Ecosystem approaches to health and well-being: Navigating complexity, promoting health in social–ecological systems
The Ecosystem Approach to Health can lead to improvements in human health and well-being while also fostering ecosystem health and environmental sustainability
This research paper provides a description of the Ecosystem Approach to Health (also known as ecohealth) and presents three case studies illustrating the value of this approach in making improvements in human health and well-being while also fostering ecosystem health and environmental sustainability. The three case studies focus on a community along the Bishnumati River in Kathmandu, Nepal, an informal settlement in Chennai, India, and a project with the Credit Valley Conservation Authority in Southern Ontario, Canada.
The Ecosystem Approach to Health is rooted in systems thinking and is based on the understanding that health outcomes emerge from interrelationships within and between social and ecological systems. Basic principles framing the ecohealth approach include transdisciplinarity, participation, gender and social equity, systems thinking, sustainability, and research-to-action.
The ecohealth approach was applied in Nepal in response to the interrelated crises of poverty, environmental degradation and the spread of disease from animals to people. Earlier and more traditional attempts to stem the spread of disease were not effective, due in large part, to embedded cast norms and cultural practices with respect to dogs and slaughtering. While human health remained the ultimate goal, the focus of intervention switched to improving the health of the broader eco-social system. The process became more participatory, with local stakeholders taking ownership of the interventions. This led to more appropriate and more sustainable interventions, including the introduction of plants to compost organic waste, the transformation of the riverbank to community gardens, the removal of livestock from the river bank, and improved and community-maintained sanitation facilities.
The second case study involved a low-income community in China lacking access to such basic services as toilets, protected water supply, electricity, and solid waste collection. Illiteracy rates were high and outbreaks of cholera and other diseases were prevalent. Additionally, there were high unemployment rates, high rates of drug and alcohol abuse, and other manifestations of intense urban poverty. The community was hostile to collaboration with outside organizations and seemed to resist even incremental improvement. Again, a participatory and systems approach was used, this time involving both adults and children in the process. Child-focused interventions included improved facilities for toileting and bathing.
In Canada, the Credit Valley Conservation Authority project focused on identifying and communicating relationships among ecosystem services and human health by demonstrating the importance of watershed management. Potential interventions of this ongoing project include such conservation actions as tree planting, trail building, and wetland restoration. Throughout, the emphasis will be on promoting a stronger understanding of the benefits of natural landscapes to human well-being.
According to the researchers, these projects demonstrate that the Ecosystem Approach to Health can lead to improvements in the health of both humans and ecosystems.
Citation
Bunch, M.J., (2016). Ecosystem approaches to health and well-being: Navigating complexity, promoting health in social–ecological systems. Systems Research and Behavioral Science, 33,
