A Swissnex-backed anti-conference uniting experts to tackle planetary health from all angles

Over the last few years, the increase in forest wildfires, flash floods, and violent typhoons across the world has underscored the worsening impact of climate change. Governments across the world are focusing on potential measures to protect human existence – and our world.

New challenges need new approaches - with this in mind leaders from the University of Zurich, Infectious Diseases Institute, Makerere University, and the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), alongside Swissnex in Indi,a aimed to develop a concept to spark relatable and actionable measures and commit to implementing them. At the Trialogue Days – Planetary Health from Different Perspectives: Mind the Gap, stakeholders expanded their thinking by factoring in knowledge from other disciplines, across varied settings and generations.

As many as 75 Indian, Swiss and Ugandan experts gathered at the IISc in Bangalore to discuss and develop innovative solutions for the numerous challenges stemming from environmental degradation – and work to address reverse global warming and climate change.

Dr Lena Robra, Head of Academic Engagement, Swissnex in India, said if Trialogue Days was a tree, “its roots would be the underlying values and the scientific committee, and conference the stem from which different ideas and activities branch out, leaf, flower, shine and supply energy to the tree”.

Trialogue Days circumvented the usual approach to expert conferences to ensure lateral thinking among participants. Hand-picked to represent one expert from one field, the “anti-conference” brought together 75 specialists in human health, biodiversity, and sustainability to develop unconventional solutions for a planet under threat.

Conceptualised as Dialogue Days ten years ago, by University of Zurich and Makerere University, it expanded to India in 2024, recognising the knowledge and role the country plays in the scope of planetary health.

Breaking silos for a common goal

The seeds of climate change were sown nearly two centuries ago, but their impact has never been more obvious than in the last few years. Nearly all countries have been experiencing their hottest years on record, while erratic and extreme weather has resulted in serious loss of life and natural habitats.

Trialogue Days was the meeting’s way of enabling people to cross-reference knowledge from multiple disciplines, settings, and generations to make “life on earth possible for future generations”.

Far from being alarmist, the event relied on unconventional exercises, open dialogue, and collaboration to move beyond the rhetoric and shape real, actionable measures. The sessions touched upon topics such as air quality and its implications on the health of all life forms and the planet, water security, zoonotic diseases, mobility and migration, health systems, decarbonising, and more. The meeting aimed to solve problems in ways that benefit humans, the environment, and all living systems.

Dr Robra said the format of the conference resisted industry-specific jargon and disciplinary silos, and participants presented ideas in a manner that everyone understood without expertise on the subject. The meeting proceedings have been compiled and presented in the format of a science rap.

Planetary diplomacy played a role, but the emphasis was on raw, unfiltered yet respectful ‘trialogue’, even if that meant disagreement.

“This meeting was not about shining through expertise or aligning opinions, but different perspectives and looking beyond one’s daily work into the work of others in an underlying value system to move towards better planetary health,” Dr Robra said.

From trialogue to action

Adoption of the planetary health app allowed participants to reflect on the impacts of their action. Ten teams of people who met at the Trialogue Days comprising at least one person from each country came up with ideas to translate some of the experience into action in the form of a seed grant proposal. These included gamifying training for planetary health, implementing novel tuberculosis diagnostics, integrating GIS and health data, and mapping of antimicrobial resistances.

In one session, experts spoke about the importance of India’s Bengaluru Science & Technology (BeST) cluster, which was commended for its integrative approach towards balancing human and ecosystem health as suggested by the WHO. This was in contrast with Switzerland’s approach, which is still at an early discussion stage.

The road ahead: A 10-year vision for change

The collective benefits of the Trialogue Days did not end with the meeting, but have set the foundation for a 10-year strategy that will allow experts to realise their work together. Some participants have also started writing grants from ideas deliberated upon at the conference, which will now be held every two or three years.

“There is a good chance that Swissnex in India will add a component on sustainable construction, water management or food under the ‘Swissnex for the Planet’ mission. We will look at those areas not [as] human-centric but holistically, and what our planet stands to lose or gain, based on the action we take,” Dr Robra said.