Wetlands and Human Health (Wetlands: Ecology, Conservation and Management Book 5)

"The book addresses the interactions between wetlands and human health and well-being. A key feature is the linking of ecology-health and the targeting of practitioners and researchers. The environmental health problems of the 21st Century cannot be addressed by the traditional tools of ecologists or epidemiologists working in their respective disciplinary silos; this is clear from the emergence and re-emergence of public health and human well-being problems such as cholera pandemics, mosquito borne disease, and episodic events and disasters (e.g. hurricanes). To tackle these problems requires genuine cross-disciplinary collaboration; a key finding of the recently concluded Millennium Ecosystem Assessment when looking at human well-being and ecosystem health. This book brings the disciplines of ecology and health sciences closer to such a synthesis for researchers, teachers and policy makers interested in or needing information to manage wetlands and human health and well-being issues."--Provided by publisher Foreword 6 Preface 8 Contents 10 Contributors 12 Wetlands as Settings for Human Health—the Benefits and the Paradox 14 Introduction 15 The Human-Wetland Nexus 16 Wetlands as Settings for Human Health 19 References 24 Public Health Perspectives on Water Systems and Ecology 27 Introduction 27 Water Systems From a Public Health Perspective 31 Principles of Health Risk Assessment 34 Principles of Epidemiology in Relation to Water-Borne Exposures 36 Principles of Disease Surveillance in Relation to Water-Borne Exposures 38 Wetlands as Settings for Human Health 39 References 40 Wetlands and People’s Wellbeing: Basic Needs, Food Security and Medicinal Properties 43 Introduction 43 Food Security 46 Water Supplies 47 Shelter 48 Subsistence Income 48 Traditional Medicines and New Natural Products 49 Traditional Medicines 50 New Natural Products 52 Conclusion 53 References 53 Wetlands as Sites of Exposure to Water-Borne Infectious Diseases 57 Human Exposure to Wetlands 57 Infectious Diseases in Wetlands 59 Diseases Transmitted via the Faecal-Oral Route 59 Diseases Transmitted via Skin or Mucous Membrane Contact 63 Environmental and Anthropogenic Drivers of Infectious Disease Transmission in Wetlands 63 Climate 66 Human Activities 71 Biodiversity Loss 78 Wetland Degradation and Vulnerability: A Vicious Cycle 80 The Future of Infectious Disease Dynamics in Wetlands 80 Reducing Infectious Diseases in Wetlands 81 Conclusion 82 References 83 Ecosystem Approaches to Human Exposures to Pollutants and Toxicants in Wetlands: Examples, Dilemmas and Alternatives 87 Introduction 87 Soil or Water-Borne Organic or Inorganic Chemicals 89 Metals 89 Nutrients 91 The Case of Disinfection By-Products (DBP’s) 93 Soil or Water-Borne Microbial Toxins 95 Atmospheric Particles or Chemicals 95 Conclusions 97 Appendix 98 References 103 Healthy Wetlands, Healthy People: Mosquito Borne Disease 107 Introduction 108 Wetlands and Mosquitoes 109 Lifecycle 109 Wetlands and Mosquito-Borne Disease 112 Regulation of Mosquitoes in Wetlands 115 Negative Health Effects of Wetland Disruption 116 Biodiversity Loss, Vector and Host Communities, and Disease Proliferation 116 Case Study: Dryland Salinity and the Ecology of RRV in Western Australia 118 Case Study: Climate, Wetlands and Health 119 Positive Effects of Healthy Wetlands 122 Healthy Wetlands and Ecological Control of Vectors 122 Case Study: Macrophytes, Aquatic Fauna, Wetlands and RRV in Brisbane, Queensland 122 Case study: Wetlands, Avian Communities and the Ecology of WNV 124 Synthesis and Conclusions 126 References 127 Wetlands, Livelihoods and Human Health 134 Introduction 134 The Concepts: Ecosystem Services, Livelihoods and Health 137 Wetland Contributions to Human Capital 141 Water Supply 141 Wild Food 142 Agriculture 144 Medicine 145 Disaster Risk Reduction 146 Psychological Wellbeing 148 Wetland Contributions to Financial Capital 148 Wetland Contributions to Physical Capital 150 Wetland Contributions to Social Capital 151 Cultural Heritage 151 Institutions 151 Wetlands and Poverty 153 Conclusion 156 References 156 Wetlands and Health: How do Urban Wetlands Contribute to Community Well-being? 