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Nexus of climate, health and (im)mobility

Involved researchers: Thomas Brenner, Saeed A. Khan, Ann-Christine Link

Climate change is considered a risk multiplier not only when it comes to human (im)mobility (migration, displacement, planned relocation, immobility) but also health (physical, mental). The goal of our working group is to disentangle the nexus of climate, human (im)mobility, and health. Health in this context considers physical, mental health and well-being. Research on the nexus is limited, especially research with a geographical focus on Europe. Scientific knowledge on the effect of climate change on health and (im)mobility is crucial to serve as a basis for evidence-based (policy) interventions to inform people about health risks and support people on the move and those left behind. Accordingly, we work on the following research themes:

1) Impacts of climate, weather and air conditions on health: How do weather and air conditions increase the risk of pneumonia hospitalization, COPD and asthma exacerbation, cardio-vascular-related hospitalization, and hypertension complication during pregnancy in Germany? Which role do personal characteristics (e.g., age, sex) and comorbidities (e.g., COPD, asthma, history of smoking) play? In an interdisciplinary collaboration project (HABITAT) we integrate these findings into AI based models to predict potential acute disease progression, as well as implementing these forecasts through a smart-phone app.

2) Impacts of climate and weather on migration patterns: How do climatic and environmental factors impact internal migration within Europe and internal and international migration in and from Germany?

3) Impacts of climate and weather on health of migrants and relocated people: How do climatic shocks impact the well-being of migrant and non-migrant households in Western Africa (e.g., Ethiopia, Uganda, Tanzania, and Malawi)? How does planned relocation impact the health of relocated and left-behind individuals in Fiji?

4) Policy and narratives on climate change, health and migration: How is climate, human (im)mobility and health integrated into relevant national policies such as NAPs and NDCs? What are the narratives on climate mobility, why do people believe them and how can this be influenced by science?

Related publications:

Khan, S., Brenner, T., Link, A.-C., Reudenbach, C., Bendix, J., Weckler, B. C. … (2025): Impact of absolute values and changes in meteorological and air quality conditions on community-acquired pneumonia in Germany. International Journal of Biometeorology 69 (3), 695-702.

Brenner, T., Link, A-C., Reidenbach, C., Pott, H., Rupp, J., Witzenrath, M., Rohde, G., Pletz, M., Bertrams, W., Schmeck, B. & CAPNETZ study group (2025): Impact of comorbidities and personal characteristics on weather-related risk for community-acquired pneumonia. Frontiers in Climate 6, 1475075.

Link, A. C., Hoffmann, R., & Brenner, T. (2024). The Tail End of Migration: Assessing the Climate Resilience of Migrant Households in Ethiopia.

Eberle, C., Durand-Delacre, D., Link, A. C., O'Connor, J., Ramesh, A., Sandholz, S., ... & Thalheimer, L. (2023). Technical Report: Unbearable heat.

Mombauer, D., Link, A. C., & van der Geest, K. (2023). Addressing climate-related human mobility through NDCs and NAPs: State of play, good practices, and the ways forward. Frontiers in Climate, 5, 1125936.

Link, A. C., Zhu, Y., & Karutz, R. (2021). Quantification of Resilience Considering Different Migration Biographies: A Case Study of Pune, India. Land, 10(11), 1134.