We are aware of the complex strands that bind us to our environment. We have already started noticing the difference in our health and how it is related to what we do to our environment. However, a point to consider is that if a bad environment can cause harm to human health, a good environment can actually nurture it.
Unhealthy Environment Unhealthy Life
A report jointly published by the United Nations Environment Programme, the WHO, the Montreal Protocol on substances that deplete the ozone layer, the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Stockholm, Rotterdam and Basel conventions states that in the year 2012 alone, approximately 12.6 million people lost their lives due to conditions brought on by environmental pollution. UNEP also estimates that environmental degradation is behind 25 percent of all human diseases.
Environmental Pollution Impact
While environmental pollution may have an impact on everyone, research has shown that there are certain demographics that are more vulnerable to its effects – the young, the poor, women, the migrant workers and the elderly. In addition, diseases such as Ebola, Zika and SARS are emerging every few months and spreading because of overpopulation, too much livestock and the resultant environmental impact.
In order to stop the spread of these diseases, healthy ecosystems are essential. While tackling these diseases, such ecosystems can also bring about economic development, reduction of poverty, fewer risks to human well-being and the security of knowing that resources will not run out.
Mental Health
Increasingly, studies conducted on mental health are relating good mental health with exposure to nature. These studies have linked reduction of the symptoms of anxiety and depression and lowered stress levels to the presence of green space close by. In fact, people who moved to urban areas that are greener were seen to have improved mental health.
Water Contamination Impact
This is another example of environmental pollution affecting those in the lower economic strata. In countries where the income levels are middle to low, unavailability of clean water is responsible for 58 percent of the diarrhoea cases. Contaminated water and poor hygiene and sanitation are responsible for the deaths of around 3.5 million people. They also cause the premature deaths of around 25 percent of children younger than 14 years of age.
Approach to Resolution
There are several areas of immediate concern, based on the connection between poor human health and environmental degradation. Some of them are:
Ecosystems that have degraded and natural systems on earth that are under pressure, which are more likely to cause disasters such as disease outbreaks, scarcity of food and natural disasters.
Insufficient sanitation, poor hygiene and unsafe water that are the causes of deadly diseases, poor mental health and even hit economic productivity badly.
Poor nutrition combined with dropping levels of physical activity, leading to the spread of non-communicable diseases.
Conclusion
Directly or indirectly, a healthy environment means healthy people. This is not to say that disease and malnutrition will be eliminated entirely but the incidences of these occurrences will reduce and millions of human l
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ives will not be lost every year.
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