ES5702 Planetary Health and Climate Change Report Sample
Title of Assessment:
Systems-based approaches to Planetary Health, Climate Change and Population Health: application to allocated UN geographical regions.
Assessment brief
This assessment requires that you develop a concept of a systems model which helps to understand and explore a Planetary Health, Climate Change and Population Health links. For this project you can use already existing SYSTEMS Frameworks (as provided by module leader), or by developing your own (adapting existing frameworks, or developing a new framework). The project consists of group work (see your allocated groups) and assessment of allocated UN geographical regions.
The assessment counts for 100% of your overall module mark. This consists of an individual final report of a maximum of 2000 words length (not including cover page, figures, tables, illustrations, references, and Statement of Contribution). For this report, please only use figures or tables developed by you and your group, and not sourced from other sources.
The report should be written in the style of a scientific report, which describes a concept of a system model/framework which you or others could apply to understand and explore planetary health and climate change drivers, and pathways to population impacts in your allocated regions.
To ensure that you develop such frameworks working together, a Statement of Contribution (one paragraph in your written report not counting towards the 2000-word requirement) is required explaining your individual contribution to the group work.
In addition, a Peer Assessment Form which will be submitted alongside the Final Individual report, will be used by each of you to monitor and report individual peer contribution to the project. Both, the Statement of Contribution, and Peer Assessment will be used in academic judgment of your work, and overall grade allocated.
Please Use The Suggested Structure for The Final Project Report
A. Cover page: Provide a cover page with the title, author, and module you are submitting for.
B. Introduction:
• Set the context by addressing the topic in a general manner. Include background information and explicate the debate. Review the topic and explain why it is important. Why should the reader care about the issue? Present a concise aim.
• Make the transition into the body of the essay with a logical, clear progression. Summarize the ideas presented in the introductory section.
C. Body:
• Limit each paragraph in the body of the essay to one explicit idea. Connect the body of each paragraph to your main statement, by strength of argument.
• Provide a few detailed examples per paragraph that explain why the evidence supports the main AIM of your concept model.
• Discuss other views or models, frameworks that may have been used in the same context, or a relevant one. Explain how the other arguments do/do not align with your concept model (rather than dismissing them outright).
D. Conclusion
• Synthesize the information to leave a lasting impression on the reader.
• Link the last paragraph to the introduction and reiterate a key phrase used in thebeginning.
• Conclude with a quotation from a primary (key) reference, redefine a key term, or set your argument in a larger context by demonstrating how your paper falls within a larger area of concern or by posing further questions.
E. References
• Keep consistency in referencing style throughout the document, and ensure that quotations are cited appropriately
Solution
Introduction
We face the challenges of a fast-changing world, making the subject of planetary health, climate change, and population health one of crucial importance. According to the Lancet Commission, the health of human civilization and the natural systems it depends on is referred to as planetary health. Two of the most important factors influencing planetary health are population health and climate change, which have global effects on both people and ecosystems. Temperature, precipitation, and extreme weather patterns are changing as a result of climate change, which may have an adverse effect on human health and increase the risk of vector-borne diseases, respiratory illnesses, and heat-related illnesses. Population growth and urbanization are also putting pressure on natural systems, leading to environmental degradation and loss of biodiversity, which can also have negative impacts on human health.
This report will examine the links between planetary health, climate change, and population health through the use of existing systems frameworks. It will provide a comprehensive understanding of the current state of these systems, and the interventions that can be made to address the challenges, in order to create a more sustainable future for all. By using these systems-based approaches, we can identify the specific factors that are having the greatest impact on population health, and develop targeted interventions to address these factors. This will require a concerted effort from all sectors of society, from government, to industry, to civil society, and individuals. Only by working together can we create a more sustainable future for all and ensure that the health of our planet and its inhabitants is protected for generations to come.
Planetary Health Education Framework
One framework that can be used to understand the links between planetary health, climate change, and population health is the Planetary Health Education Framework. This framework is predicated on the notion that education is a crucial factor in planetary health because it helps people and communities comprehend the intricate relationships that exist between human activity and the natural systems that sustain life on Earth.
The framework is divided into three main components:
• Understanding the systems that support planetary health;
• Developing the skills and knowledge to make informed decisions about how to protect and enhance these systems; and
• Taking action to create a more sustainable future.
The first component of the framework, understanding the systems that support planetary health, involves learning about the natural systems that support human life, such as air, water, and soil. It also involves learning about the human systems that impact these natural systems, such as agriculture, transportation, and energy production. Uni Assignment Help, Understanding these systems is crucial for understanding the complex interactions between human activities and the natural systems that support life on Earth (Guzmán et al. 2021).
The second component of the framework, developing the skills and knowledge to make informed decisions, involves learning about the tools and methods that can be used to assess the impact of human activities on natural systems. This includes learning about environmental impact assessments, sustainability assessments, and other tools for evaluating the environmental and health impacts of different policies and practices. Having the necessary skills and knowledge to make informed decisions is essential for creating a more sustainable future.
