WALL: Evolution of the Volcanic Environment in Western Rwanda with Climate Change: Impact on Health and Mitigation

Catherine Mériaux of the University of Rwanda in Rwanda will characterize and model how the volcanic environment in western Rwanda affects health in the face of climate change. Volcanic activity impacts health through emissions that contribute to respiratory diseases, through irritant soil particles that are implicated in podoconiosis (also known as non-filarial elephantiasis), and through unstable land features that cause catastrophic landslides. All these impacts can be increased by climate change-driven effects on air and soil. To guide mitigating strategies, the research team will deploy a range of environmental science approaches. This will include air and soil analysis to better understand the cause of podoconiosis, integrating satellite and weather data to model the dispersion and deposition of volcanic emissions, and modeling the effects of terrain on previous landslides.