Archive for: English

The Environment as a Strategic Healthcare Partner

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The purpose of this review is to describe the growing consensus regarding the contribution of natural processes – ‘nature’ – to human health. Globally, natural environments are becoming smaller and critically degraded because of various human-related factors. Consequently, some of the ‘free’ health benefits nature confers are being lost. This is especially problematic for people in rural areas with limited access to clinical services whose lives depend closely upon nature. The “Millennium Ecosystem Assessment” explored ecosystem changes and their subsequent effects on human well-being, including health. Global Burden of Disease studies have also revealed the importance of environmental factors to health. Not coincidentally, geographic areas in the two research efforts overlap, but convincing research describing how conserving healthy environments may positively affect human health remains lacking. Establishing ecosystem-human health causal linkages via traditional epidemiological approaches is challenging. Innovative research initiatives are increasing our understanding and appreciation of nature’s role as a provider of health, rendering conservation potentially a healthcare strategy. Transdisciplinary university teaching is also playing a role in broadening the awareness of these important linkages and developing research skills to meet the challenge.

Year: 2013

Source: Current Opinion in Obstetrics & Gynecology

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Community Health

Conservation

Environment

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The Economics of Population Policy for Carbon Emissions Reduction in Developing Countries

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Female education and family planning are both critical for sustainable development, and merit expanded support without any appeal to global climate considerations. Since both activities affect fertility, population growth, and carbon emissions, they may also provide sufficient climate-related benefits to warrant additional financing from resources devoted to carbon emissions abatement. This paper considers the economic case for such support. We find that the population policy options are less costly than almost all of the options Nauclér and Enkvist (2009) provide for low-carbon energy development. They are also cost-competitive with forest conservation and other improved forestry and agricultural practices. We conclude that female education and family planning should be viewed as viable potential candidates for financial support from global climate funds. The case for female education is also strengthened by its documented contribution to resilience in the face of the climate change that has already become inevitable.

Year: 2010

Source: Center for Global Development

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Climate Change

Education

Family Planning

Funding

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The 3rd National Conference on Population, Health, and Environment (PHE)

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The third National Conference on Population, Health, and Environment (PHE) was held in March 2008 Tagatay City, Philippines. The 350 delegates focused on the expansion, strengthening, and advancement of integrated Population, Health, and Environment (PHE) approaches. International partners from a myriad of countries shared PHE methods, models, and networks. Skill building sessions, presentations, demonstrations, and discussions were held to expand PHE knowledge and strengthen partnerships.

Year: 2008

Source: Conservation International

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Community Health

Environment

Integration

Population

Scale-up

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Sustainable Development in East Africa: Lessons From Four Population, Health, and Environment Projects

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The aim of PHE projects is to improve access to reproductive and other health services for vulnerable populations in rural and ecologically threatened areas, while at the same time empowering these communities to manage their natural resources in ways that benefit their livelihoods. By linking these issues, people are increasingly motivated to change behaviors that threaten their health and environment. The PHE approach proposes that close collaboration and coordination across multiple sectors contributes to holistic results—people with improved health outcomes, diversified livelihoods, and stronger, more sustainable ecosystems. This publication features insights from four ongoing PHE projects in East Africa—two led by Pathfinder International and two by Deutsche Stiftung Weltbevölkerung (DSW)—and provides recommendations for those seeking to refine the PHE development framework. The projects described are located in Ethiopia, Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya.

Year: 2013

Source: Pathfinder International | DSW

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Community Health

Environment

Integration

Population

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State of World Population 2009: Facing a Changing World: Women, Population, and Climate

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This 2009 flagship report argues that reproductive health care, including family planning, and gender relations could influence the future course of climate change and affect how humanity adapts to rising seas, worsening storms and severe droughts. Women, especially impoverished women in developing countries, bear the disproportionate burden of climate change, but are often largely overlooked in the debate about how to address problems of rising seas, droughts, melting glaciers and extreme weather. The report cites research demonstrating women’s higher vulnerability in natural disasters—especially where incomes are low and status differences between men and women are high. The international community’s fight against climate change is more likely to be successful if policies, programmes and treaties take into account the needs, rights and potential of women. The report shows that investments that empower women and girls—particularly education and health—bolster economic development, reduce poverty, and have a beneficial impact on climate change.

