The 2nd Conference on Climate Change and Health in the Arab Region: Policy Translation and Implementation (CCHAR-II 2026)
Building on the success of the inaugural CCHAR conference, The 2nd Climate Change and Health in the Arab Region (CCHAR-II 2026) will be held in Amman, Jordan, from August 25 to 26, 2026, under the theme “Policy Translation and Implementation." The conference aims to move beyond evidence generation toward actionable solutions, focusing on translating climate–health research into effective policies, programs, and on-the-ground implementation across the Arab region.
The conference will convene researchers, policymakers, practitioners, civil society actors, and innovators to address pressing climate-related health challenges through interdisciplinary dialogue and applied approaches. Core conference themes include air pollution and health; water scarcity, water quality, and health; energy systems and health; extreme climate events and health; climate change, vulnerability, and health equity; science-to-policy translation and implementation; innovation, data, and climate–health solutions, food systems and health; and integrated Water–Energy–Food–Health (WEFH) nexus approaches, in addition to other topics exploring the interaction between environment and health.
The 2nd CCHAR will serve as a regional platform to strengthen policy-relevant research, cross-sectoral collaboration, and implementation-focused partnerships, supporting countries in the Arab region to advance climate-resilient, equitable, and sustainable health systems. The conference is also expected to generate policy-oriented recommendations, foster institutional partnerships, and catalyze implementation-driven initiatives aligned with national and regional climate and health priorities.
The 1st Climate Change and Health in the Arab Region: Advancing Regional Interdisciplinary Collaborations (CCHAR)
In July 2025, Amman, Jordan hosted the 1st Climate Change and Health in the Arab Region: Advancing Regional Interdisciplinary Collaborations (CCHAR) a landmark regional conference dedicated to addressing the growing health impacts of climate change through science, policy, ethics, and cross-sectoral collaboration.
The conference was designed as a regional platform for interdisciplinary exchange, bringing together experts in public health, environmental sciences, engineering, ethics, policy, and data science. Over the course of five days, the conference program combined technical workshops, aligned regional conferences, and a two-day flagship scientific meeting, engaging more than 500 cumulative participants across all activities.
Strong Institutional Partnerships and Global Engagement
The success of the 1st CCHAR Conference was made possible through the engagement of a diverse network of academic, scientific, and civil society partners at national, regional, and international levels. These partnerships reflected a shared commitment to advancing climate and health research, education, and policy in the Arab region.
Key contributing and partner institutions represented in the conference included leading global and regional academic and research institutions, such as the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, the University of Baltimore, Université Mohammed VI des Sciences et de la Santé (UM6SS), Texas A&M University, and the University of California, San Diego (UC San Diego).
The conference also benefited from collaboration with regional scientific and professional bodies, including the Royal Scientific Society (Jordan) and Climate Action Network – Jordan (CAN Jordan), alongside other academic and governmental institutions represented within the conference partnership framework. Collectively, these partners contributed scientific leadership, institutional support, and regional expertise, reinforcing the interdisciplinary nature of the event.
Conference Structure, Program, and Attendance
The CCHAR conference was implemented as a multi-day integrated program, with documented attendance across all activities.
The program began with pre-conference capacity-building workshops, which attracted over 150 participants across multiple sessions focused on data analysis and visualization, implementation science and community engagement, machine learning for climate and health, and policy advocacy and negotiation.
On July 6, 2025, the conference aligned with the 10th International Conference on Ethics in the Middle East and North Africa (ICE-MENA), held under the theme Climate, Environmental Justice, and Health Equity. This conference engaged 77 participants, strengthening the ethical and equity-oriented dimensions of climate and health discourse in the region.
The core CCHAR scientific conference was held over two consecutive days:
- Day 1 (July 7, 2025) recorded 189 participants, representing the highest single-day attendance of the conference.
- Day 2 (July 8, 2025) hosted 133 participants, demonstrating sustained multidisciplinary engagement.
Across these two days, the conference delivered 12 structured scientific sessions and a dedicated panel discussion, covering themes such as community engagement, climate and environmental health outcomes, integrated Water–Energy–Food–Health (WEFH) approaches, air pollution, mental health and climate change, health care providers' roles, agricultural engineering, energy systems, data analytics, pedagogy, and water diplomacy.
The conference concluded with post-conference workshops on WEF Nexus 2.0 modeling and pilot grants for local organizations, engaging an additional 46 participants, with a focus on applied decision-making and institutional capacity strengthening.
Building Capacity and Regional Collaboration
Beyond scientific exchange, the 1st CCHAR Conference placed strong emphasis on capacity building, policy translation, and regional collaboration. Participation spanned academics, early-career researchers, students, practitioners, policymakers, and civil society representatives, reflecting the conference's inclusive and interdisciplinary vision.
Attendance was systematically tracked throughout the conference week, underscoring the high level of engagement and sustained interest across technical, ethical, and policy-oriented components of the program. Importantly, the conference established a foundation for sustained regional collaboration, enabling follow-up initiatives, research partnerships, and structured engagement across universities, ministries, and civil society actors in the Arab region.
A Regional Milestone for Climate and Health
The 1st Climate Change and Health in the Arab Region (CCHAR) represents a foundational milestone in advancing regional collaboration on climate and health. By engaging hundreds of participants and uniting leading global universities, regional scientific bodies, and civil society organizations, the conference contributed to shaping a shared regional agenda for interdisciplinary research, ethical governance, and evidence-informed policy responses to climate-related health challenges.
As climate risks intensify across the Arab region, initiatives such as CCHAR demonstrate the critical value of regional partnerships, scientific cooperation, and integrated approaches in strengthening climate resilience and protecting population health. CCHAR-II 2026 builds directly on this foundation, advancing the transition from dialogue to implementation and reinforcing the region’s collective capacity to respond to climate-related health risks through coordinated, evidence-based, and policy-driven action.