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A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Global Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (1 September 2022) | Viewed by 15083

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Special Issue Editor

Dr. Paul Dargusch

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School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
Interests: carbon trading; agriculture; climate change; drought; diversification
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We invite you to submit high-quality research manuscripts for the Special Issue of the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, titled “Linking the Condition of Ecosystem Services with Public Health”.

There are a complex set of challenges facing ecosystem services and public health today, and further understanding the interactions between these two important research areas is vital. In the wake of COP26, exploration of the linkages between ecosystems and humans across numerous Sustainable Development Goals and areas relating to climate change, the environment, and public health would be a timely achievement. In this Special Issue, there will be a focus on understanding and improving the complex relationships between ecosystem services and public health.

Topics of interest for this Special Issue include:

Ecosystem services and public health frameworks (such as “One Health” or “Planetary Health”);
Case studies to scaled analyses demonstrating the relationship between ecosystem services and public health;
Relevant policy analysis; and
Innovations and methodological improvements linking the condition of ecosystem services to public health.

Please join me in this important effort to improve research on our way to a healthier planet and healthier society.

Dr. Paul Dargusch
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2500 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

planetary health
one health
ecosystem services
public health
sustainable development

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

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19 pages, 1478 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Understanding How Marine Protected Areas Influence Local Prosperity—A Case Study of Gili Matra, Indonesia

by Amrullah Rosadi, Paul Dargusch and Taryono Taryono

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(20), 13508; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192013508 - 19 Oct 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1927

Abstract

A Marine Protected Area (MPA) is always expected to create a specified outcome in ecosystem improvement. While they are certain to benefit marine life, MPAs also impact the surrounding communities, as they directly affect the livelihoods of people who rely on marine exploits to make a decent living. In other words, MPAs create new communal dynamics influencing the rate of prosperity in the surrounding communities. Unfortunately, the leverage of MPAs in the coastal communities’ social economy is often under-assessed in MPA-related research. The MPA’s influence on communal prosperity emphasizes the importance of policy incentives from stakeholders. Therefore, stakeholders’ perceptions of MPAs are fundamental in the planning and implementation of MPAs, which could improve the prosperity of the coastal communities. In Gili Matra, Indonesia, where tourism is the MPA’s backbone, MPAs are expected to sustain prosperity for future generations. However, some stakeholders with different influential stances to the MPA (Influential Stakeholders (IS) and Non-Influential Stakeholders (NIS)) demand a contradictive approach. This could lead to managerial issues for the MPAs. These issues must be addressed to avoid contradictory objectives that could harm MPA implementation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Linking the Condition of Ecosystem Services with Public Health)

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10 pages, 338 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Original Research: How Will the TNFD Impact the Health Sector’s Nature-Risks Management?

by Tom Deweerdt, Kristin Caltabiano and Paul Dargusch

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(20), 13345; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192013345 - 16 Oct 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2212

Abstract

The G20-led TNFD taskforce or TNFD is under development and should be ready in September 2023. With one year to go before its official release, the study of the beta versions of the 0.2 framework is crucial to know the strategy of the taskforce regarding metrics and sectors with high natural risks. Its big sister, the Taskforce on Climate-related Financial Disclosure or TCFD, had defined the health sector as a non-key in terms of climate change and carbon risks, but the TNFD decided that it was a priority in terms of nature-related risks and co-dependencies. This research therefore focuses on the innovations of the TNFD and its impact on future disclosures in the sector. The goal being to predict if the TNFD will lead to more disclosures and therefore better risk management from the health firms. To complete this research, the analysis of the sector’s risks and dependencies on nature-related issues and biodiversity loss was essential. To do so, a policy analysis on the framework of the TNFD was conducted, as well as a literature review on nature related risks and opportunities for the health sector. The Health Sector-Wide Approach (SWAp) was analysed to highlight the Task Force’s focus on the health sector. Finally, a due diligence of the TNFD’s stakeholders and partners was carried out to ascertain the interest and participation of health sector actors in the TNFD. Results have shown that Nature risks were important for the sector and that the TNFD was giving more importance to the sector in terms of priority. On the contrary, the health sector does not show an improved interest in this new taskforce. There is a need for more research in the implementation of Nature-financial metrics for disclosures. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Linking the Condition of Ecosystem Services with Public Health)