Year: 2009

Source: United Nations Population Fund

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Climate Change

Economic Development

Natural Disasters

Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights

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South-South Exchange on Integrated Population-Health-Environment (PHE) for Executives of Government and NGOs

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In February 2010, the USAID-funded BALANCED Project sponsored a South-to-South learning opportunity for government and non-governmental officials to observe how local stakeholders in the Philippines implement integrated Population, Health and Environment (PHE) approaches. PATH Foundation Philippines, Inc. (PFPI), a BALANCED Project partner, hosted ten developing country representatives from six African and Asian countries. They spent two weeks visiting PHE learning sites and a marine protected area in Bohol province. PFPI has been working for the past ten years on the Integrated Population and Coastal Resource Management Initiative (IPOPCORM) and has a wealth of lessons learned and best practices to share with people who are new to PHE. Based on these lessons learned and program design discussions, the participants developed action plans for their respective organizations and countries, in order to implement PHE at home.

Year: 2010

Source: The BALANCED Project

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Community Health

Environment

Integration

Population

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Scaling up Population and Environment Approaches in Madagascar: A Case Study

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Much has been written on the history of and factors affecting environment sector successes and challenges in Madagascar. This case study focuses specifically on how the conservation sector has engaged in identifying and addressing unmet need for family planning (FP) in Madagascar over approximately two decades (1988 –2007), in the context of improving local livelihoods and reducing pressures on the country’s dwindling natural resource base including its unique biodiversity. It looks at how previous andongoing efforts linking or integrating population and environment (PE) efforts have been and are being scaled up past the site level. The purpose of this study is to highlight drivers of change, constraints and enabling factors to help explain the history and to identify strategies that may be replicable or newly applied elsewhere in-country or outside. This case study is designed to help answer the question: How can the conservation community further contribute to meeting unmet need for family planning in order to reduce future pressure on natural resources and biodiversity and promote more sustainable livelihoods?

Year: 2008

Source: World Wildlife Fund

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Environment

Family Planning

Integration

Population

Scale-up

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Scaling Up Integrated Population, Health and Environment Approaches in the Philippines

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From the 1980s-1990s the Philippine Government, with help from the United Nations and the academic community, created poverty alleviation projects that linked Population, Health, and Environment (PHE). These PHE projects focused on improving natural resource management, reproductive health services, enhancing food security, and providing Filipinos with more livelihood options. These integrated projects proved to be successful, creating a desire to spread or “scale-up” the PHE approach. Scaling-up has three components: expansion, replication, and collaboration. This report notes several opportunities for scaling-up, such as reaching out to new locations and people, extending pilot projects to policies at local and national levels, and expanding services to current clients. Another key factor for scaling-up the PHE approach is strengthening the national PHE network. A recap of lessons that have been learned through scaling-up is also included.

Year: 2008

Source: World Wildlife Fund | Population Reference Bureau

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Environment

Integration

Population

Scale-up

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Scaling Up Community Forest Enterprises in Tanzania

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Across the globe, locally controlled forestry is gaining momentum, increasingly recognised for improving environmental resource management and bringing socio-economic returns to local communities. In short: it works for both people and forests. Since the 1990s, Tanzania has pioneered locally controlled forestry (also known as African participatory forest management). Supported by donors and NGOs, the government has transferred management of more than 2.5 million hectares of forest and woodland to local communities, restoring forests and improving environmental services. But converting and scaling up this transfer of natural capital into long-term economic benefits for communities remains a challenge. We present three emerging sustainable community forest enterprises that have delivered important social, economic and conservation benefits, and explore options for scaling up these approaches across Tanzania and elsewhere.

Year: 2019

Source: International Institute for Environment and Development

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Economic Development

Environment

Forests

Integration

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Safeguarding Human Health in the Anthropocene Epoch: Report of The Rockefeller Foundation–Lancet Commission on Planetary Health

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We identify three categories of challenges that have to be addressed to maintain and enhance human health in the face of increasingly harmful environmental trends. Firstly, conceptual and empathy failures (imagination challenges), such as an over-reliance on gross domestic product as a measure of human progress, the failure to account for future health and environmental harms over present day gains, and the disproportionate effect of those harms on the poor and those in developing nations. Secondly, knowledge failures (research and information challenges), such as failure to address social and environmental drivers of ill health, a historical scarcity of transdisciplinary research and funding, together with an unwillingness or inability to deal with uncertainty within decision making frameworks. Thirdly, implementation failures (governance challenges), such as how governments and institutions delay recognition and responses to threats, especially when faced with uncertainties, pooled common resources, and time lags between action and effect.

Year: 2015

Source: The Rockefeller Foundation–Lancet Commission on Planetary Health

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Biodiversity

Climate Change

Community Health

Environment

Institutionalization

Population

Resilience

Sustainable Development Goals

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