Address
Heidelberg University
Im Neuenheimer Feld 205, 4/325
69120 Heidelberg
Germany
Contact
Uliana Kachnova
uliana.kachnova@uni-heidelberg.de
On 17–18 March, the Planetary Health Cluster met in Heidelberg for its second thematic workshop on data and modelling approaches for Planetary Health. The meeting was closely aligned with Work Group 2, the cluster’s strand on data and model-based solutions and indicators, and brought together researchers, modellers and policy specialists from the cluster’s five Horizon Europe projects around one central question: how can data and modelling approaches best serve Planetary Health?
Building a common language
The first day focused on developing a shared understanding of modelling across projects. Participants presented their models, discussed what they are designed to do, compared different kinds of inputs and outputs, and explored where their approaches might connect. The goal was not only to showcase methods, but to understand how models can be described, compared and, over time, better integrated across disciplines.
This exchange also moved the conversation toward a shared definition of Planetary Health modelling. Rather than treating models as stand-alone technical products, participants worked toward a common view of modelling as an interdisciplinary, systems-oriented practice that should help generate useful knowledge for research, policy and action.
From definition to use
On the second day, the discussion shifted from what models are to what they need to do. Participants reflected on the practical and political role of models, especially in dialogue with non-modellers and policy actors. A strong theme throughout was that models must communicate their assumptions clearly and produce outputs that are understandable, relevant and meaningful for the people expected to use them.
The workshop also reinforced that modelling becomes far more valuable when it is developed through dialogue rather than in isolation. Early stakeholder engagement, co-production and exchange across disciplinary boundaries were highlighted as essential if models are to become not only scientifically strong, but also credible and actionable in real-world settings.
Why this matters for TULIP
These questions sit at the core of TULIP’s own scientific approach. In the project proposal, TULIP places modelling at the centre of its pathway from evidence generation to impact: integrating hydrology, water quality, biofilm dynamics, molecular analyses and environmental indicators, and translating these into scenario-based tools that can support surveillance, intervention design and policy development.
TULIP is also designed to go beyond modelling for modelling’s sake. The proposal explicitly links model development to participatory processes, integrated knowledge translation and a user-friendly decision-support tool that can compare action and no-action scenarios across plastic pollution, antimicrobial resistance and climate change. In that sense, the Heidelberg workshop spoke directly to the project’s ambition to make complex evidence more usable for policymakers and other knowledge users.
Looking ahead
The Heidelberg workshop marked an important step for the Planetary Health Cluster. Building on earlier cluster discussions around shared concepts and approaches, this second thematic meeting showed a clear move from definition to application. For TULIP, that shift is especially important: it is exactly what turns modelling from an academic exercise into a practical instrument for decision-making, prevention and long-term change.