Exploring the Interplay of Biodiversity, Climate Zones, and Human Health

Project description

Numerous factors influence human health, including physical activity, mental well-being, proximity to urban parks, and exposure to green spaces. However, recent evidence suggests that the species abundance and richness within these parks play a more significant role in promoting human health than mere proximity to greenery. Alarmingly, species diversity tends to decline with rising temperatures at a given location. Despite the importance of this relationship, our understanding of whether species diversity acts as an effect modifier for mental and physical health outcomes remains limited. Comprehensive observations of climate change across vast spatial scales over extended periods are necessary to gain deeper insights into the association between biodiversity and human health.

We aim to develop a modelling framework encompassing biodiversity by assessing species richness and abundance. By incorporating temperature changes into our analysis, we will quantify the influence of climate factors on biodiversity patterns. To achieve this, we will examine large-scale spatiotemporal changes in biodiversity. Specifically, we will investigate the intricate three-way relationship between health, biodiversity, and climate using comprehensive data from India and Australia. Our examination will be stratified based on the diverse climatic regions present in both countries.

We will address several specific research questions concerning the diverse climate zones and their interplay with global warming, biodiversity, and non-communicable diseases. The initial phase of the study will involve extracting species data from citizen science data collection initiatives and biodiversity atlases. Climate zones and relevant weather data will be obtained from reputable sources such as the Bureau of Meteorology. To enrich the analysis, existing health surveys will be carefully merged with caution, and collaborations with health services will be sought to acquire any additional necessary data. Spatial-temporal statistical models and predictive algorithms will be employed to thoroughly investigate the complex relationships between climate zones, biodiversity, and health outcomes.

Outcomes

1. Investigate the spatial and temporal changes in biodiversity in response to global warming.
2. Develop an improved methodology for measuring species richness and diversity simultaneously, focusing on their impact on health outcomes.
3. Compare the biodiversity patterns and public health burdens associated with global warming in Australian and Indian climate zones.
4. Advocate for utilising species diversity and richness measures as indicators for promoting better health in landscape and urban design practices.
5. Geographically assess the long-term association between biodiversity and health burdens, providing estimates across different regions over time.

Essential capabilities

Experience in analysing Geospatial data

Desireable capabilities

Experience working with large health data sets and/or epidemiological studies

Expected qualifications (Course/Degrees etc.)

BHSc, BSc, MEpi, M.Tech/M.Sc./BTech (with GATE/NET/DST-INSPIRE) in a relevant discipline (atmospheric science, epidemiology, biotechnology, bioscience, environmental science, public health, statistics and/or biostatistics)

Additional information for applicants

note: i-students must have own scholarship to apply (CSIR, UCG-NET, etc)