Amazon Basin

Investigating climate-health dynamics in one of the planet's most biodiverse and climate-sensitive regions.

Why the Amazon Basin

The Amazon Basin is home to the world’s largest tropical rainforest and is one of the most important regions for global climate regulation. Accelerating deforestation, changing precipitation patterns, and increasing fire frequency are transforming both the environment and the health landscape for the tens of millions of people who live in and around the basin.

DGHI has maintained long-term research partnerships in the Amazon region, providing the institutional foundation and local relationships necessary for sustained, community-engaged climate-health research.

Small boat on a river in the Amazon Basin — River communities across the Amazon Basin face climate-driven changes to water systems and disease dynamics.

Research Context

Deforestation & Disease

Investigating how land-use change and deforestation alter vector ecology, pathogen dynamics, and human disease risk in Amazonian communities.

Climate & Water Systems

Studying the impacts of shifting precipitation patterns and extreme drought/flood cycles on water security, sanitation, and waterborne disease.

Fire, Smoke & Respiratory Health

Monitoring the health impacts of increasing Amazonian fire activity and smoke exposure on respiratory and cardiovascular health.

Indigenous & Community Health

Partnering with indigenous and riverine communities to understand local climate-health vulnerabilities and co-develop adaptation strategies.

Aerial view of a tropical village surrounded by lush greenery

Data & Analytic Focus

The Amazon observatory focuses on integrating satellite-derived environmental data with ground-level health surveillance and community health records. Remote sensing is particularly critical in the basin given limited ground-station density and the scale of environmental change.

Satellite remote sensingDeforestation monitoringFire / smoke detectionPrecipitation & hydrologyCommunity health recordsVector surveillance

Working in the Amazon Basin?

We’re looking for collaborators — local researchers, institutions, government partners, and students interested in climate-health research.

Get in Touch

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Contact CGHI

Working in this region or interested in collaborating on climate-health research here? We welcome connections from local researchers, institutions, government partners, and students.

Local Researcher or Institution

You study or work in one of our observatory regions and have relevant data, expertise, or partnership interest.

Climate or Health Researcher

You work on climate-health questions and want to connect on methods, data, or joint research.

Government or NGO Partner

You're in government, public health, or an NGO and want to explore how climate data can support your work.

Student or Trainee

You're a student looking for research opportunities, mentorship, or training in climate-health work.

Contact CGHI

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