Project Kick-off in Hamburg

CoCareSociety Kick-off event (May 2023) at GERICS, Dr. Jo-Ting Huang-Lachmann / Photo: Knut Goerl, GERICS

The kick-off event of the BMBF junior research group CoCareSociety was held on May, 25th, 26th and 30th, 2023 at GERICS (Climate Service Center Germany) in Hamburg.

On the first day of the event, team members, international partners and practioners gathered in the GERICS conference room. The central focus was to present the project intend of the CoCareSociety junior research group and to encourage discussions by presentations of the international partners. After a detailed presentation of the project by Dr. Jo-Ting Huang-Lachmann as head of the research group, the director of GERICS and the mentor of the research project, Prof. Dr. Daniela Jacob, welcomed all participants.

Moreover, there were interdisciplinary keynote speeches that bring further input to the research of the health-climate-energy nexus:

• Dr. Shih-Chun Candice Lung on “Transdisciplinary collaboration on establishing a heat-health warning system”
• Dr. Laurens Bouwer on “ Machine learning applications in climate change and health research”
• Prof. Dr. Kristie Ebi on “Challenges and opportunities of climate change and health for future societies”
• Prof. Dr. Virginia Murray on “Reflections to support Co-Creating Climate Services for Caring Economy and Caring-Society”
• Dr. Sokhna Thiam on “Cross-continental challenges : How Africa is taking up health and energy challenges”
• Dr. Buyana Kareem on “Climate change – Energy poverty -Nexus really visible in Africa”

CoCareSociety Kick-off event (May 2023) at GERICS / Photo: Knut Goerl, GERICS

On the following day, the relations between health, climate change and energy security were elaborated and presented from different perspectives using a mental model approach. The international background of every participants opened up new perspectives.

The last day of the kick-off event, the so-called "Heatwave Day", focusing on measurements to face the increasing heatwaves. The following experts gave presentations:

• Prof. Dr. Jana Sillmann on “Heat stress and climate change"
• Dr. Shih-Chun Candice Lung on "Transdisciplinary collaboration on establishing a heat-health warning system"
• Prof. Dr. Masahiro Hashizume on "Extreme heat, energy demands and health adaptation".

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