Climate Change Land Use and Land Cover Change
The Microflora Danica atlas of Danish environmental microbiomes. Nature.
• Research & Reports
WHAT IS PLANETARY HEALTH?
Land Use and Land Cover Change
The conversion of natural habitat to land used for agriculture and industry is occurring rapidly on a global scale, with dire consequences for the structure and function of ecosystems.
Demographic shifts and increased demand for food, animal products, biofuel, and even cosmetics continue to drive the destruction of ecosystems and their services. This extractive activity leads to negative environmental and human health impacts including:
90% Tropical deforestation driven by agriculture, according to the World Wildlife Fund's 2024 Living Planet Report
- Substantial reduction of biological diversity
- Increased local air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions from land clearing by burning, which is particularly problematic in tropical and subtropical regions where oil palm cultivation is rapidly increasing
- Soil degradation, which reduces soil ecosystem services such as carbon storage, and increases the risk of desertification
- Nitrogen and phosphorus deposition from agricultural field runoff
- Decreased water quality and quantity
- Increased exposure to water-borne, zoonotic, and vector-borne diseases
The complex interactions between changes in land use, land cover, ecosystem services, and the attendant impacts on human health require longitudinal study across geographic regions in addition to urgent action to re-wild and restore many of the planet’s natural habitats.
Land Use and Land Cover Change Resources
Chemical Pollution Land Use and Land Cover Change
Integrating soil- and agro-ecosystem models into life cycle assessments of sustainable management of agricultural residues: a review in the context of Sustainable Development Goals and planetary boundaries. The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment.
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Land Use and Land Cover Change Built Environment and Urbanization
Quantitative health impact assessment of environmental exposures linked to urban transport and land use in Europe: State of research and research agenda. Current Environmental Health Reports.
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Infectious Diseases Land Use and Land Cover Change
Adaptive ecosystem restoration to mitigate zoonotic risks. Nature Ecology & Evolution.
Infectious diseases pose a substantial threat to global health security. Key wildlife species, potentially harbouring numerous zoonotic pathogens, are increasingly being forced to adapt to disturbances from land-use change, human encroachment, and climate change.
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Nutritional Diseases Biodiversity Loss
Key tropical crops at risk from pollinator loss due to climate change and land use. Science Advances.
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News Related to Land Use and Land Cover Change
Cultural Performance as Ecological Healing in Kenya
