Ecohealth and resilience thinking : a dialog from experiences in research and practice

Resilience thinking and ecosystems approaches to health (EAH), or ecohealth, share roots in complexity science, although they have distinct foundations in ecology and population health, respectively. The current articulations of these two approaches are strongly converging, but each approach has its strengths. Resilience thinking has developed theoretical models to the study of social– ecological systems, whereas ecohealth has a vast repertoire of experience in dealing with complex health issues. With the two fields dovetailing, there is ripe opportunity to create a dialog centered on concepts that are more thoroughly developed in one field, which can then serve to advance the other. In this article, we first present an overview of the ecohealth and resilience thinking frameworks before opening a dialog centered on seven themes that have strong potential for cross-pollination between the two approaches: scale interactions, regime shifts, adaptive environmental management, social learning, participation, social and gender equity, and knowledge to action. We conclude with some future research suggestions for those interested in theoretical and practical applications at the intersection of environment and health. In particular, closer collaboration between these two fields can lead to addressing blind spots in the ecosystem services framework, complementary social-network analysis, the application of resilience heuristics to the understanding of health, and the development of a normative dimension in resilience thinking

La pratique de la transdisciplinarité dans les approches écosystémiques de la santé

Les approches écosystémiques de la santé (AÉS) reconnaissent l’interdépendance de la santé humaine et animale, de la santé des écosystèmes et de la société. Dans cet article, nous nous pencherons particulièrement sur la transdisciplinarité, l’un des six principes associés à ces approches. L’objectif général de cet article est d’explorer comment la transdisciplinarité est définie par des acteurs des AÉS, ainsi que d’identifier des avantages, des opportunités, des défis et des obstacles qu’elle favorise dans le cadre des AÉS. Des entrevues ont été menées auprès de chercheurs, de praticiens et d’étudiants ayant une expérience des AÉS et provenant de divers milieux : privé (ONG), universitaire et gouvernemental. Les résultats ont montré que la définition de la transdisciplinarité pour les répondants se présente sur un continuum entre le paradigme et l’outil de collaboration et que de façon paradoxale, mais non irréconciliable, la plupart des éléments discutés en tant que défis pour certains sont des avantages pour d’autres. Nous concluons sur l’absence de définition de la transdisciplinarité et de savoir-faire communs dans les AÉS ainsi que sur l’intérêt de poursuivre certaines pistes de réflexion concernant le partage d’une vision commune de la pratique transdisciplinaire au sein de ces approches, le développement d’outils facilitant sa pratique et la mise en place de processus d’évaluation des projets

Evolução espacial e temporal do uso da terra para agricultura familiar na região do Tapajós, Amazônia Brasileira

As pressões sobre a Floresta Amazônica Brasileira têm sido acentuadas por atividades agrícolas de muitas famílias que foram estimuladas a se estabelecer nessa região durante o Programa de Colonização do Governo Federal, na década de 1970. Os objetivos deste presente estudo foram de analisar a evolução espacial e temporal em termos de mudanças de cobertura da terra e uso da terra (CTUT) na região do baixo Tapajós, no Estado do Pará. Contrastam-se 11 bacias que são geralmente representativas do processo de colonização regional por agricultores familiares, e para tanto imagens de satélite Landsat de três diferentes anos (1986, 2001, e 2009) foram analisadas utilizando-se um Sistema de Informação Geográfica. Imagens individuais não-supervisionadas foram classificadas usando-se GRASS, e o algoritmo de classificação de Probabilidade Máxima, para todos os comprimentos de onda do espectro visível e infravermelho (1 a 5 e 7). As classes retidas para a representação do CTUT nesse estudo foram: (1) floresta primária levemente alterada; (2) floresta de sucessão; (3) terra agricultável e pastagem; e (4) solo nu. A análise e observação de tendências gerais em 11 bacias mostram que o CTUT tem mudado rapidamente. O desmatamento médio de floresta primária em todas as bacias foi estimado em mais de 30% no período de 1986 a 2009. A análise em escala local de bacias revela a complexidade do CTUT, notavelmente em relação a grandes mudanças na evolução espacial e temporal das bacias. A proximidade com a cidade de Itaituba, que se encontra em plena expansão, está relacionada com a maior taxa de desmatamento em duas bacias hidrográficas, ao passo que a abertura de estradas, como a Rodovia Transamazônica, está associada à segunda maior taxa de desmatamento em três bacias hidrográficas.Pressures on the Brazilian Amazon forest have been accentuated by agricultural activities practiced by families encouraged to settle in this region in the 1970s by the colonization program of the government. The aims of this study were to analyze the temporal and spatial evolution of land cover and land use (LCLU) in the lower Tapajós region, in the state of Pará. We contrast 11 watersheds that are generally representative of the colonization dynamics in the region. For this purpose, Landsat satellite images from three different years, 1986, 2001, and 2009, were analyzed with Geographic Information Systems. Individual images were subject to an unsupervised classification using the Maximum Likelihood Classification algorithm available on GRASS. The classes retained for the representation of LCLU in this study were: (1) slightly altered old-growth forest, (2) succession forest, (3) crop land and pasture, and (4) bare soil. The analysis and observation of general trends in eleven watersheds shows that LCLU is changing very rapidly. The average deforestation of old-growth forest in all the watersheds was estimated at more than 30% for the period of 1986 to 2009. The local-scale analysis of watersheds reveals the complexity of LCLU, notably in relation to large changes in the temporal and spatial evolution of watersheds. Proximity to the sprawling city of Itaituba is related to the highest rate of deforestation in two watersheds. The opening of roads such as the Transamazonian highway is associated to the second highest rate of deforestation in three watersheds.Centro de Desenvolvimento Sustentáve

Public health guide to field developments linking ecosystems, environments and health in the Anthropocene

The impacts of global environmental change have precipitated numerous approaches that connect the health of ecosystems, non-human organisms and humans. However, the proliferation of approaches can lead to confusion due to overlaps in terminology, ideas and foci. Recognising the need for clarity, this paper provides a guide to seven field developments in environmental public health research and practice: occupational and environmental health, political ecology of health, environmental justice, ecohealth, One Health, ecological public health, and planetary health. Field developments are defined in terms of their uniqueness from one another, are historically situated, and core texts or journals are highlighted. The paper ends by discussing some of the intersecting features across field developments, and considers opportunities created through such convergence. This field guide will be useful for those seeking to build a next generation of integrative research, policy, education and action that is equipped to respond to current health and sustainability challenges

Les approches écosystémiques de la santé dans la francophonie

Ce numéro spécial de [VertigO] – La revue électronique en science de l'environnement « Les approches écosystémiques de la santé dans la francophonie » présente différents écrits (articles, essais et billets) sur la pratique des approches écosystémiques de la santé à travers la présentation de ses défis, ses réalités et ses réalisations. Peu de publications valorisant l’apport important des francophones à ce courant ont été développées. Ce numéro spécial vise donc à offrir des publications en français qui permettront une meilleure diffusion de ces approches. Ce projet a été entrepris par la section Québec-Acadie-Atlantique de la Communauté de pratique canadienne sur les approches écosystémiques de la santé (CoPEH-Canada) en collaboration avec la Communauté de pratique Écosanté pour l’Afrique de l’Ouest et du centre (CoPES-AOC), le Groupe de recherche en épidémiologie des zoonoses et santé publique (GREZOSP) et l’École des Hautes Études en santé publique (EHESP) de Rennes