GLEPHA’s new Climate Change and Public Safety Special Interest Group held its founding meeting at LEPH2026 in Leeds on 6 September.
The SIG’s central purpose is to create an international, interdisciplinary community of practice that connects currently fragmented work on climate change and public safety and turns that connection into practical collaboration, shared knowledge, and action.
At the founding meeting, participants from research, policy, policing, public health, and practice explored how climate change is reshaping public safety through cascading impacts such as migration, food insecurity, unequal vulnerability, pressure on services, misinformation, and new criminal opportunities.
Discussion also highlighted gaps in forward planning, weak connections across systems and disciplines, and the need to involve climate scientists, practitioners, policymakers, communities, and Global South perspectives more directly.
Participants emphasized prevention, interdisciplinarity, local context, clearer definitions of safety and security, and stronger research–practice collaboration.
Early priorities identified include developing working definitions and a shared framework, producing collaborative publications, exploring research and funding opportunities, strengthening knowledge exchange, and building sustained connections across sectors and countries.
If your work touches climate change, public safety, public health, resilience, emergency management, community safety, governance, climate justice, or related areas, we invite you to join the conversation.
A first virtual meeting will follow the Leeds launch and will provide an opportunity to help shape priorities, connect with others in the field, and identify opportunities for practical collaboration.
Interested in participating? Join the SIG and help build this emerging international community of practice.