11 pages, 923 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Why Is the Australian Health Sector So Far behind in Practising Climate-Related Disclosures?

by Tom Deweerdt

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(19), 12822; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191912822 - 6 Oct 2022

Viewed by 1661

Abstract

The health sector in Australia and the ASX100 is lagging far behind in the implementation of carbon management and climate risk analysis. This case study highlights the low quantity and quality of the sector compared to its market weight. The analysis of CDP disclosures for Australian healthcare companies shows this delay and a general lack of interest in the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures’ (TCFD) recommendations. Yet, the physical and transitory risks for these companies do exist. The reasons for this inaction represent a knowledge gap in the literature, but several hypotheses are formulated, such as the lack of pressure from public authorities. At the level of the ten largest healthcare companies in the world, this failure to act is not systemic, so the scope of analysis must be broadened to see a pattern emerging. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Linking the Condition of Ecosystem Services with Public Health)

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23 pages, 5564 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Assessing the Impact of Marine Tourism and Protection on Cultural Ecosystem Services Using Integrated Approach: A Case Study of Gili Matra Islands

by Urai Ridho A. M. F. Banarsyadhimi, Paul Dargusch and Fery Kurniawan

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(19), 12078; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191912078 - 24 Sep 2022

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2478

Abstract

Cultural ecosystem services (CES) are intangible benefits people obtain from an ecosystem through physical and cognitive interactions. Understanding CES provides vital insights into how activities impacting ecosystem services also impact people. Gili Matra Islands, a set of three small tropical islands located in West Nusa Tenggara Province, Indonesia, are an increasingly busy marine tourism destination and a marine protected area. By integrating a hedonic monetary value model with a eudaemonic non-monetary value model, this study examines the impacts of tourism and marine protected area management on cultural ecosystem services in the Gili Matra Islands. Results showed that the distance had significantly influenced property prices to coastlines, beach spots and coastlines with sunset views. In addition, the property prices of each individual island showed significant correlations with particular marine tourism and protection features. Less restricted marine protected zones and coastlines were the most significantly influencing variables to the strong eudaemonic well-being dimensions expressed by residents. The Spiritual dimension produced the highest score and was most significantly affected by several features. This study utilised higher accuracy of properties and residents’ location, enabling more accurate assessments of interaction between CES and the features. This study also discusses how these novel insights in the small island’s CES case can inform vulnerability assessments, reviews of recreation taxes, and spatial planning for marine protected areas and help optimise beach nourishments. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Linking the Condition of Ecosystem Services with Public Health)

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20 pages, 4788 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Identifying the Spatial Imbalance in the Supply and Demand of Cultural Ecosystem Services

by Qinqin Shi, Hai Chen, Di Liu, Tianwei Geng and Hang Zhang

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(11), 6661; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19116661 - 30 May 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2256

Abstract

Cultural ecosystem services (CESs) are an important part of ecosystem services (ESs). Correctly understanding the supply and demand relationship of CES is the premise of ES sustainable management and helps to improve human well-being. However, the evaluation and mapping of CES supply and demand represents a significant gap in ES research. Using the Shigou Township of Mizhi County in China as an example, in this study, we evaluated CES supply and demand at the village scale. We first considered three aspects of supply potential, accessibility and quality to construct an indicator system of six types of CES supply, including aesthetic (Aest), sense of place (SP), social relations (SR), cultural heritage (Cult), education (Edu) and recreation (Recr) and obtained demand data through a questionnaire. Then, we identified the imbalance in the supply and demand of CES by Z-score standardization based on the quantification of the CES supply and demand. Secondly, bivariate spatial autocorrelation analysis was used to identify tradeoffs/synergies on the CES supply side, and chi-square tests were used to identify CES demand differences between stakeholder groups. The results indicated that the supply–demand patterns of CES presented evident spatial differences. The low-supply–high-demand patterns of Aest, SR and Recr accounted for the largest proportions, with values of 33.33%, 33.33% and 30.95%, respectively. The low-supply–low-demand patterns of SP and Cult accounted for the largest proportions, with values of 30.95% and 38.10%, respectively. The low-supply–low-demand pattern of Edu accounted for the smallest proportion (21.43%) and was mainly located in the south of Shigou Township. The southwest, northeast and central areas of Shigou Township were the key regions of tradeoffs/synergies of CES supply. There were significant differences in CES demand for SR, Cult and Edu among stakeholder groups. The results could contribute to optimizing regional ecosystem management and provide effective information for improving the imbalance between the supply and demand of CES. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Linking the Condition of Ecosystem Services with Public Health)

