Integrating Disciplines and Crossing Boundaries: Interview with Mercy Borbor-Córdova

Mercy Borbor-Córdova is a member of the IAI's Scientific Advisory Committee. We caught up with her to learn more about her background in climate change research. 

Dr. Borbor-Córdova is an oceanographer and holds a Ph.D. in Environmental Science from the State University of New York. She is a professor in the Faculty of Marine Engineering and Marine Sciences at the Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral (ESPOL) in Ecuador and has experience in the public sector. She was the Director of Environmental Control of the Municipality of Guayaquil and was Vice Minister of the Ministry of Environment of Ecuador. 

She recently received the Graduate Distinction Award for Career Achievement for 2023 from the State University of New York's College of Environmental Science and Forestry (SUNY ESF).

 

"On the path that I continue to travel, I try to work with young people and foster that confidence they need to have to be able to move forward and cross boundaries."

 

What are you working on today related to climate change?

The topic of climate change is interdisciplinary in all lines of research, and at the moment I am working on two topics: the links of climate change (temperature and precipitation variables) in vector-borne diseases, and the link of rising temperatures and heat waves with human health.

What does your work in RESCLIMA consist of?

An important part of the work focuses on urban systems; we seek to determine the impacts of climate variables such as temperature and precipitation in intermediate cities. We see how climate, in terms of floods, in terms of heat waves, affects the population, especially from a city vulnerability perspective. 

We are also studying the chain of impacts that flooding has on the proliferation of vectors and waterborne diseases. Everything has a joint incidence, which makes the health condition to be affected, especially in populations with greater vulnerability.

This knowledge should guide city planning, the location of vulnerable populations, and the management of informal settlements, among others.

What do you forecast for the most extreme regions of the Americas, for example, the Southern Cone, in the area of vector-borne diseases?

The distribution of temperature and precipitation is producing changes throughout South America. We have seen that in subtropical areas, due to the increase in temperature, it is more feasible to find vectors such as Aedes aegypti that were not there before. 

With human mobility in the region, it also becomes very easy to carry viruses from one place to another. In countries such as Uruguay and Paraguay, there have been some major outbreaks never seen before. 

It is important to do early epidemiological surveillance to know if there are places where habitats may be favorable for these vectors and to monitor people for the presence of viruses, and thus be able to establish the necessary measures to limit the spread.

 

“I have worked with the IAI for many, many years and I think the work it has done is fundamental. It has favored the integration of disciplines but also the professional development of researchers”. 

 

Do you think it is possible to avoid a new epidemic of vector-borne diseases in tropical and subtropical regions? Do you think there is any early warning system that is functional? 

It is possible to avoid a new epidemic but to do so, it is necessary to work in a coordinated and integrated manner. There is the possibility of establishing fairly accurate forecasts of the intensity and distribution of these diseases. If we had more precise surveillance, perhaps combined with active surveillance, for more local information, as well as work together with local ministries of health, we could have more successful interventions in vector-borne disease control. Our limitations are precisely the lack of coordination between the entities working in the territory. I believe a more integrated approach is necessary.

So what we need is better synchronization, interstate work, and also more international cooperation.

There are regions, such as the tropical regions, which have been very exposed, and from that, there are processes learned that could be shared, for adaptation to climate change in the health sector. If we also consider the health sector in a transversal way with climate systems, I believe we could integrate vulnerability information, and thus have a greater capacity for early reaction. This can be achieved by collaborating with international working groups to improve opportune knowledge.
 

What do you think are the specific ways in which you can work with decision-makers or with the affected populations themselves so that the most urgent actions can be carried out? 

I think it is important that researchers have the capacity to deliver a clear, direct message on how this climatic and epidemiological information can be used for immediate and medium-term interventions. Because decision-makers want to see results in the short term I believe that we can work on these two levels. 

I believe that the forecasts that are already being developed in different places can be a mechanism of great impact so that decision-makers can have more confidence, start working together and we can receive their feedback. Because sometimes the process evaluation of the interventions does not come out with all the results that we would like but that learning is what allows us to improve the interventions for the needs of the specific local context.

How do you work with the IAI or how do you value the work it does in the region?

I have worked with the IAI for many, many years and I think the work it has done is fundamental. I have seen it grow in the region; I myself am a product of the IAI that has accompanied me from my doctoral research until today. The institute has favored the integration of disciplines but also the professional development of researchers. 

The different programs that the IAI maintains in the region, such as the STeP Fellowship program or the courses that have been given in Latin America, show the need to integrate scientific fields that were previously worked separately.

That crossover takes us out of our comfort zone and allows us to apply a systemic vision that really makes an impact, contributes to sustainable development goals, and articulates science and policy.

You have worked in the Galapagos Islands, which are a natural heritage of humanity and a biosphere reserve. What do you think is the main problem facing this ecosystem and how are the consequences of climate change reflected in it? What do you think is needed to mitigate the effect of climate change? 

The Galapagos Islands archipelago of Ecuador is an ecosystem of great fragility and endemism, and its population is highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. This year we are working on the "Resilient Climate Development for Galapagos" project, which seeks to understand how sustainable development can be achieved by including the climate variable as a cross-cutting element in sectors such as agriculture, coastal and freshwater systems, and critical infrastructure.

We have talked with local actors and there is an agreement on the evidence of climate extremes and, although there are autonomous adaptation processes, they is a need for technical-scientific support towards more specialized management. These extreme changes will have an impact that will affect human health in one way or another. I think we need to work much more interdisciplinary and interdisciplinary, more practically and with local people.

 

“If we had more precise surveillance, perhaps combined with active surveillance, for more local information, as well as work together with local ministries of health, we could have more successful interventions in vector-borne disease control”. 

 

You were awarded by the State University of New York for your professional achievements. What has been your most relevant contribution to the region?

It has really been a collaborative work with many people along the way. There has been a lot of receptivity and a lot of networking, which allows us to really make an impact. In the case of Upstate Medical University, I have done different research, but it is recognized that threats and dangers come in combination. That systemic view that we are using and that is also shared by the IAI, we have also reinforced it by working with State. 

In my case, I would think that my greatest contribution has been to mainstream climate in the different sectors but also to include interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary systemic visions in the research. I think that's a big learning.

What is the most important thing you have learned in your journey as a climate change researcher and expert? What would you say to those who are just starting their journey as researchers or who are starting a career focused on climate change?

On the one hand, it is important to be receptive and open-minded in order to incorporate new knowledge, new technologies, and new visions into your work. On the other hand, mentoring is fundamental. I had excellent mentors, such as Professor Charles Hall, who believed in me perhaps more than I myself could believe.

On the road that I continue to travel, I try to work with young people and build the confidence that they need to be able to move forward and cross boundaries.

 

Full interview: https://youtu.be/VdTtSNirnCg  

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