Building healthier communities
Our work addresses the economic and environmental conditions that shape community health. We integrate nutrition, climate resilience and local health priorities into development programmes, with particular attention to women’s health and wellbeing
The times we live in no longer allow us to talk about societal and public health without addressing climate change, biodiversity and regenerative agriculture. They are part of the same ecosystem. The health of our soil and water affects what we can grow and eat.
Economic opportunity shapes whether households can afford nutritious food, transport and care. Health, in turn, determines people’s ability to learn, work and build secure livelihoods.
Scaled Impact works across these relationships. Through regional economic development, agricultural value chains, food businesses and biodiversity initiatives, we develop projects that connect local resources and investment with lasting opportunities for communities.
Our approach brings food security, income creation, environmental management and community wellbeing into the same development decisions.
Climate change is a public health issue - particularly for women
Climate change affects health through extreme heat, disrupted food and water supplies, changing disease risks and damage to livelihoods and services.
Women and girls can face a disproportionate burden where unequal access to land, income and decision-making combines with responsibility for food, water and unpaid care. Water scarcity can mean longer journeys, greater physical strain and less time for education or paid work.
Pregnancy brings particular risks. WHO reports that high temperatures are associated with preterm birth and stillbirth, as well as hypertension and gestational diabetes during pregnancy.
Air pollution is associated with low birth weight and adverse effects on foetal development. Droughts and floods can also interrupt nutrition, safe water and access to care.
These connections make women’s health central to climate resilience and development planning. A programme that strengthens production or incomes should also consider the conditions under which women work, their access to resources and the constraints on their participation.
REVERB: connecting development investment with community wellbeing
REVERB is our platform for collaboration and project delivery with renewable energy companies. Through our project management work, we help direct socio-economic development (SED) funding into community projects that create income, strengthen enterprises and develop local economic opportunities.
We bring companies, communities, public agencies and technical partners together to identify priorities, structure projects and support implementation.
Creating lasting economic opportunities and secure livelihoods is central to community health and social cohesion. Economic insecurity can deepen vulnerability to poor health and exploitation, particularly among young women, making income creation an important part of prevention.
By supporting income creation, development funding can strengthen the household resources, food security and social conditions that underpin wellbeing.
As regions change, we are also exploring how these programmes can respond to emerging health needs, working with health and community partners to identify barriers and develop practical responses.
Restoring landscapes can support healthier lives
Biodiversity and regenerative agriculture support public health through more diverse diets, healthier soils and water, and reduced exposure to hazardous pesticides.
Practices such as maintaining soil cover, diversifying crops and managing grazing can strengthen food production while protecting the resources communities depend on.
These connections inform how we develop agricultural and community programmes.
We bring land and water management together with practical skills, food production and market access, so that strengthening livelihoods also supports the foundations of better health.
For women, realising these benefits requires access to productive resources and a voice in decisions. Our role is to identify those barriers and build opportunities for women to participate, earn income and influence how local resources are managed.
Women’s leadership connects environmental and public health
Women are central to agriculture and food production across Africa. FAO estimates that women make up 49% of the agrifood workforce in sub-Saharan Africa, yet often have less access to land, finance, technology and formal employment.
Their knowledge and leadership are essential to building food systems that sustain both communities and the landscapes they depend on.
Supporting women as leaders in regenerative farming means combining practical skills with access to productive resources, markets and decision-making. Stronger control over income and resources can expand women’s choices over food, care and their own wellbeing.
Our development approach connects these economic opportunities with the conditions women need to participate safely and benefit from them.
Understanding health and safety in communities experiencing investment
Investment can bring jobs, new markets and infrastructure to rural communities. It can also bring rapid social change, including the arrival of temporary workforces during construction. Where economic inequalities, limited services and unequal power relationships already exist, these changes can create additional health and safety risks, particularly for women and young people.
Sexually transmitted infections, adolescent and unintended pregnancies, sexual exploitation and gender-based violence are important concerns in this context. Economic insecurity can increase vulnerability to coercion and to sexual relationships involving an exchange of money or goods. Prevention requires attention to these underlying conditions, alongside engagement with men and workers on consent, respectful relationships and responsible behaviour.
Effective responses require a clearer local evidence base. Limited comparable community-level data makes it difficult to understand the extent of these concerns, why some communities are more vulnerable than others, and where support is most needed. Our survey aims to establish the evidence needed to develop targeted programmes.
-
What we are examining: Sexual and reproductive health awareness, reported health and safety experiences, and factors shaping vulnerability.
-
What we want to understand: How concerns vary across communities and where gaps in information and support are greatest.
-
How we will use the findings: To design responses through our work with renewable energy companies and their economic development programmes.
-
What responses could include: Community and workforce education, partnerships with health and specialist services, and income opportunities that reduce economic vulnerability.
This research will help us identify where development investment can contribute most effectively to prevention and community wellbeing.