AGU Approves New Position Statement on GeoHealth

The AGU Board and Council has approved a new AGU position statement, “GeoHealth: A Transdisciplinary Science for Global Environmental and Human Health.”

GeoHealth is a broad and emerging scientific field that integrates Earth, environmental, health and data sciences to advance our understanding of the complex interactions between physical, biological and social systems.

The position statement affirms that “GeoHealth requires multitiered approaches from institutions, funding agencies, data repositories, and practitioners to foster its development and application. This requires true co-production of science throughout the data life cycle with the communities that need the science the most.”

This is the first time AGU has adopted a position statement on the topic of GeoHealth. AGU launched the award-winning journal GeoHealth in 2016 to showcase exciting interdisciplinary research at the intersection of the Earth, environmental, and health sciences. Research published in GeoHealth is regularly cited in global press including the BBC, NPR, Agence France Presse and the New York Times. AGU established its official GeoHealth section for members in 2017.

AGU position statements—created, revised and approved by members— form the basis of AGU’s adaptive stances on significant policy issues, ranging from climate change to national security. Each position statement acknowledges the challenges involved and makes specific recommendations toward achieving an articulated vision. These statements are cited by AGU as well as journalists, policymakers and other science organizations.

As part of a recurring four-year process, AGU’s Position Statement Committee reviews existing statements to decide which should be reaffirmed, retired or revised. Without the contributions of these volunteers, we would not be able to develop, review and edit these position statements. Members can propose new position statements via this form.

We are incredibly grateful for the thoughtful work of AGU’s Position Statement Committee and the members of the GeoHealth Position Statement Writing Panel.

AGU Position Statement Committee 2023:

• Denise Hills (chair), Geological Survey of Alabama
• Soumaya Belmecheri, University of Arizona
• Ian Bolliger, University of California, Berkley
• Matthew Druckenmiller, National Snow and Ice Data Center
• Jack Fellows, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
• Katie Reeves, ICF

GeoHealth Position Statement Writing Panel Members 2023:

• Jeff Rubin (chair), Retired
• Judy Omumbo, Science for Africa Foundation
• Juli Trtanj, NOAA
• Kai Chen, Yale University
• Leo Goldsmith, Yale University
• Lydia Jennings, University of Arizona, Duke University
• Melisa Diaz, University of Colorado Boulder
• Nitish Dogra, The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI)
• Rachel Lowe, Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC)