On March 31, 2026, a hybrid colloquium titled “Living with the Climate Change Consequences: Reshaping the Social Contract” will take place at the OIA Boardroom, GH 101, and virtually via Zoom. This event is part of the MaGIC initiative and specifically the FORESEE research program, which is a seven-year, 9-million-euro funded project hosted at Université Grenoble Alpes (UGA).
The session aims to connect researchers studying the consequences of climate change, emphasizing the importance of addressing these issues collaboratively. The event is open to all McMaster faculty, researchers, postdocs, and PhD students, encouraging a broad participation from the academic community.
In addition to the colloquium, the series “Mitigating the Impacts of Climate Change” will feature speakers discussing Indigenous environmental leadership. Among the speakers is Marina Johnson-Zafiris, who will present her dissertation work on technology and environmental justice.
Climate change is increasingly recognized as a critical health crisis, particularly in Africa, where it is affecting health systems by redefining disease patterns and vulnerabilities. Increasing temperatures and extended droughts are altering the epidemiology of diseases, exposing the fragility of health systems that were designed for stability.
Professor Anthony Ngugi emphasized the necessity of integrating climate adaptation into health system planning and investment decisions, stating, “Climate change adaptation is not a nice-to-have feature of health systems but an essential capability of health security.” He further noted, “Our resilience in this age of disruption will be defined not by what we promise for tomorrow, but by what we do today.”
Africa is actively developing health models that are resilient and responsive to climate risks, aiming to better prepare for the ongoing challenges posed by climate change. The upcoming World Health Summit regional meeting, scheduled for April 27-29, will further address these pressing issues.
As the colloquium approaches, the academic community is poised to engage in vital discussions that could shape future responses to climate change and its impacts on health systems.
