Migration, health, and rural livelihoods in South India
This project broadly investigated how internal labour migration shapes health and rural livelihoods in South India. Using qualitative and quantitative methods and working in 26 villages on the state border between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, this project identified the determinants of temporary labour migration and explored migrants’ experiences with migration. In addition, this project examined the impacts of migration for households with migrant members as well as the barriers to migration for non-migrant households. Experiences with public and private healthcare services and health seeking behaviour were also studied to examine the broad connections between migration and health in this context.
Funding: Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR); International Development Research Centre (IDRC); Canadian International Food Security Research Fund (jointly administered by IDRC and Global Affairs Canada).
Summer of smoke in the Northwest Territories, Canada
During the summer of 2014, the Northwest Territories (NWT) experienced its worst wildfire season on record. Between June-September 2014, 385 separate fires burned 3,400,000 hectares of land costing $CAD 56.1 million in firefighting expenses. Additionally, communities throughout the NWT were exposed to dense smoke throughout the summer. Our team is exploring the experiences of residents of four communities in the NWT (Yellowknife, N'Dilo, Dettah, and Kakisa) with the 'summer of smoke' using qualitative and quantitative methods.
Funding: Health Canada
Collaborating for community food security
In collaboration with the Guelph and Wellington Task Force for Poverty Elimination and the Community Engaged Scholarship Institute, this community-university partnership examined the emergency food provision system within Guelph and Wellington County, ON. More specifically, we examined the strengths and weaknesses of the current provision system from the perspective of service providers and service users employing qualitative and quantitative methods. This community-based research process led to further community presentations and consultations with key community stakeholders, which culminated in the development of a new community food hub in Guelph called ‘the Seed’.
Funding: Community Food Security Hub Grant, Community First: Impacts of Community Engagement (CFICE); In kind support from the Guelph and Wellington Task Force for Poverty Elimination and the Community Engaged Scholarship Institute, University of Guelph
Climate change and Indigenous food systems, food security, and food safety
A changing climate will affect food through a range of effects on agriculture, livestock, water systems, and wildlife, which have implications for food security, foodborne disease, and malnutrition. Indigenous populations who rely on the environment for livelihoods are considered highly sensitive to these impacts. The Climate Change and Indigenous Food System, Food Security, & Food Safety (Climate Change IFS3) research program addresses a significant deficit in understanding the food-related health (agri-health) dimensions of climate change among Indigenous populations globally. The research program has created a multinational intersectoral team to characterize the vulnerability and resilience of Indigenous food systems to climate change to inform, enhance, and expand climate change adaptation interventions and adaptation planning. The program responds to needs identified by communities, public health units, Indigenous organizations, governments, and the United Nations through ongoing partnerships with Inuit (Canada), Batwa (Uganda), and Shawi (Peru) populations. Working within these regions, the program has 3 research pillars: 1) Community-driven environment and health surveillance, 2) Projecting climate change impacts on agri-health outcomes, and 3) Developing place-based adaptation pathways.
Funding: Canadian Institutes of Health Research