You have been introduced to the definitions of environment, health and sustain- able development as used by the international community. You have considered the local environment in your own area and the historical background to the growing concern over industrial pollution and global environmental issues. It is now useful to consider what the basic requirements for a healthy environment might be. This creates a starting point for policy making at a local and global level that can ensure equity for all.
Activity 2.1
Write down a list of aspects of the environment that you think are basic requirements for health and sustainable development.
Feedback
Understanding what constitutes a good environment for health helps us to make changes and improve health. The list below is one suggested by the World Health Organization (WHO):
• clean air
• safe and sufficient water
• adequate and safe food
• safe and peaceful settlements
• stable global environment
Sustainable development
Sustainable development is closely allied with the provision of an environment that supports and promotes health. You have already considered how the connec- tion between health and the environment was established. This can be no longer seen as a local and small-scale issue; the effects of the environment on health are now apparent on a larger, global scale and are not confined to one point in time. As new threats to the environment and health emerge, or old threats re-emerge, new ways of using and distributing resources and protecting the environment must be considered.
Environment and public health 23
Activity 2.2
Take the list of the basic requirements for health that you drew up in Activity 2.1 a stage further, and consider how the environment and the principles of sustainable development might be used to support health.
Feedback
The WHO (1992) advanced a range of suggestions to support the requirements for healthy living through sustainable development:
• analysing the role of local environmental factors on the health development of a community
• encouraging an enabling and promotional approach to health issues, as well as simply protecting health
• creating health equity within a community
• acknowledging the importance of sustainable development as a health issue
• enhancing people’s understanding of the environment in a broad sense
• promoting the active and genuine encouragement of people’s participation and involvement
Understanding the different environments within a community and how they relate to health is the first step. Engaging with the community by including stake- holders in decision making on environmental and health issues promotes the ideas of sustainable development. It also demonstrates support for healthy living and sustainable development by encouraging equity in health in the community; for example, through the provision of clean water or safe housing for all members of the community.
Summary
The principles of sustainable development balance the population’s entitlement to a healthy life with a consideration of the impact of economic growth upon the environment. This is becoming increasingly important as the scale of environ- mental problems become apparent – from the local to the global. Historically, societies have approached the relationship between environment and health in various ways. Our understanding of environmental impact upon health has changed dramatically since the Hippocratic ideas of air, water, and place; we now have a scientific understanding of ecosystems and the impact of human activity on the environment. With the rise of the importance of public health organizations and the burgeoning environmental movement came recognition of the impact that the environment has on human health. It can be argued that progress has been made in curtailing potential damage to the environment, however, much remains to be done, particularly as the concept of global economic development grows. The current challenge for professionals, politicians, communities, and environmentalists is how to deal with global climate change and its impact upon the environment and health in the long term. There are political tensions in the
24 Environment, Health and Sustainable Development
poorer low and middle income countries that still require urgent attention, as well as important local environmental concerns. The Millennium Goals have helped to focus international attention on improving our health and environment through sustainable development and cooperation.
References
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Further reading
Environmental activism: http://www.globalstewards.org/
Environmental History Timeline: http://www.radford.edu/~wkovarik/envhist/index.html Kriebel D, Tickner J, Epstein P et al. (2001) The precautionary principle in environmental
science. Environmental Health Perspectives 109(9): 871–5.
Smith KR, Corvalan CF and Kjellstrom T (1999) How much global ill health is attributable to environmental factors? Epidemiology 10(5): 573–84.