The third component of the framework, taking action to create a more sustainable future, involves learning about the strategies and policies that can be used to protect and enhance natural systems. This includes learning about sustainable development, conservation strategies, and green infrastructure. Taking action to create a more sustainable future is crucial for addressing the challenges of climate change and population health (Anderson and Gough 2021).
Environment health indicator frameworks (EHI)
Another framework that can be used to understand the links between planetary health, climate change, and population health is the Environment Health Indicator (EHI) framework. Frameworks for Environmental Health Indicators (EHI) offer a tool to evaluate how human activities affect ecosystems, human populations, and human health.
EHIs can be divided into three main categories: exposure indicators, effects indicators, and response indicators.
• Exposure indicators measure the presence or concentration of environmental pollutants or other factors that can affect health. This includes indicators such as air pollution levels, water quality, and pesticide exposure. These indicators provide information on the potential sources of exposure and the population groups that are most at risk.
• Effects indicators measure the health outcomes associated with exposure to environmental pollutants or other factors. This includes indicators such as respiratory illness, cancer rates, and infant mortality. These indicators provide information on the actual health impacts of environmental exposures, and can be used to identify vulnerable populations and areas of high burden of disease.
• Response indicators measure the effectiveness of interventions to reduce exposure to environmental pollutants or other factors. This includes indicators such as compliance with environmental regulations, adoption of sustainable practices, and the availability of green infrastructure. These indicators provide information on the effectiveness of efforts to address environmental exposures and improve public health (Hambling et al. 2011).
EHIs can be utilised in conjunction to give a thorough picture of how human activities affect ecosystems, human populations, and human health.They can also be used to identify specific areas of concern and to develop targeted interventions to improve public health and protect the environment. For example, By tracking variations in temperature and precipitation, changes in illness patterns, and changes in access to food and water, an EHI framework can be used to evaluate the effects of climate change on population health. By using EHIs, we can identify the specific environmental factors that are having the greatest impact on population health, and develop targeted interventions to address these factors (Bikomeye et al. 2021).
Pressure-State-Response Framework (PSR)
The Pressure-State-Response Framework (PSR) is a type of environmental health indicator framework that focuses on the links between human activities and the health of natural systems. It is divided into three main components: pressures, states, and responses.
• Pressures refer to the negative impacts of human activities on natural systems, such as pollution, deforestation, and overfishing. These pressures can change the state of natural systems, affecting the quality of air and water, the biodiversity of ecosystems, and the health of species.
• States refer to the current condition of natural systems, such as the quality of air and water, the biodiversity of ecosystems, and the health of species. These states are affected by the pressures put on natural systems by human activities.
• Responses refer to the actions taken to address the pressures on natural systems, such as conservation efforts, sustainable development, and regulations. These solutions are meant to lessen the damaging effects of human activity on natural systems and enhance their health.
The PSR framework can be used to identify and monitor key indicators of pressures, states, and responses, such as air and water quality, biodiversity, and conservation efforts. This knowledge can be utilised to comprehend how human activity affects the wellbeing of natural systems and to spot chances for minimising the detrimental effects of human activity on such systems (Li et al. 2022).
Figure 1PSR Framework
Driving Force-Pressure-State-Impact-Response Framework (DPSIR)
The Driving Force-Pressure-State-Impact-Response Framework (DPSIR) is another type of environmental health indicator framework that focuses on the connections between environmental factors, human activity, and the wellbeing of communities and ecosystems. This framework is based on the idea that human activities (driving forces) can have negative impacts on the environment (pressures), which can in turn affect the health of human populations and ecosystems (states). The DPSIR framework is divided into five main components: driving forces, pressures, states, impacts, and responses.
Driving forces are those human activities that can have negative impacts on the environment, such as urbanization, industrialization, and transportation. Pressures are the environmental impacts of these human activities, such as air pollution, water pollution, and deforestation. States are the current condition of the environment and the health of human populations and ecosystems, such as the quality of air and water, the biodiversity of ecosystems, and the prevalence of disease. Impacts are the negative effects of the pressures on the states, such as respiratory illness, ecosystem collapse, and loss of biodiversity. Responses are the actions taken to address the driving forces and pressures, such as regulations, conservation efforts, and sustainable development (Salehi and Zabardast, 2016).
Using the DPSIR framework, we can comprehend how human activities like using fossil fuels and deforestation contribute to climate change (pressure), which then has an impact on the health of human populations and ecosystems (state) through natural disasters, the spread of disease, and food insecurity (Impact). The actions taken to mitigate these effects can include switching to renewable energy sources, reforestation, and sustainable agricultural practises (response).
Burden of Disease Framework
Another framework that can be used to understand the links between planetary health, climate change, and population health is the Burden of Disease Framework. This framework is based on the idea that disease burden, or the impact of illness and injury on a population, can be used to assess the health of a population. The Burden of Disease Framework is divided into four main components: morbidity, mortality, disability, and economic impact (Shannon et al. 2022).
