This summary was prepared by Hamed Kioumarsi, EBM, in collaboration with Bahareh Rafiei (Plant Protection Research Department, Gilan Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center, AREEO, Rasht, Iran) and Abhijit Sagar (Dr. M.G.R. Educational and Research Institute, Tamil Nadu, India).
Citation: Kioumarsi, H., Rafiei, B., & Sagar, A. (2026). Why Do We Need Multidisciplinary Approaches to Confront Climate Change?. Springer Nature Communities. https://go.nature.com/4fWsQNV
Although the problem of climate change is definitely significant, on the other hand, it is very multi-faceted. Global warming threatens biodiversity, decreases productivity of agriculture, causes water shortage, allows diseases to spread, and creates social inequities. It is impossible to tackle such a multifaceted problem from one angle only. One needs to gather scientists of different spheres and come up with solutions of climate change mitigation from various points of view.
Each scientific field has significantly contributed to the problem of climate change and its effects in recent years. Climatologists have forecasted global tendencies, ecologists have identified how climate abnormalities influence biodiversity, engineers have invented new technology for sustainable economy, and economists have estimated the advantage of climate measures. Still, there is a set of limitations in each of these areas that can only be overcome through collaboration. To effectively mitigate climate change, it is essential to combine efforts of representatives of various sciences.
First of all, tackling the problem of climate change calls for a multidisciplinary approach due to its complexity and interdisciplinary nature. Climate change poses a risk to global food security, yet designing climate-resilient agriculture is much more complex than creating new types of plants. In order to make agriculture sustainable, it is important to collaborate between specialists from the fields of agronomy, climatology, biology, engineering, and economics, and after that, economists may create policies that will contribute to the success of farmers and the entire country. The multidisciplinary approach is also used in health care, where doctors, veterinarians, scientists, and policy-makers are collaborating as part of the One Health approach, which is especially important in the context of climate change, pandemics, and health security.
Furthermore, new technologies and equipment open up new opportunities for monitoring and managing climate change. Algorithms, remote sensing, geographic information systems, drones, and big data can help in maintaining the sustainability of ecosystems, forecasting dangerous climate fluctuations, and adapting cities and countries to ongoing changes. Nevertheless, technology alone is not enough; to understand what problems to solve and how to apply innovations to address them, it is necessary to unite scientists, engineers, politicians, local leaders, and ordinary people.
Another reason to involve multiple areas of science in responding to climate change is that social and cultural factors influence both the consequences of climate change and the effectiveness of measures to combat it. While natural processes proceed on a global scale, policies and regulations can only be implemented at the community level. Therefore, it is essential to consider social and cultural characteristics when it comes to climate change. The opinions of local residents, cultural traditions, and even political decisions are critical factors that must be considered by policymakers, sociologists, ecologists, and other policymakers. Although climate change is primarily a scientific and technological problem, social scientists’ recommendations help in creating and implementing policies that take into account residents’ cultural and economic interests.
In addition, the business sector plays a major role in addressing climate change and ensuring long-term sustainability. Social and economic sustainability is as important as ecological and technological security. Many companies and organizations realize the importance of becoming more energy-efficient and less dependent on carbon emissions. However, such projects require the joint efforts of representatives of various fields of knowledge: ecologists, engineers, economists, and politicians. This kind of multidisciplinary collaboration is beneficial because it not only helps create the most optimal solutions but also considers their cost-effectiveness and economic feasibility.
Finally, education is another factor that is significant when it comes to climate change. Scientists, politicians, engineers, citizens, and many others must be ready to respond to climate change in an appropriate and timely manner. In other words, regardless of their status and position, all members of society should be able to understand the main problems and offer the best possible solutions. However, for people to be able to do this, they need to receive the best interdisciplinary education. Therefore, scientists from various fields of knowledge, including ecology, economics, and engineering, must work together to develop a curriculum that will provide students with a broad understanding of the issues and the tools to solve them.
Furthermore, multidisciplinary research might also make climate change responses more efficient due to the variety of experience that international collaborations can bring. Various countries and research groups work on researching climate change and mitigating and adapting to it. All of these parties contribute their expertise and knowledge to the process, making it very efficient. However, sometimes the local knowledge might be equally valuable as the academic one; therefore, it is important to gather and systematize the latter as well. Residents of the locality that have been living in harmony with nature for many years usually know much more about biodiversity of the locality and the ecosystem than people from other places. Hence, it is necessary to integrate local knowledge with the scientific one to find the optimal solution to climate change.
The SDGs highlight the importance of responding to climate change through a multidisciplinary lens. Addressing climate change often involves confronting it as an integral part of broader social and ecological transformations. At the same time, sustainable development and climate change responses are closely related: combating climate change often requires actions that support achieving other SDGs, such as ending hunger, ensuring good health, providing drinking water, making cities safe and sustainable, promoting economic and social justice, affordable and clean energy, and protecting biodiversity.
Finally, when it comes to climate change, it is essential to remember that complexity is the mother of collaboration. After all, it is by working together that researchers can develop the most effective and broad-spectrum solutions. Although different areas of science sometimes have their own conceptualizations, methodologies, and even prejudices regarding the issue of climate change, the benefits of a multidisciplinary approach far outweigh the potential challenges. It is only through the combined efforts of representatives of various fields of knowledge that it will be possible to address climate change and ensure long-term sustainability.
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