Grant: Canada Postdoctoral Research Award (CPRA) program

In 2023, over 190,000 people in Canada were forced to leave their homes due to extreme weather events like wildfires and floods. These climate-related displacements are not just environmental issues; they are public health emergencies. Being displaced can lead to serious health impacts, including stress, anxiety, depression, and trauma. It can also disrupt access to housing, healthcare, and community support systems, as well as negatively impact the environments that make our lives possible. These effects are especially hard on Indigenous Peoples, racialized communities, women, and people with low incomes. To respond to these growing challenges, a new national initiative is bringing together over 50 partners-including Indigenous leaders, researchers, governments, and community organizations-to form Canada's first Community of Practice on Climate Displacement and Health. This group will work together to share knowledge, build relationships, and find better ways to protect the health of people affected by climate displacement. As a postdoctoral fellow, I will support this initiative by acting as a developmental evaluator. My role is to gather real-time feedback from participants to help shape how the Community of Practice grows and adapts. I will explore how people prefer to collaborate, what knowledge they need, and who else should be involved. I will use a participatory research method that values both personal reflection and group discussion, ensuring that the process supports participants' well-being. This project will help improve how Canada responds to the health impacts of climate displacement and will offer a model for other regions facing similar challenges. It also aims to strengthen collaboration between Indigenous and non-Indigenous partners, helping Canada lead internationally in this important area of climate change and health governance.