Health, migration, and the climate crisis: an exploratory qualitative study in an informal settlement in Santiago, Chile

Migrants in urban areas of developing countries are among the most vulnerable populations to the impacts of the climate crisis. Already facing structural inequities, migrants must cope with limited access to stable housing, essential services, and climate-resilient infrastructure. In this paper, we explore the intersections of health, migration and the climate crisis through an exploratory qualitative study conducted in Un Nuevo Amanecer, an informal urban settlement in Santiago, Chile. This approach, involving 21 migrant residents, examined health vulnerabilities and community strategies in response to climate crisis conditions. We addressed the effects of extreme weather events and urban conditions among migrant populations, such as landslides, heat and cold waves, fires, floods, and air pollution. The settlement’s location on unsafe land and poor infrastructure exacerbates residents’ social and health vulnerabilities, including emerging illnesses, mental health impacts, and limited personal resources and institutional support to cope with climate events like fires and extreme weather. Our findings highlight the crucial role of urban environments in promoting health, well-being and resilience, while also guiding the development of more effective strategies to address the challenges of the climate crisis in vulnerable migrant populations.