infectious diseases, non-communicable diseases, nutrition, and mental health.

Students in this concentration will also learn about the health inequity born out of environmental degradation. Structural racism and international economic policy have exacerbated the climate crisis, with communities of color, poor communities, and the Global South being disproportionately impacted. You will be equipped to use research, leadership, advocacy, and policy to implement solutions that better serve these populations.  

The concentration is led by faculty co-directors Dr. Gaurab Basu, assistant professor and director of education and policy at Harvard Chan C-CHANGE, and Dr. Chris Golden, associate professor and director of the Program in Nutrition and Planetary Health. If you have any questions about the concentration, please email gbasu@hsph.harvard.edu or golden@hsph.harvard.edu.

Learning Objectives

Interpret foundational science related to climate and environmental change. 

 

    1. Explain the impact of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions on global climate (greenhouse effect). 
    2. Describe historical trends and current sources of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution. 
    3. Understand how human activities impact ecological stability, land use changes, biodiversity, water pollution, deforestation and food systems.

Define the mechanisms by which climate change and ecological degradation influence public health.

 

    1. Explain the ways by which climate change and ecological degradation influence public health through environmental exposure pathways including natural disasters/extreme weather events, changes in water quantity and quality, food insecurity, heat stress, air pollution, and vector borne infections. 
    2. Identify risks for disease emergence arising from ecological degradation in the form of deforestation, land use changes, agricultural practices, habitat encroachment, pollution, and biodiversity loss. 
    3. Describe how the acute and chronic impacts of climate change and ecological degradation affect mental health. 
    4. List ways in which the delivery of health care creates greenhouse gas emissions, pollution, environmental toxicants and waste. 
    5. Explain how climate change can interfere with the delivery of health care through effects on access to care and impacts on health care facilities and supply chains. 
    6. Identify public health findings in major reports such as the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report, U.N. Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, and National Climate Assessment.

Analyze the historical and structural causes of climate change and ecological degradation and describe the ways in which it creates/exacerbates health inequity.

 

    1. Explain how climate change and ecological degradation intersects with structural racism and health equity in the U.S. (e.g. redlining, heat islands, the disproportionate impact on certain populations, intersecting health challenges, access to adaptive and protective measures). 
    2. Define environmental justice and recognize its importance to climate and planetary health solutions. 
    3. Describe impacts of climate change and planetary health on global health inequities (e.g. natural disasters/extreme weather events, forced migration, social instability, political conflict, food security, water scarcity, and sea level rise), including inequitable resource allocation for adaptive responses. 
    4. Identify the ways in which Black and Indigenous people, and people from the Global South contribute to climate and planetary solutions.

Develop public health skill sets to contribute to climate and planetary solutions.

 

Research Methodologies track 

    1. Use foundational biostatistical and epidemiological methodology to contribute to scientific discovery at the intersection of public health, climate change and planetary health. 
    2. Translate scientific findings to the public forum. 

Research Translation track 

    1. Communicate the health and health equity benefits of climate and planetary solutions to the general public, policy makers, and patients, and address climate science misinformation. 
    2. Examine the role research, health systems, education, communication, community partnership, and advocacy play in the development of climate and planetary solutions. 
    3. Execute policy and advocacy strategies that promote a healthy planet. 

Curriculum

This is a ten-unit concentration for all degree programs at Harvard Chan School. Students in this concentration will be required to choose one of two tracks (research methodologies or research translation) and take 5 units of core curriculum courses, 2.5 units of track courses, and 2.5 units of elective courses at Harvard Chan School and across Harvard University.

Below are some of the course options that can be used to fulfill credits for the concentration.

Courses Course ID Instructor
Core
Climate Change, Health, and Environmental Justice-Focusing on Policy and Solutions EH 213 Nadeau
Human Health and Global Environmental Change EH 278 Dresser
An Introduction to Planetary Health ID 220 Golden
Climate Change and Global Health Equity GH 722 (HMS) Basu
Tracks (pick one of two: Methods or Translation)
Methods
Advanced Regression for Environmental Epidemiology ID 271 Zanobetti, Schwartz
Introduction to Spatial Methods for Public Health GHP 534 Castro
Econometrics for Health Policy GHP 525 Cheng
Applied Regression BST 210 Thaweethai
Applied Regression BST 210 Lake
Survey Research Methods in Community Health BST 212 Mangione
Intro to Quantitative Methods for Monitoring and Evaluation BST 216 Hedt-Gauthier
Core Principles of Data Science BST 219 Mattie
Applied Longitudinal Analysis BST 226 Fizmaurice
Intro to Data Science BST 260 Irizarry
Data Science 2 BST 261 Romero- Brufau
Statistical Learning BST 263 Coull
Quantitative Methods in Health Research: Practice, Principles, and Critical Considerations DRPH 200 Aveling
Applied Survey Research HPM 285 SteelFisher
Qualitative Data Analysis for Public Health SBS 521 Ramanadhan
Introduction to Dissemination and Implemention Science SBS 210 Ramanadhan
Community-based Participatory Research: Principles, Processes and Practices SBS 501 Chu, Nalls
Community-based Participatory Research: Field Engagement and Practice SBS 551 Chu, Nalls
Translation
Narrative Leadership HPM 562 Stojicic
Practical Communication Strategies and Tactics for Influencing a Healthier World SBS 285 Burness
Engaging with the press: A practical look at health communication SBS 225 Toffel
Environmental Health Literacy and Science Communication EH 286 Tomsho, James-Todd
Community Practice in Environmental Health EH 291 Adamkiewicz, Backus
Health Communication in the 21st Century SBS 509 Viswanath
Advocacy and Organizing for Health Policy HPM 566 Rosenthanl, Sheff
Writing Persuasively about Public Health HPM 513 Harris
Public Health in Action: Strategies for Policy, Advocacy, and Communication SBS 211 Brown
Understanding Public Health Leadership: From Frameworks to Practice HPM 503 Koh
Elective
Societal Response to Disaster ID 205 Balsari, Leaning
Built Environment, Nature, and Health EH 249 James
Confronting Climate Change: A Foundation in Science, Technology and Policy GENED 1094 Schrag
Atmospheric Environment EH 297 Koutrakis, Hanna
Understanding Public Health Leadership: From Frameworks to Practice HPM 503 Koh
Reweaving Ourselves and The World : New Perspectives on Climate Change IGA 453 Henderson
High Performance Buildings for Health, Comfort and Sustainability EH 252 Allen
Food and Global environment EH 212 Adamkiewicz
Water pollution EH 257 Levin
Environmental Justice: Concepts and Practice EH 525 Adamkiewicz, James-Todd
Societal Response to Disasters ID 205 Balsari, Leaning

 

Concentration co-sponsors 

    • Harvard Chan C-CHANGE 
    • FXB Center for Health and Human Rights  
    • Department of Environmental Health 
    • Department of Global Health and Population 
    • Department of Nutrition 
    • Department of Biostatistics