Her dissertation examined how health equity is integrated into Nepal's climate policies through the lenses of environmental justice, health system resilience, and disaster preparedness. Drawing on a systematic review, policy analysis, stakeholder interviews, and health facility assessments, it bridged global policy discourse with local realities.

The findings reveal persistent gaps between policy ambitions and implementation, including fragmented definitions of health equity, governance constraints, and uneven operationalization, while pointing to practical pathways forward through routine health data and Nepal's constitutional right to a healthy environment.

The central contribution is the empirical mapping of the "Translation Gap," the process by which principles like equity lose meaning as they move from policy commitment to practice. The research argues that closing this gap demands more than better implementation; it requires a fundamental reframing of health equity as a whole-of-government obligation.

Beyond Nepal, the research offers a transferable methodology for other low- and middle-income countries to assess their climate-health governance for equity blind spots, making the case for health equity as a non-negotiable pillar of climate action.

Congratulations, Dr. Khanal!

Prof. Dr. Melanie Böckmann

melanie.boeckmannprotect me ?!uni-bremenprotect me ?!.de

+49 421 218 68680