Pablo Bose

Bose's lecture will discuss the growing impact of climate change and forced migration. He explains that large numbers of people are already on the move due to factors including environmental degradation, climate-related natural disasters, lack of access to resources and land, economic changes, shifting exposure to health hazards and disease vectors, and the political and social upheavals resulting from these dramatic changes to human life. While policymakers, environmental experts, and community advocates have long sought effective ways to predict both the potential movement of people due to climate change and environmental displacement, as well as the scale and scope of impacts and adaptations, there has been little advancement in the science of climate migration modeling. In this lecture, Bose will discuss an initiative aimed at bringing together interdisciplinary expertise and lived experience to explore the displacement of human populations and health hazards through the lens of nexus and network dynamics. Building on research he has conducted on the interlocking vulnerabilities (environmental, political, economic, and health-related) faced by refugee camps in various locations (primarily Bangladesh, Lebanon, and Kenya), this project seeks to unite scholars and practitioners to address the question of climate migration and its effects.

Dr. Bose's research encompasses four main areas: refugee resettlement in North America and Europe, environmental and forced displacement globally with a focus on climate change, cities of the Global South, and food security and sovereignty in diverse communities.

Over the past decade Dr. Bose has worked extensively with community partners to assess the effectiveness of youth programs, healthcare access, food security, and urbanization strategies in various resettlement sites. He is currently working to support the rebuilding of the US resettlement program and in particular new locations in rural areas through community partnerships. He just completed a two-year term as a Science Advisor with the USDA, helping to oversee the national Community Food Projects program and has previously served as a transit, housing and public works commissioner. One of his newest projects involves partnering with international migration agencies and organizations, data scientists and social scientists to develop tools to model, anticipate and adapt to the effects of anthropogenic climate change.