Call for participants
Cities are now the dominant human habitat, with more influence than ever on economies, environments and health. Despite progress, intractable urban health problems persist, often the unintended consequences of decisions in other sectors. Systems thinking offers opportunities to address such problems through a better understanding of complexity and innovative implementation of interventions in cities.
For example, the urban heat island (UHI) effect — the phenomenon of elevated temperatures in cities compared with surrounding areas – has important implications for human health and comfort, outdoor activity, energy usage, and productivity, implications that are especially relevant in Malaysia’s tropical climate. Parks, road-side trees, green roofs, and rain gardens are examples of green infrastructure that mitigate UHI by providing shade, reducing the absorption of heat and generating evapotranspirative cooling. These green infrastructure applications can also provide mental, physical, and social health benefits. Successful deployment of green infrastructure is a complex social-ecological challenge. Transdisciplinarity and systems thinking are essential features of any approach for developing effective solutions.
To work toward healthier, more sustainable Malaysian cities, a SCHEMA workshop on promoting health through green infrastructure will be held in Kuching, Sarawak from 10-12 January, 2017. This workshop is supported by the British Council’s Newton Ungku-Omar Fund and led by the United Nations University’s International Institute for Global Health and Cardiff University’s Sustainable Places Research Institute, along with local partners Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia’s LESTARI, the Penang Institute, and Ark 22 Austrian Urban Environmental Group. This workshop will gather a diverse group of stakeholders to share knowledge, identify needs, and discover intersections and collaborations for promoting health through green infrastructure. A “collaborative conceptual modelling” program will encourage participants to develop a holistic understanding of and common framework for meeting urban health challenges.
To apply to participate in this workshop, please download the application form and return to iigh-training@unu.edu by September 30th, 2016. Participants must be Malaysian nationals. Town planners, architects, civil engineers, community leaders, decision-makers, and researchers with an interest in green infrastructure and urban health are encouraged to apply. Additional information is available in the workshop brochure.
For further information, contact Jessie Cheah (iigh-training@unu.edu).
Jessie Cheah