Transdisciplinary approach to addressing climate-environment-health nexus: Developing a data platform for informed decision-making

Abstract

Introduction: Argentina’s wide range of climates, from arid regions to humid subtropics, makes it particularly vulnerable to climate change. Extreme weather events disproportionately affect marginalized populations, underscoring the need for localized, data-driven interventions. PladCAS (Plataforma de Datos en Clima, Ambiente y Salud, by its acronym in Spanish) is a platform under development by a transdisciplinary team to support decision-making on climate-environment-health (CEH) issues. The platform adopts the FAIR principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable) to enable scalability and sustainability for health and environmental policy data management. By integrating these principles, PladCAS would enable stakeholders including policymakers, health and environmental professionals, organizations, and communities— to address CEH challenges through evidence-based policies at local, regional, and national levels. Case Presentation: The design and development process of a CEH digital platform in Argentina is discussed. Employing a transdisciplinary approach, the team engaged stakeholders to identify indicators, select relevant data sources, and co-design the platform’s structure. The result is a prototype design for interoperability, accessibility, and reusability, supporting evidence-based decision-making across sectors. Discussion: Effective stakeholder communication is crucial for collaboration. Fieldwork requires place-based indicators, underscoring the importance of representative data. Involving stakeholders from the planning stage fosters ownership and strengthens commitment to the platform’s iterative improvement. Conclusion: While the platform is not yet publicly available, it has completed its design phase. Next steps include developing models, agreements with data providers, and funding for implementation. PladCAS will provide a replicable framework to improve CEH data integration, contributing to resilience and equity.