Morbidity is the number of people affected by a particular disease or condition. Mortality is the number of people who die from a particular disease or condition. The effect of an illness or condition on a person's capacity for function is known as disability. A disease or condition's economic impact is how it affects a person's capacity to work and support the economy.
Using the Burden of Disease Framework, we can understand how climate change affects population health. For example, Extreme weather conditions like heat waves and flooding can raise the number of people who succumb to heat-related sickness and drowning, which raises the burden of disease. By changing the distribution of disease-carrying vectors like mosquitoes and ticks, climate change can have an impact on the burden of disease by increasing the incidence of vector-borne illnesses like malaria and Lyme disease (Wyper et al. 2021).
Other frameworks
There are several other frameworks that can be used to understand the links between planetary health, climate change, and population health. Some examples include:
• The Ecological Footprint Framework: This framework is used to measure the impact of human activities on natural systems by calculating the amount of land, water, and resources required to produce the food, energy, and other goods and services consumed by a population. This framework can be used to understand the relationship between human activities and the health of natural systems, and to identify opportunities for reducing the ecological footprint of human activities (Anderson and Gough 2021).
• The Planetary Boundaries Framework: This framework is used to identify the safe limits for human activities in order to ensure that natural systems can continue to support human well-being. This framework can be used to understand the relationship between human activities and the health of natural systems, and to identify opportunities for reducing the negative impacts of human activities on natural systems.
• The Carbon Budget Framework: This framework is used to understand the amount of carbon that can be emitted into the atmosphere without exceeding a given temperature increase. This framework can be used to understand the relationship between human activities and the health of natural systems, and to identify opportunities for reducing the negative impacts of human activities on natural systems by reducing the amount of carbon emitted into the atmosphere (Anderson and Gough 2021).
Conclusions
In conclusion, this report has discussed the links between planetary health, climate change, and population health through the use of existing systems frameworks such as the Planetary Health Education Framework, the Environment Health Indicator Framework, the Driving Force-Pressure-State-Impact-Response Framework and the Burden of Disease Framework. These frameworks provide a comprehensive understanding of the complex interactions between human activities and the natural systems that support life on Earth, and the impacts of these interactions on population health.
It is clear that addressing the challenges of planetary health, climate change and population health requires a systems-based approach, where the interconnections between various factors are taken into account. Education, environmental health indicators, and disease burden frameworks provide a clear picture of the current state of these systems, and the Driving Force-Pressure-State-Impact-Response Framework and Burden of Disease Framework provide a clear pathway for addressing the challenges through targeted interventions.
It is essential that we continue to use these systems-based approaches to address the challenges of climate change and population health and to create a more sustainable future for all. This requires a concerted effort from all sectors of society, from government, to industry, to civil society, and individuals. Only by working together can we create a more sustainable future for all and ensure that the health of our planet and its inhabitants is protected for generations to come.
References
Anderson, V. and Gough, W.A., 2021. Harnessing the four horsemen of climate change: A framework for deep resilience, decarbonization, and planetary health in Ontario, Canada. Sustainability, 13(1), p.379.
Bikomeye, J.C., Rublee, C.S. and Beyer, K.M., 2021. Positive externalities of climate change mitigation and adaptation for human health: a review and conceptual framework for public health research. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(5), p.2481.
Guzmán, C.A.F., Aguirre, A.A., Astle, B., Barros, E., Bayles, B., Chimbari, M., El-Abbadi, N., Evert, J., Hackett, F., Howard, C. and Jennings, J., 2021. A framework to guide planetary health education. The Lancet Planetary Health, 5(5), pp.e253-e255.
Hambling, T., Weinstein, P. and Slaney, D., 2011. A review of frameworks for developing environmental health indicators for climate change and health. International journal of environmental research and public health, 8(7), pp.2854-2875.
R., Huang, S., Bai, Y., Li, Y., Cao, Y. and Liu, Y., 2022. Assessment of Sustainable Water Utilization Based on the Pressure–State–Response Model: A Case Study of the Yellow River Basin in China. Sustainability, 14(22), p.14820.
Salehi, E. and Zabardast, L., 2016. Application of Driving force-Pressure-State-Impact-Response (DPSIR) framework for integrated environmental assessment of the climate change in city of Tehran. Pollution, 2(1), pp.83-92.
Shannon, G., Issa, R., Wood, C. and Kelman, I., 2022. Regenerative economics for planetary health: A scoping review. International Health Trends and Perspectives, 2(3), pp.81-105.
Wyper, G.M., Assuncao, R., Fletcher, E., Gourley, M., Grant, I., Haagsma, J.A., Hilderink, H., Idavain, J., Lesnik, T., Von der Lippe, E. and Majdan, M., 2021. The increasing significance of disease severity in a burden of disease framework. Scandinavian Journal of Public Health, p.14034948211024478.