Across Asia-Pacific, climate change is affecting human and planetary health — from heat stress and air pollution to water and food security, with growing impacts on human health and health systems. These trends often exacerbate the already difficult situations faced by many communities. Addressing them requires integrated, systemic solutions that tackle issues at root cause.
Alongside the Prince Mahidol Award Conference (PMAC) 2026 in Bangkok, Temasek Trust, UNDP, and WHO’s Asia-Pacific Centre for Environment and Health co-organised a closed-door convening to reflect on how collaboration across the climate–health ecosystem in Asia-Pacific can be strengthened. The dialogue focused on practical approaches to better align and integrate existing programmes and activities for scalable impact.
From left: Dr. Sandro Demaio, Director and Head of Office, WHO Asia-Pacific Centre for Environment and Health, Ms. Heather Doyle, Health Team Lead, UNDP Bangkok Regional Hub, Ms. Seow Hui Hong, Strategist, Systems, Knowledge and Impact, Temasek Trust, and Mr. Benedict Cheong, Chief Systems Integration Officer, Temasek Trust, underscored the importance of strengthening collaboration with greater exchange of knowledge and data.
Participants spanning philanthropy, multilateral organisations, and funders — including representatives from Temasek Trust ecosystem entities Catalytic Capital for Climate and Health (C3H) and the Philanthropy Asia Alliance (PAA) — highlighted several interconnected dimensions of an effective ecosystem approach.
First, greater clarity on collective outcomes is essential. While climate and health initiatives are expanding, progress is often measured through separate lenses. Aligning outcomes — for example, linking climate risk reduction with measurable health outcomes — can help focus effort, guide investment, and support learning across contexts and communities.
Second, coordination mechanisms need to be strengthened. Many actors are working on complementary pieces of the climate–health challenge, yet visibility across initiatives remains limited. Light-touch coordination — such as ecosystem stock-takes, capability mapping, or structured dialogue platforms — can help identify gaps, reduce duplication, and surface opportunities for collaboration, without constraining innovation.
Third, data and evidence must underpin decision-making. Integrated climate and health data, clearer data and research sharing practices, and accessible evidence are critical to informing policy and implementation. Equally important is the ability to translate complex science into actionable insights for decision-makers, implementers, and communities.
Finally, the discussion underscored the distinct but complementary roles of different actors. Governments provide stewardship, policy direction, and pathways to scale. Multilateral organisations bring reach, convening power, aggregated data and evidence, and implementation experience. Philanthropy and other funders can act as catalysts — supporting experimentation, taking calculated risks, investing in capabilities, and helping to bridge siloes where needed.
Participants spanning philanthropy, multilateral organisations, and funders gathered to reflect on how the region’s climate–health ecosystem can better align ambition, evidence, and action.
The convening emphasised the value of continued dialogue, shared learning, and medium-term planning that balances ambition with adaptability. As climate-related risks intensify, strengthening systems and knowledge across climate, health, and development will be central to protecting communities and advancing inclusive development across Asia-Pacific.
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