Indonesia’s unique geographical reality and natural disaster and inevitable natural disasters beyond human control, has shaped the way many view climate change. Often, climate change is mistakenly perceived as a natural phenomenon that cannot be influenced by human actions, leading to a lack of awareness of its human-driven causes and far-reaching impacts. Climate change also threatens the broader social determinants of health, including livelihoods, equity, access to healthcare, and the resilience of social support systems. These climate-sensitive health risks are not evenly distributed; They disproportionately affect vulnerable and marginalised populations such as women, children, ethnic minorities, underserved communities, older adults, and individuals with pre-existing health conditions.
This study, conducted in Indonesia, Vietnam, and Nepal, seeks to explore how communities perceive and experience the impacts of climate change on their health, well-being, and livelihoods. It also examines the adaptive actions they are taking in response. By capturing these lived experiences, we aim to deepen our understanding of how climate change is affecting health at the community level.
Photovoice as a creative tool to explore the experience of climate change and its effects on health
In Indonesia, climate change remains a relatively new and abstract concept for many. Its link to health is even less recognised. While people may observe shifting weather patterns or the increasing frequency of floods and droughts, understanding the underlying causes and their health implications is not always straightforward.
To address this, we adopted a photovoice approach. Photography enabled participants to visually express what they see, feel and live – without needing to rely on technical or academic language. We conducted a photovoice project with 10 art students from Bandung Institute of Technology. This initiative is part of a larger qualitative exploratory study that also includes a series of in-depth interviews with community members and key informant discussions. The photovoice method, allowed the students to visually explore and communicate their understanding of climate change and its impact on their lives.
Participatory Visual Methods (PVM) workshop for art students at Bandung Institute of Technology
To broaden community engagement, we also launched an online photo competition inviting social media followers to share images and narratives about their climate change experiences. Approximately 35 participants submitted entries. Over the six-month period, these two activities generated more than 70 visual stories and hundreds of photographs of how lay people experience raw environmental changes. This project demonstrates the power of visual methods in raising awareness and deepening understanding of climate change, particularly among young people, and underscores the importance of engaging diverse communities in discussions about environmental and health challenges.
Health Impacts and Community Insights
Community complaints regarding changes in their health conditions are seldom associated with exposure to climate change. This tendency, compounded by the prevalent practice of self-medication, whether through traditional remedies or the purchase of non-prescription drugs, presents a significant challenge for researchers in assessing the impacts and health risks posed by climate change.
Some images reflect the effects of drought, or the uncertainty brought on by extreme weather. By using visual storytelling, this project brings to life a topic that often feels distant or abstract. It builds a bridge between scientific discourse and lived experience, making climate change real, personal, and visible.
Photovoice also reveals a crucial dimension: emotion. These photographs are not only evidence, they are expressions of concern, confusion, fear and resilience. Importantly, they highlight how climate change is already affecting health through heat stress, food insecurity, air and water pollution, and more, even people don’t have the words to explain it. This method reminds us that when we open up creative and inclusive spaces for expression, we gain insights that traditional tools often miss. It deepens understanding and fosters dialogue between scientific knowledge with lived experience.
Collaborators:
- Medical Science Division, University of Oxford (Study Sponsor)
- Wellcome through Dalberg (Presentation Sponsor)
- Faculty of Art and Design, Bandung Institute of Technology (Local Collaborator)
For more information poster can be accessed below:
Access the photobook compilation, capturing the Indonesian lived reality facing climate change here:
Interested in collaborating on public and community engagement in health research? Reach us at PCE_Indonesia@oucru.org to explore partnership and other opportunities.
