Caleb Dresser, MD, MPH 
Harvard Medical School
[email protected]

Stefan Wheat, MD
University of Washington
[email protected]

 

The effects of climate change have never been more apparent. Climate change is exacerbating existing health threats and creating new public health challenges. Hurricanes, severe storms, sea-level rise, heat waves, wildfires, severe drought, and other climate-responsive hazards are creating escalating health impacts and are directly impacting how people interact with the world around them.

 

In view of this mounting threat, we are pleased to announce a special issue on Climate Change & Health. The Wilderness Medical Society and Wilderness & Environmental Medicine have long-standing experience working at the intersection of human health and environmental hazards. We are excited to highlight new and innovative perspectives and research at the convergence of climate change and interconnected disciplines including: 

• Wilderness Medicine
• Migrant Health
• Travel Medicine
• Emergency Medical Services and Prehospital Medicine
• Toxicology & Toxinology
• Global Health
• Disaster Medicine

 

Potential topics for this special issue might include:
• Papers examining the interactions of impacts from nature-based recreation and climate change
• The health impacts of climate-related migration
• Examples of new hazards to outdoor recreation and travel as a result of climate change
• Case reports of human exposures to animals that have migrated out of their typical home ranges as a result of climate change
• Best practice guidelines for the safety of prehospital providers when addressing climate-change–related disasters like floods and heat events

As with all work published in WEM, papers are expected to relate to aspects of the wilderness environment, which may include impacts of climate change on remote settings, wilderness-related activities, or other austere environments, including those that may occur temporarily as a result of the influence of natural hazards in otherwise highly resourced settings. Please see the WEM Guide for Authors for more information about the journal and submission guidelines. 

Submission deadline: March 1, 2024.

Please contact WEM managing editor Alicia Byrne ([email protected]) with questions. 

All submissions will undergo the same rigorous, single-blind peer review process as any other submitted manuscript to WEM. Final decisions regarding ultimate acceptance rest solely with the Editors. Authors should submit manuscripts through the journal’s online submission system with a statement in the cover letter that the submission is intended for the special issue on Climate Change & Health.

Join us in exploring the rich potential for cross-discipline collaboration in this emerging field and allow us to showcase your work.

Submission deadline: March 1, 2024