WHAT IS PLANETARY HEALTH?
Increasing atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases, driven by human activity, negatively impacts global ecological systems and human health.
Human-driven emissions of carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and black carbon are primarily responsible for an unstable and changing climate, and most are produced by burning fossil fuels and altering natural habitats. Glacial melting, rising sea levels, increased global temperatures, more frequent extreme weather events, and changes in the abundance, distribution, and composition of species are all linked to the changing climate.
Globally, nearly twice as many natural disasters occurred between 2000 and 2019 and affected roughly 1 billion more people than the period spanning 1980 and 1999. Heat waves, droughts, fires, floods, tropical storms, and other extreme weather events pose both near- and long-term threats to human health and intergenerational equity. For example, particulate matter from fires reduces air quality and causes morbidity and mortality from cardiorespiratory disease; flooding leads to biological contamination of water supplies, displacement, injury, and trauma; and more intense coastal storms, combined with sea level rise and loss of coastal barrier systems (mangrove forests, vegetated dunes, coral reefs, and wetlands), generate a “triple threat” for inhabitants of low-lying coastal areas. Survivors of extreme weather events face long-term, serious physical and mental health impacts.
Climate change and ecosystem transformations are inextricably connected and often mutually exacerbated.
The field of Planetary Health uses a systems approach to connect the complexities of anthropogenic drivers of climate change to natural hazards. Understanding these relationships in terms of cause-and-effect is the first step in addressing climate change and its widespread effects on the planet’s ecosystems and well-being of its inhabitants.
We must take note of these causal relationships and advocate for living within planetary boundaries to preserve what climate stability we can for the safety of future generations and our biosphere.
Climate Change Education
The Coimbra Group of 39 European Universities met in Durham, UK, for a climate symposium to explore the role of universities as catalysts for transformative change in climate action, sustainability, and Planetary Health.
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Climate Change Equity and Justice
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Climate Change Built Environment and Urbanization
Extreme heat is one of the most urgent and deadly climate-related health threats today. People experiencing homelessness (PEH) are at particularly high risk due to prolonged outdoor exposure, limited access to resources, and pre-existing health conditions. As climate change intensifies, understanding and addressing these risks is more critical than ever. Our paper presents a rapid review of research from the past five years (2019–2024) on the health impacts of extreme heat on PEH in high-income countries. We identify key vulnerability factors, such as age, pre-existing health conditions, and geographic disparities, and explore a range of health outcomes—including heat-related morbidity and...
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Noncommunicable Diseases Climate Change
Investigates the relationship between cardiac mortality and excess temperature during heatwaves. Analyzing 2.39 million heart disease death records across China from 2013 to 2019, the study identifies varying mortality risks associated with different types of heatwaves: daytime-only, nighttime-only, and compound (both day and night). The research reveals that compound heatwaves pose the highest risk, with a significant, steady increase in heart disease mortality across the entire range of excess cumulative temperatures, unlike the other types that exhibit risk thresholds.
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Noncommunicable Diseases Climate Change
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