Amman: Amman will host the second Conference on Climate Change and Health in the Arab Region (CCHAR-II 2026) from August 24 to 26, bringing together leading researchers, policymakers, and representatives of ministries, universities, scientific institutions, and regional and international organizations.
According to Jordan News Agency, the conference is organized by the University of Jordan in cooperation with a network of scientific institutions, including Jordan University of Science and Technology, the Royal Scientific Society, The Hashemite University, the University of California San Diego, the University of California, Berkeley, the University of California, San Francisco, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Texas AandM University, the University of Balamand, and Mohammed VI University of Health Sciences, as well as researchers, experts and partner institutions from Arab and international countries.
Held at the Le Royal Hotel under the theme "Policy Translation and Implementation," the conference aims to strengthen the transition from generating scientific evidence on the health impacts of climate change to using that evidence to develop policies, programs and practical interventions that protect community health and strengthen the capacity of health systems across the Arab region to address growing climate-related risks.
Chairman of the conference's organizing committee, Professor Ahmad Al-Salameh, told the Jordan News Agency (Petra) that the conference is being held amid rising temperatures across the Arab region, increasingly frequent heatwaves and dust storms, and growing challenges related to water scarcity, air pollution and climate-sensitive diseases.
He said these challenges require stronger cooperation among researchers, decision-makers and implementing bodies, as well as the development of evidence-based responses that take into account the needs and specific circumstances of Arab communities.
Al-Salameh added that the opening session will feature a keynote lecture by Dr. Wael Al-Dulaimi, a faculty member at the University of California San Diego, on the need for a qualitative shift in translating climate and health research into policy.
He stressed that hosting the event reflects the advanced role played by Jordanian academic and scientific institutions in leading the regional dialogue on climate change and health.
The conference, he explained, has been designed as a platform for joint action and solution development rather than merely a venue for presenting research and knowledge. It will focus on building effective partnerships among scientific, policy and implementation sectors and producing recommendations and tools that institutions can use in health and climate planning.
The aim is to translate research findings into applicable policies and interventions while enhancing the preparedness of communities and institutions to address the health impacts of climate change.
Al-Salameh said the conference will feature an extensive scientific program comprising 12 specialized sessions and around 68 scientific and research presentations addressing some of the most pressing climate and health challenges facing Jordan and the Arab region.
The research will cover the use of artificial intelligence and data science to predict climate-related diseases, the relationship between climate variables and disease incidence, and the use of digital technologies to improve the reliability of renewable energy and promote public health.
Researchers will also examine the health impacts of air pollution and dust storms, including respiratory, eye and nasal symptoms associated with Khamsin storms, as well as the relationship between fine particulate matter, climate variability and mortality rates in Jordan.
Other studies will address the impact of environmental exposures on the health of children and mothers, as well as chronic and climate-sensitive diseases.
The conference will also explore the effects of heatwaves and nighttime temperatures on health and mortality, the development of indicators to measure heat vulnerability in cities, and the feasibility of establishing safe cooling spaces in densely populated areas of Amman.
Research will further examine schools' preparedness and teachers' knowledge of the health risks associated with heatwaves, as well as the effectiveness of climate adaptation strategies in improving asthma control among refugees during periods of extreme heat and dust storms.
The conference will also feature dialogue sessions bringing together scientific and policy perspectives to discuss ways to strengthen climate and health preparedness in the Arab region, with the participation of researchers, experts, parliamentarians, health ministry officials, and representatives of national and regional institutions.
The event is being organized as part of a scientific cooperation network that includes the Royal Scientific Society, the University of Jordan, Jordan University of Science and Technology, the University of California San Diego, the University of California, Berkeley, the University of California, San Francisco, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Texas AandM University, the University of Balamand, and Mohammed VI University of Health Sciences, alongside researchers, experts and partner institutions from Arab and international countries.
CCHAR-II 2026 builds on the success of the conference's first edition and represents one of the key platforms for regional cooperation on climate change and health. It seeks to facilitate the exchange of expertise, build capacity, and develop research and institutional partnerships that support the translation of scientific evidence into applicable policies and practices across the Arab region.
The conference is scheduled to conclude with a set of recommendations aimed at strengthening cooperation between scientific institutions and policymakers, promoting the integration of health considerations into climate and adaptation policies, and identifying research and joint action priorities for the next phase.