160 Introduction—Wetlands as Healthy Places 160 Landscape Appearance and Preference 162 Visitor Impacts 163 Cultural Ecosystem Services and Human Health 164 Places for Recreation and Social Activity 166 Engendering a Sense of Place and Cultural Connection 167 Engaging People in Conservation Activities 168 The Swan Canning Riverpark: River Health and Community Benefits 169 The Swan Canning Riverpark 169 Assessment of Ecological Health and Community Benefit 170 Useability Index for the Swan Canning Riverpark 173 Conclusion 176 References 176 Natural Disasters, Health and Wetlands: A Pacific Small Island Developing State Perspective 179 Introduction 180 Impacts on Water Provisioning 182 Impacts on Transmission of Infectious Disease 184 Impacts on Food Provisioning and Livelihoods 187 Impacts as Sites of Physical Hazards 190 Impacts on Psychosocial Well-Being 191 Managing Wetlands for Disaster Risk Reduction and Public Health 193 Opportunities and Examples of Good Practice at Regional, National and Local Levels 193 Conclusions and Further Research Needs 195 References 196 Interventions Required to Enhance Wetlands as Settings for Human Well-Being 202 Introduction 203 Changing Attitudes and Perspectives 204 Thinking About Trade-Offs 206 Contributions to the Millennium Development Goals 207 Deliberation in Managing Trade-Offs 211 Engaging with Other Sectors 212 Policy Level Responses and Interventions 213 Institutions and Governance 214 Economics and Incentives 215 Social and Behavioural Approaches 219 Technological and Other Cognitive Responses 220 Evaluating Wetland Management Interventions on the Basis of Health and Well-Being Outcomes 220 Success Factors and Stumbling Blocks in Policy Reforms 223 Wetland-Based Interventions—The Role of the Wetland Managers 224 Conclusions 230 References 231 Human Health and the Wise Use of Wetlands—Guidance in an International Policy Setting 235 Introduction 236 Healthy Wetlands and Healthy People 238 Wise Use of Wetlands 239 Key Issues for Human Health and the Wise Use of Wetlands 242 Embedding Human Health in Guidance for Wetland Management 243 References 257 A Synthesis: Wetlands as Settingsfor Human Health 259 Introduction 260 Locating Human Health in the Context of Wetlands 261 Linkages Between Human Health and Wetlands 261 Public Health Perspectives 262 Basic Needs, Food Security and Medicinal Properties 262 Sites of Exposure to Water-Borne Infectious Diseases 263 Human Exposures to Pollutants and Toxicants in Wetlands 264 Mosquito Borne Disease 264 Livelihoods and Human Health 265 Urban Wetlands and Community Well-being 266 Natural Disasters, Health and Wetland 266 International Guidance for Wise Use of Wetlands 267 Interventions for Enhancing Human Well-Being 268 Healthy Wetlands: On Settings and Services 269 References 270 The book addresses the complex interactions that occur between wetlands and the health and well-being of people. As wetlands provide many valuable ecosystem services and are amongst the most degraded ecosystems globally, further degradation could greatly affect the wellbeing and health of people dependent on them. Healthy wetlands are generally associated with enhanced ecosystem services and improved outcomes for human health, and unhealthy wetlands with degraded ecosystem services and poor outcomes for human health. However, the relationships can also be paradoxical with some direct benefits for human health leading to the loss of other ecosystem services, in particular regulating and supporting services, and the enhancement of others, leading to poor outcomes for human health. This results in a health paradox whereby there is a loss regulating and supporting services from steps to enhance human health. A wetland paradox also occurs when there are poor outcomes for human health as a consequence of the maintenance or enhancement of ecosystem services. In response a framework for the conceptualization of human and wetland relationships, including the paradoxical situations has been provided based on the concept of wetlands as settings for human health. This enables the trade-offs that have and will occur between wetland ecosystem services and human health to be addressed. Interventions for managing wetlands can have important implications for human health and well-being, although these may not always be recognized. While the Ramsar Convention has