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17 pages, 1408 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Food Systems Development: The Necessary Paradigm Shift for a Healthy and Sustainable Agrarian Transition, a Case Study from Bougainville, Papua New Guinea

by Genia Hill, Rachel Friedman and Paul Dargusch

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(8), 4651; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19084651 - 12 Apr 2022

Viewed by 1803

Abstract

Classical agricultural development paradigms prioritise basic requirements such as agronomic, caloric and economic needs for the target environment and for beneficiaries. As challenges associated with climate change, globalisation, and population growth compound and amplify one another, project scope must be broadened to take a holistic food systems approach that includes sociocultural and historical contexts, as well as climate impacts as underpinning project design. In this paper, we illustrate the importance of adopting a food systems development paradigm rather than a classical agricultural development paradigm through a case study in Bougainville, Papua New Guinea. The case uses Rich Picturing, targeted and focus-group interviews, and garden visits in remote Bougainville; it provides a poignant illustration of the importance of this more holistic perspective given the historical inefficacy of food systems development, as well as Papua New Guinea’s exposure to a plethora of compounding environmental, social, economic, and political stresses and shocks that demonstrate the important linkages between ecosystem services and health. The study aims to demonstrate how including localised gender dynamics, climate vulnerability, rapidly morphing social norms, and climate analogue environments is critical in building food systems resilience and is key to designing policies, programs, and development projects that more effectively address environmental, sociocultural, and health considerations. Building on the inadequacies in agricultural development efforts previously documented for Papua New Guinea, we propose an improved framing for food systems development and identify areas for future research. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Linking the Condition of Ecosystem Services with Public Health)

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Review

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21 pages, 3263 KiB

Open AccessReview

Assessment of Stakeholder’s Perceptions of the Value of Coral Reef Ecosystem Services: The Case of Gili Matra Marine Tourism Park

by Ratu Fathia Rahmadyani, Paul Dargusch and Luky Adrianto

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(1), 89; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20010089 - 21 Dec 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2178

Abstract

Ecosystem services is a concept broadly applicable to describe environmental interrelations with human activities. It serves as a practical instrument for assessing the success of resource management in natural reserves, with the goals of maximising conservation effort and achieving sustainable use. The Gili Matra Marine Tourism Park (GMMTP) has been extensively researched as a marine protected area centred on anthropocentric activities of marine-based tourism. However, there still a lack of research to address the full scope of ecosystem services derived from the coral reef ecosystem. From an ecosystem services viewpoint, the study’s objectives were to define the services obtained from the GMMTP’s coral reef ecosystem, relevant stakeholders, and how their utilisation activities were posed as drivers of changes that reflect the flow of services and the possible implications of these. Marine tourism, capture fisheries, and land-based activities were identified as services impacting upon the regulating and supporting services, with the resultant compounding externalities potentially degrading the services’ utilisation value. Although there have been certain changes in community behaviour that may reduce the intensity of the impacts, the present prediction of service flow still confirms the previous statement. The results provided insight into current resources management implications on the state of ecosystem services. Overall, failing to recognise the causes that drives the interaction of these ecosystem services will increase the risk of incurring unexpected trade-offs, restricting the potential for resources’ synergies, and eventually causing drastic and irreversible changes in the provision of coral reef ecosystem services in the GMMTP. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Linking the Condition of Ecosystem Services with Public Health)

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