Planetary Health

Full course description

Human populations are healthier than ever before, but to achieve this we have exploited the planet at an unprecedented rate. On our current trajectory, we will put even more pressure on the Earth’s natural systems. The so-called Great Acceleration of human activities and associated environmental impacts has significantly changed our natural systems and the human relationship with these systems. We are faced not only with climate change, but also with declining biodiversity, shortages of arable land and freshwater, pollution, and changing biogeochemical flows. We are dramatically affecting our global food production system, the quality of the air we breathe and of the water we drink, our exposure to infectious diseases, and even the habitability of the places where we live. There is increasing evidence of the diverse impacts of global environmental changes that are affecting global health on a large scale. Climate change, for example, has been referred to as "the biggest global health threat of the 21st century". These changes in our global environmental systems pose significant challenges in view of sustainable development. They profoundly affect the earth’s life-support systems and raise fundamental questions how human beings (of: humans) relate to their natural environment and to other species. Hence, from a sustainable development perspective we need to meet the needs of the present, while safeguarding Earth’s life- support system on which the health and wellbeing of current and future generations depends. By the end of this course, you will be able to deconstruct the concept of planetary health, reflect on the central role of planetary health in the sustainable development debate, and assess some of the key methodological challenges (incl. interdisciplinary cooperation) in the field. This course is of key relevance to the Earth system concentration; it is essential to further your understanding of how humans interact with and depend on the Earth System.