IAI strengthens strategic alliances for action on the climate-health nexus
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As part of a series of high-level meetings, the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) consolidated key partnerships with the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the World Health Organization (WHO), the Rockefeller Foundation, and Wellcome, with the aim of strengthening climate and health action in the Americas and globally.
In Geneva, IAI Executive Director Anna Stewart-Ibarra met with WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo to explore opportunities for inter-institutional collaboration on climate challenges in the region.
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During the event “From Risk to Readiness: Harnessing Weather and Climate Information for Health,” held as part of the 77th World Health Assembly (WHA77), Stewart-Ibarra participated in the panel “Accelerating the Agenda.” She shared the stage with Meghan Bailey, Head of Social Protection and Health at the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Center, in a discussion moderated by journalist Tulip Mazumdar.
Both panelists agreed on the urgency of adopting comprehensive and multisectoral approaches to address climate and health challenges. They also highlighted the value of strategic partnerships, active listening, and science diplomacy as key tools for driving coordinated and effective responses
The Executive Director of the IAI presented the work of the institute and its Center for Science Diplomacy, emphasizing the importance of linking science and public policy through capacity building. As an example, she mentioned the STeP fellows program, which prepares a new generation of professionals working at the science-policy interface, capable of addressing complex challenges such as the health-climate nexus.
These actions reflect the IAI's commitment to more inclusive, scientific, and effective climate and health governance for the benefit of the populations of the Americas and in line with the main international frameworks: the Paris Agreement, the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, and the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD).
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In the photo: Omar López, IAI; Anna Stewart-Ibarra, IAI; Julian Baez Benitez, WMO; Marcela Ohira, IAI.
Finally, during the 33rd meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the IAI (CoP-33), held in Asunción, Paraguay, from May 28 to 30, 2025, the WMO was officially announced as an associate institution of the IAI, marking a new chapter in a long-standing collaboration between the two organizations.