Breaking the silos for planetary health : a road-map for a resilient post-pandemic world

This book translates the latest theoretical perspectives on the emerging field of Planetary Health Studies into the practical reality of global political decision makers. It builds on the scientific data on the impacts of environmental change on human health to propose practical methods for operationalizing planetary health. The book maps opportunities for decision makers to break institutional silos and engage with bottom-up approaches that can transform planetary health from a global idea into a local reality. The analysis frames human health in the Anthropocene, an era in which humans have become the most powerful force affecting global ecosystems, and reveals new existential risks for humankind. Departing from ongoing multilateral efforts to promote sustainability, the author's analysis places the agenda of planetary health on the desk of political decision makers, still underrepresented at planetary health gatherings. Given the pressing need to implement sustainable development policies, the book presents planetary health as an overarching framework for global policy targets, notably the UN Sustainable Development Goals, the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, and the post-2020 biodiversity framework under the UN Convention on Biological Diversity. The book is timely in offering a concrete road map for practitioners and researchers interested in transforming the concept of planetary health into reality. With a collection of success stories, the analysis dwells on tools for community engagement, opportunities for health professionals training, gender empowerment, digital health, and innovative ways to enhance human well-being on a changing planet. Dr. Nicole de Paula is the inaugural Klaus Töpfer Sustainability Fellow at the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS) in Germany and Founder of the Women Leaders for Planetary Health. Originally from Brazil, she holds a Ph.D. in International Relations from Sciences Po Paris. Preface Acknowledgments Contents 1 Introduction COVID-19: The Urgency of Action for Planetary Health Planetary Health: Addressing the Paradoxes of Our Success The “pandemic Era” Re-Imagining Global Leadership and Cooperation for a Healthy and Just Recovery The Scope of This Book References 2 Re-imagining Human Health in the Anthropocene Understanding the Anthropocene The Call to Live Within Planetary Boundaries Science Urges Policymakers to Promote a New Development Paradigm Planetary Health as a Development Compass for the Twenty-First Century The Genealogy of an Idea in the Context of the Environmental Movement The Lancet-Rockefeller Commission Complementary Approaches to Planetary Health and the Imperative of Transdisciplinarity References 3 Connecting the Dots...How the Current Planetary Emergency Affects Our Health and Well-Being The Climate, Biodiversity, and Pollution Crises: Bad News for Human Health Troublesome Food Systems and Non-Communicable Diseases New Emerging Infectious Diseases Antimicrobial Resistance and the Paradoxes of Development Wildfires, Heatwaves, Allergies, Green Spaces, and Mental Health References 4 Breaking Out of Mental and Institutional Silos for Positive Transformation We Don’t Have Time: Planetary Health in the Era of the Sustainable Development Goals Institutions, Ideas, and Interests—How Power Plays a Role in Policymaking Leveraging Bottom-up Transformations: Insights from Practice Theory The Role of Culture The Influence of the Health Sector The Role of Young People in Driving Change Future Research: Planetary Health in the Real World References 5 The Corridors of Power as a Stress Test for Planetary Health The Tensions of the Post-pandemic International Order Coping with the EU (Dis)union US Exceptionalism on Steroids Power Contesters, Post-truth, and Polarization Going Virtual: The Dismantlement of Power Structures at the Multilateral Level? Crises as Vital Ingredients of Change References 6 Tackling Inequalities to Unleash the Full Potential of Planetary Health Gender Equity Accelerates Planetary Health Solutions Knowledge for Action: Planetary Health in Practice Opportunities for the Private Sector in the Context of Digitalization References 7 Epilogue: Be the Change! Planetary Health as a Social Movement The Way Forward References References Index This book translates the latest theoretical perspectives on the emerging field of Planetary Health Studies into the practical reality of global political decision makers. It builds on the scientific data on the impacts of environmental change on human health to propose practical methods for operationalizing planetary health. The book maps opportunities for decision makers to break institutional silos and engage with bottom-up approaches that can transform planetary health from a global idea into a local reality. The analysis frames human health in the Anthropocene, an era in which humans have become the most powerful force affecting global ecosystems, and reveals new existential risks for humankind. Departing from ongoing multilateral efforts to promote sustainability, the author's analysis places the agenda of planetary health on the desk of political decision makers, still underrepresented at planetary health gatherings. Given the pressing need to implement sustainable development policies, the book presents planetary health as an overarching framework for global policy targets, notably the UN Sustainable Development Goals, the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, and the post-2020 biodiversity framework under the UN Convention on Biological Diversity. The book is timely in offering a concrete road map for practitioners and researchers interested in transforming the concept of planetary health into reality. With a collection of success stories, the analysis dwells on tools for community engagement, opportunities for health professionals training, gender empowerment, digital health, and innovative ways to enhance human well-being on a changing planet. Dr. Nicole de Paula is the inaugural Klaus Töpfer Sustainability Fellow at the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS) in Germany and Founder of the Women Leaders for Planetary Health. Originally from Brazil, she holds a Ph.D. in International Relations from Sciences Po Paris. This book translates the latest theoretical perspectives on the emerging field of Planetary Health Studies into the practical reality of global political decision makers. It builds on the scientific data on the impacts of environmental change on human health to propose practical methods for operationalizing planetary health. The book maps opportunities for decision makers to break institutional silos and engage with bottom-up approaches that can transform planetary health from a global idea into a local reality. The analysis frames human health in the Anthropocene, an era in which humans have become the most powerful force affecting global ecosystems, and reveals new existential risks for humankind. Departing from ongoing multilateral efforts to promote sustainability, the authors analysis places the agenda of planetary health on the desk of political decision makers, still underrepresented at planetary health gatherings. Given the pressing need to implement sustainable development policies, the book presents planetary health as an overarching framework for global policy targets, notably the UN Sustainable Development Goals, the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, and the post-2020 biodiversity framework under the UN Convention on Biological Diversity. The book is timely in offering a concrete road map for practitioners and researchers interested in transforming the concept of planetary health into reality. With a collection of success stories, the analysis dwells on tools for community engagement, opportunities for health professionals training, gender empowerment, digital health, and innovative ways to enhance human well-being on a changing planet. Dr. Nicole de Paula is the inaugural Klaus Topfer Sustainability Fellow at the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS) in Germany and Founder of the Women Leaders for Planetary Health. Originally from Brazil, she holds a Ph. D. in International Relations from Sciences Po Paris