SINGAPORE - A new research centre that aims to tackle the health risks of climate change in the tropics was on April 15 launched at Nanyang Technological University.

Research efforts at the Centre for Climate Change and Environmental Health will focus on three pillars - air quality, extreme heat, and water supply and quality, said its director Steve Yim.

These are issues that are becoming increasingly urgent in South-east Asia due to rising global temperatures and environmental changes, he added.

Associate Professor Yim said there is a significant lack of research focusing on tropical regions like South-east Asia, which faces issues specific to the region. These include high humidity, monsoons, and transboundary haze pollution, all of which have impacts on human health and well-being.

“South-east Asia is one of the regions most exposed to climate-related health risks, yet remains underrepresented in global research,” said Prof Yim.

The Centre for Climate Change and Environmental Health was officially launched at the Experimental Medicine Building at NTU on April 15. Senior Minister of State for Sustainability and the Environment Amy Khor was guest-of-honour.

Dr Khor said Singapore, being a highly urbanised and densely populated city-state, is exceptionally vulnerable to climate impacts on its environment and public health.

For example, climate change causes changes in rainfall patterns and a higher likelihood of extreme weather events. This potentially contributes to the increase and spread of various vector-borne diseases, especially arboviruses, which are those spread by mosquitos, according to the Duke-NUS Medical School.

“(The centre’s research) will build on findings from Singapore’s 3rd National Climate Change Study to advance our understanding of tropical ...