During the expedition, key findings were presented, including the policy brief 

“Amazon in Dialogue: Building Bridges in Search of Solutions to Climate Change Challenges”. Developed in collaboration with community and health leaders from Mocajuba, the document outlines the main climate change impacts in the region and suggests immediate actions to address them, including public policy recommendations. The researchers also developed detailed maps of critical health and environmental vulnerability areas, created by INPE, which will guide local intervention planning. These maps were handed over to health sector leaders.

Another milestone of the initiative was the installation of meteorological and hydrometric stations in Mocajuba and Cametá, enabling the monitoring of variables such as rainfall, river levels, and temperature. These data will be crucial for preventing natural disasters and mitigating the health effects of climate change on the population. The activities were supported by the Amazônia Vox collective from Belém, which documented the expedition through a mini-documentary and a special report, emphasizing local narratives as key contributors to the debate. 

    Photo credit: Matheus Melo

Workshops held in Cametá, at the Isaura Bahia School, and at the Federal University of Pará (UFPA) engaged health and environmental managers and local leaders in participatory mapping. These workshops introduced the use of drones to capture aerial images, helping analyze the relationships between the environment and health. Additionally, the researchers demonstrated how combining environmental, climatic, and health data can deepen the understanding of how climate change is driving an increase in diseases in the region.

Photo credit: Matheus Melo

The expedition also fostered connections between researchers and quilombola communities, facilitating dialogues to identify climate change impacts on their habits and lifestyles. Local accounts highlighted issues such as landslides and floods, which exacerbate existing vulnerabilities. As a follow-up, the team plans to create a specific policy brief for quilombola communities, along with cultural activities integrating traditional knowledge with new technologies. Claudia Codeço, the project coordinator from Fiocruz’s Scientific Computing Program, emphasized the importance of this approach: “The technologies developed by Harmonize support the prevention and response to climate-sensitive health events, strengthening community resilience,” she stated.

Diego Xavier, coordinator of the Fiocruz Climate and Health Observatory, pointed out that the field data complement conventional information, providing crucial insights into the health impacts of climate change. The Harmonize Brazil Project, funded by the Wellcome Trust, integrates climate, environmental, socioeconomic, and health data to develop models analyzing disease transmission in areas affected by climate change. This initiative highlights the collective efforts of national and international institutions to address environmental challenges impacting health in the Amazon and other vulnerable regions.