Session 1 Env Health Apr 2020 PDF

Climate change and global environmental sustainability Dr. Sydney Carstens What is sustainable development? "Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.“ Report of the World Commi...

Climate change and global environmental sustainability Dr. Sydney Carstens What is sustainable development? "Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.“ Report of the World Commission on Environment and Development: Our Common Future (United Nations, 1987) What is the international agenda for sustainable development? Sustainable development goals Goal 1. End poverty in all its forms everywhere Goal 2. End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture Goal 3. Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages Goal 4. Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all Goal 5. Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls Goal 6. Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all Sustainable development goals (cont.) Goal 7. Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all Goal 8. Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all Goal 9. Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation Goal 10. Reduce inequality within and among countries Goal 11. Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable Goal 12. Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns Sustainable development goals (cont.) Goal 13. Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts Goal 14. Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development Goal 15. Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss Goal 16. Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels Goal 17. Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development Sustainable development and environmental health On the previous three slides those Sustainable Development goals that link directly to environmental health is shown in red. Keeping the environment healthy is therefore closely linked with sustainable development So what is the environment that we keep on referring to? It basically includes the entities of soil, water and air Safe and adequate food availability Safe water provision and sanitation services Good air quality Safe and secure shelter Health and sustainable development “Global environmental threats to health include: climate change, depletion of the ozone layer, reduction of biodiversity, degradation of ecosystems and the spread of persistent organic pollutants. The long-term health consequences of human induced climate change are likely to be profound and include: threats to the food supply, natural disasters, infectious diseases, sea-level rise, changes in precipitation patterns and increased frequencies of extreme climate events, which may impinge particularly upon some of the least developed countries. Planning for the protection of human health from t he potential impacts of global environmental threats requires a much improved understanding of the disease inducing mechanisms involved and of the vu lnerability of populations. - Health and Sustainable Development, Y von Schirnding and C Mulholland. Report to the World Health Organization Health and sustainable development “The steep projected increase in the burden of non-communicable diseases worldwide represents one of the major challenges to future health development. Noncommunicable diseases, injuries and violence will account for nearly 80 per cent of the global burden of disease in 2020. By then, the leading causes of disability are likely to be heart disease, depression and road traffic injuries. By 2030, at current projections, tobacco will kill more than 10 million people annually, with 70 per cent of the deaths occurring in developing countries and about half in productive middle age. The number of women smokers is expected to triple over the next generation. The number of people over the age of 65 is likely to reach 10 per cent of the global population by 2025, and increases of up to 300 per cent in the older population are expected in some developing countries. The portion of the global disease burden attributable to mental and neurological disorders and substance abuse is expected to rise significantly. Health systems will need to be reoriented to deal with chronic diseases requiring long-term care, which endanger the financial sustainability of health care systems In general.” - Health and Sustainable Development, Y von Schirnding and C Mulholland. Report to the World Health Organization SA and environmental sustainability “environmental sustainability refers to the ability of the biophysical environment to maintain its functioning within natural parameters and cycles over time, in order to supply environmental goods and services to the economic and social spheres. “ “Out of the 132 countries that were assessed for the Environmental Performance Index, South Africa ranks extremely poorly at number 128, with a low overall score and a trend that is worsening (Emerson et al. 2012). This also ranks the country as the worst performer of 21 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. Our closest ranked neighbours are Angola and Mozambique, at numbers 13 and 12 respectively. When considered in terms of the two main categories of policy outcomes, South Africa’s Ecosystem Vitality (environmental management) is classified as poor and declining, whilst the Environmental Health (environmental impacts on human health) is regarded as poor but improving. The poor Environmental Performance score is attributed to practices used to manage the country’s water scarcity, contribution to climate change, air pollution, agricultural practices and poor public health. This echoes the findings of the 2005 Environmental Sustainability Index that highlighted air and water quality, contribution to climate change and human vulnerability as particular problems.” - Dept. of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries, Environmental Outlook Report Health impacts resulting from extreme weather events that are likely to increase in certain areas of South Africa under future climatic conditions Increased or decreased vector (e.g. mosquito) abundance (e.g. if breeding sites are washed away or breeding in dried up river beds with pooling of water)). Increased risk of respiratory and diarrhoeal diseases (indoor air pollution as a result of cooking, contamination of water supplies with poor sanitation services) Injuries/Drowning Health effects associated with population displacement (lack of safe water and sanitation, airborne diseases in crowded shelters) Impacts on food supply (droughts/flooding). Mental health impacts (post traumatic stress disorder, substance abuse) Malnutrition/Starvation Increased risk of infections Malaria, diarrheal diseases, respiratory diseases etc. ) Soil erosion and increased risks of landslides. General increased mortality and morbidity. Increased risk of hospital and emergency admissions.