Heat is not an exception - it is everyday life 

The heat was intense, even for farmers who are working on the farm for years. Short pauses in the shade. Water when available. Working through dizziness, headaches and exhaustion because the day’s labour must be done. 

One farmer spoke quietly about feeling anxious during extreme heat; not only from physical strain, but also from the fear of collapsing in the field and leaving his family without support. In that moment, heat stress revealed itself as more than a physical burden. It was tied to his livelihood, mental health and dignity. Extreme heat is not just an environmental issue. It is a human one. 

Resilience rooted in community 

Farming practices are a collective experience, where families share labour, and neighbours check on older community members. Farmers adjust planting schedules, experiment with shading, and share water when possible. 

Partnership at the core

SDGHI’s new project, titled “Climate Change, Heat Stress and Physical and Mental Health Among Farmers in Coastal Cambodia,” is grounded in collaboration. SDGHI is working closely with the Khmer HIV/AIDS NGO Alliance (KHANA), whose trusted community relationships ensure the work is locally anchored.  

The team visited a local health centre to understand frontline service realities and observed a community tuberculosis screening. Rising temperatures and extreme weather events - droughtsand floods – not only weaken immune defences and accelerate tuberculosis transmission; they also worsen food insecurity, and drive displacement, creating crowded conditions that fostertuberculosis spread and disrupt healthcare delivery and access. All of this is a reminder that climate stress intersects with existing health challenges. 

In Phnom Penh, discussions with Cambodia’s National Institute of Public Health explored how research findings can inform national policy and long-term planning. This is not research done oncommunities, but research done with them. 

From evidence to systems changes

Through policy analysis, population survey, in-depth interviews, and participatory workshops, the study will 1) document physical and mental health impacts of heat stress among farmers; 2) assess the resilience of the health system to climate change and its effects; and 3) facilitate the co-creation of practical heat-resilience toolkits with communities and healthcare providers. 

The evidence generated by this research project will hopefully inform national climate-health strategies; strengthen frontline health worker capacity; build primary care services that respond toboth physical and mental health impacts; and contribute to the development of the Cambodia Climate and Health Observatory (CamCHO), which will serve as a platform for long-term climate-health research in the country. 

Through sustained partnership, the project advances health equity amidst climate change while strengthening climate-resilient health systems - key pillars of SDGHI’s Planetary Health programme. 

Future-proofing health in a hotter climate 

As temperatures continue to rise across Southeast Asia, farmers in coastal Cambodia are already adapting; shifting schedules, sharing resources, and learning from one another. 

What this project offers are reinforcement: evidence, partnership, and system-level support that can transform lived resilience into lasting protection. 

Listening to communities. Strengthening health systems. Bridging research and action. In doing so, this pilot takes an important step toward future-proofing health for all in the climate era.