provided an international forum for addressing the wise use of wetlands and providing guidance for managers it has only recently considered the human health implications of wetland management. Through the policy setting provided by the Convention a set of health-related activities have been identified and in this paper mapped against the wise use guidance previously provided. ℗l Tackling these problems requires genuine cross-disciplinary collaboration; a key finding of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment that considered the links between human well-being and ecosystem health. This book brings the disciplines of ecology and health sciences closer to provide a synthesis for researchers, teachers and policy makers interested in or needing information to manage wetlands and human health and well-being issues The book addresses the complex interactions that occur between wetlands and the health and well-being of people. As wetlands provide many valuable ecosystem services and are amongst the most degraded ecosystems globally, further degradation could greatly affect the wellbeing and health of people dependent on them. Healthy wetlands are generally associated with enhanced ecosystem services and improved outcomes for human health, and unhealthy wetlands with degraded ecosystem services and poor outcomes for human health. However, the relationships can also be paradoxical with some direct benefits for human health leading to the loss of other ecosystem services, in particular regulating and supporting services, and the enhancement of others, leading to poor outcomes for human health. This results in a health paradox whereby there is a loss regulating and supporting services from steps to enhance human health. A wetland paradox also occurs when there are poor outcomes for human health as a consequence of the maintenance or enhancement of ecosystem services. In response a framework for the conceptualisation of human and wetland relationships, including the paradoxical situations has been provided based on the concept of wetlands as settings for human health. This enables the trade-offs that have and will occur between wetland ecosystem services and human health to be addressed. Interventions for managing wetlands can have important implications for human health and well-being, although these may not always be recognised. While the Ramsar Convention has provided an international forum for addressing the wise use of wetlands and providing guidance for managers it has only recently considered the human health implications of wetland management. Through the policy setting provided by the Convention a set of health-related activities have been identified and in this paper mapped against the wise use guidance previously provided. Tackling these problems requires genuine cross-disciplinary collaboration; a key finding of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment that considered the links between human well-being and ecosystem health. This book brings the disciplines of ecology and health sciences closer to provide a synthesis for researchers, teachers and policy makers interested in or needing information to manage wetlands and human health and well-being issues Front Matter....Pages i-xii Wetlands as Settings for Human Health—the Benefits and the Paradox....Pages 1-13 Public Health Perspectives on Water Systems and Ecology....Pages 15-30 Wetlands and People’s Wellbeing: Basic Needs, Food Security and Medicinal Properties....Pages 31-44 Wetlands as Sites of Exposure to Water-Borne Infectious Diseases....Pages 45-74 Ecosystem Approaches to Human Exposures to Pollutants and Toxicants in Wetlands: Examples, Dilemmas and Alternatives....Pages 75-94 Healthy Wetlands, Healthy People: Mosquito Borne Disease....Pages 95-121 Wetlands, Livelihoods and Human Health....Pages 123-148 Wetlands and Health: How do Urban Wetlands Contribute to Community Wellbeing?....Pages 149-167 Natural Disasters, Health and Wetlands: A Pacific Small Island Developing State Perspective....Pages 169-191 Interventions Required to Enhance Wetlands as Settings for Human Well-Being....Pages 193-225 Human Health and the Wise Use of Wetlands—Guidance in an International Policy Setting....Pages 227-250 A Synthesis: Wetlands as Settings for Human Health....Pages 251-263