Empowering Through Climate Education

According the World Health Organization, climate change presents a fundamental threat to human health. It affects the physical environment as well as all aspects of both natural and human systems—including social and economic conditions and the functioning of health systems. (Photograph by Madcat_Madlove / Shutterstock.com)

When Joshua Rosenthal traveled to Chennai from Washington, D.C. in 2023, little did he know that he would live through the severe-rated Cyclone Michaung, or that the experience would deeply influence his work. Cyclone Michaung made landfall in December 2023, killing nine people and displacing thousands in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.

Rosenthal is a scientist specializing in climate change and public health. His work at the Fogarty International Center of the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) focuses on helping people withstand dangerous effects of global warming, like flooding, disease, drought and extreme heat. Rosenthal is also a recipient of the Fulbright-Kalam Climate Fellowship, a four- to nine-month-long academic exchange program on climate change for Indian and American research scholars.

Lessons from the storm

During the fellowship, Rosenthal collaborated with the Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research (SRIHER) in Chennai. When the cyclone hit the city, Rosenthal was trapped in his apartment for three days without electricity. “It helped me really understand just how dangerous storms and heat waves caused by climate change can be,” he says, adding that storms can be treacherous and challenging, especially for older people and those with mobility issues.

Rosenthal channeled what he learned from the disaster into his work. Supported by his fellowship, Rosenthal’s goal was to help SRIHER develop a master’s-level curriculum on public health. The program teaches students how to protect communities from the worst effects of climate change.

Joshua Rosenthal (front row, second from left) meets Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) during his Fulbright-Kalam Climate Fellowship in India. (Photograph courtesy Joshua Rosenthal)

Developing the curriculum

Rosenthal dove into research to learn about the environmental science and public health courses offered at SRIHER, and what elements of American climate science education could be used as models to make those courses more comprehensive. Rosenthal regularly met with SRIHER College of Public Health staff members, faculty from other institutions like IIT Delhi, and other scientists to gain knowledge and build connections.

“Because of storms, heatwaves, droughts and floods, awareness of climate change in India is very high, and there’s lots of relevant expertise in this new and growing field inside the country,” says Rosenthal, “but the experts are widely scattered across many medium-sized institutions. Part of my work was to bring some of those experts together.”

As a result of his efforts, SRIHER students pursuing studies in global climate change and public health will examine important topics and gain critical knowledge. Rosenthal helped develop one course that teaches students about policy, economics, atmospheric sciences and ethics related to climate change. Another course, climate epidemiology, delves into the health threats posed by climate change. Students will also learn how data science can be used to understand the dangers and possibilities related to climate change and how to help protect communities made vulnerable by climate change.

After completing classes, seminars, a dissertation and an internship, graduates will enter the workforce with an unprecedented breadth of knowledge to help them face challenges that climate change presents.

The climate fellowship

Rosenthal says his Fulbright-Kalam Climate Fellowship gave him valuable perspective on the problems he was trying to solve. “I already knew about the geographical and economic factors that made India more vulnerable to problems from climate change, but it can be difficult to understand a place at a deeper level if you just fly in, have meetings and then leave,” he says. “The fellowship gave me the wonderful opportunity to live full-time in one place and really understand the educational opportunities and constraints.”

Rosenthal’s hard work during his Fulbright-Kalam Fellowship is paying off: the Master of Public Health program he helped design went live in the summer of 2024. He says he is thrilled that students are engaging in the subject matter he has devoted his career to and excited to see where the program goes in the months and years to come.

Michael Gallant is a New York City-based writer, musician and entrepreneur.