Planetary Child Health

Children are among the populations most affected by climate change and environmental degradation. Rising temperatures, extreme weather events, and environmental pollution increasingly threaten children's health, development, and wellbeing. At the same time, children’s perspectives and needs are still insufficiently represented in climate change and health policy as well as in adaptation strategies and interventions.

The Planetary Child Health research group at the Heidelberg Institute of Global Health explores how environmental change affects children’s health and how societies can develop effective, equitable, and child-centered responses. Our work focuses on translating scientific evidence into actionable policies and interventions that protect children’s health in a changing climate.

Our research explores the intersection of climate change, environmental health, and child wellbeing, with particular attention to vulnerable populations and settings such as schools and communities. We study how environmental exposures influence children's health outcomes and how adaptation strategies can be designed and implemented to reduce risks.

A central aim of our work is to bridge the gap between global climate policy and local implementation. We examine how climate adaptation policies address child health and identify pathways to translate policy commitments into practical interventions that improve children’s health and resilience.

Our research addresses three key themes:

1. Climate Change Risks and Impacts on Child Health: We examine how environmental changes—including heat exposure and extreme weather events—affect children’s health and wellbeing. Our studies combine epidemiological analyses, environmental health research, and participatory methods to better understand children’s vulnerabilities and adaptive capacities.
2. Child Participation and Co-Creation: Children are not only affected by climate change but also key stakeholders and agents of change in shaping responses. Our work develops innovative approaches to meaningful child participation in research and decision-making processes. Through participatory research formats such as co-design labs and youth engagement initiatives, we collaborate with children, families, and communities to develop child-centered adaptation.
3. Implementation and Policy Translation: A central goal of the group is to translate evidence into real-world solutions. We evaluate climate change adaptation interventions in settings such as schools, health systems, and communities, using implementation science approaches to assess feasibility, effectiveness, and scalability. Findings from these studies inform policy processes and contribute to the development of climate-change responsive health and education strategies.

Our research is interdisciplinary and combines methods from global health, environmental epidemiology, policy analysis, and implementation science. We use a mix of quantitative, qualitative, and participatory research approaches, including:

• epidemiological and time-series analyses of climate-change and health relationships
• policy analysis and governance research
• stakeholder and expert interviews
• participatory research and innovative co-design methods with children
• implementation science and mixed-method evaluations

By integrating these approaches, we aim to generate actionable knowledge that supports evidence-informed decision-making and strengthens climate adaptation efforts for child health.

The overarching goal of the Planetary Child Health research group is to advance the emerging field of planetary child health, which examines how environmental changes shape children’s health today and in the future.

Our research seeks to:

• generate evidence on climate-change related risks for children’s health
• strengthen the integration of child health into climate change and health policies
• develop and test participatory climate change adaptation interventions
• support the translation of research into policy and practice