Four UBC Geography faculty received New Frontiers in Research Fund (NFRF) awards for key research projects tackling the intersections of climate change, housing and health, as well as agroecology for climate change adaptation. The Government of Canada announced more than $92 million in research support for 165 Canadian-led projects through both the 2023 International Joint Initiative for Research in Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation, and the 2023 Exploration competition.
“Climate change and its various economic and social impacts are observed globally. By supporting game-changing interdisciplinary research and fostering international collaboration for innovative projects, our government is committed to finding innovative solutions that could have a significant impact on some of the world’s most vulnerable populations.”
Dr. Liv Yoon from the School of Kinesiology and Geography faculty Mohammed Rafi Arefin, Naomi Klein, and Geraldine Pratt, along with other collaborators, were awarded $2,441,500 for their collaborative research within the 2023 International Joint Initiative for Research in Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation funding stream.
Project details:
Addressing Intersecting Crises: Climate, Housing, and Compounding Health Vulnerabilities for Senior Tenants.
This research project “…will strategically combine the insights of environmental health and climate justice to study the indoor environments of senior tenants’ homes and foster equitable climate action in Barcelona, New York City, and Vancouver. This requires interdisciplinary and trans-sectoral research to measure and create livable thresholds, prototype justice-based interventions, monitor implications of new climate policies on housing, and support community-based climate resilience measures.”
UBC Geography Assistant Professor Jemima Nomunume Baada and collaborators received $250,000 for their research in the 2023 Exploration funding stream.
Project details:
Using gender transformative agroecology for climate change adaptation among smallholders in Ghana and Rwanda
This collaborative research project “…aims to develop a sustainable gender transformative climate change adaptation framework for improving food security in climate-affected smallholder farming systems in Rwanda and Ghana. Researchers will introduce smallholder farmers from four sample districts in two SSA countries, Rwanda and Ghana, to farming practices that can help them adapt to a changing climate in gender equitable ways. The project findings will also provide insights on agroecological practices that enable crops to deal with heatwaves versus dry spells.”
Congratulations to our faculty members and all recipients of this round of NFRF funding. Support for these interdisciplinary projects is integral for tackling the global challenges the climate crisis presents.
Quick links:
- Learn more about the New Frontiers in Research Fund
