OUR ENVIRONMENT IS CHANGING • IT’S AFFECTING OUR HEALTH
Safeguarding human health on a rapidly changing planet.
Planetary Health is a solutions-oriented, transdisciplinary field and social movement focused on analyzing and addressing the impacts of human disruptions to Earth’s natural systems on human health and all life on Earth.
First articulated in the 2015 report of the Rockefeller Foundation-Lancet Commission, Planetary Health focuses on the ways that human-caused disruptions to the Earth system affect human health. Given the complex interactions between human activity, environmental changes, and the many dimensions of human health, we will need all of society—earth scientists, health professionals, economists, journalists, businesspeople, policymakers, philanthropists, and all of us—to drive solutions.
There is no doubt that our global environment is changing–from the hottest years on record, to the worldwide disappearance of pollinators, to the global collapse of fisheries, and to our use of about half of the planet’s livable surface to feed ourselves.
We are living in a period of unprecedented human influence on Earth’s natural systems. While the term “Anthropocene” remains debated in geological circles, there is no question that human activities have become the dominant force shaping our planet’s biophysical conditions. As the average global citizen’s health has improved over the past century, the stability of our planet’s life support systems has deteriorated dramatically—threatening to reverse decades of progress in human health and development.
It is climate change and it is everything change! We are facing a destabilized climate system alongside the sixth mass extinction of life on Earth; widespread pollution of air, water, and soil; shrinking supplies of arable land and freshwater; pervasive changes in land use and cover; and the degradation of marine systems.
These anthropogenic environmental changes are affecting the very foundations of our well-being: the air we breathe, the water we drink, the quality and quantity of food we produce, our exposure to infectious diseases, and even the habitability of our communities. Changes to Earth’s natural life support systems are already impacting our health and are expected to account for the majority of the global burden of disease in the coming century. These ecological determinants of health disproportionately affect today’s most vulnerable populations, such as those experiencing poverty, people with disabilities, marginalized and oppressed communities, and Indigenous Peoples. Planetary Health recognizes these trends and seeks to create a livable future in which future generations can thrive.
Everything is connected—changing our planet’s natural systems comes back to affect us, and not always in the ways that we expect. Understanding and acting upon these complex systems calls for massive collaboration across disciplinary and national boundaries to safeguard our health.
This image highlights the concept of ecological determinants of health, depicting how environmental changes (shown in the outer globe) affect human health.
We believe that the global community can–and must–come together to drive transformational change.
Read about the sectors that affect the ecological determinants of health and about the roadmap and interventions that can help us collectively achieve Planetary Health.
Never before has humanity’s footprint on Earth’s natural systems been so large. We are outstripping available resources from the only habitable planet we know. Since 1950, the human population has increased by nearly 225%; fossil fuel consumption by over 596%; and marine fish capture by over 362%. We’ve cleared one-third of global forests, we’ve placed dams on the majority of large rivers worldwide, we waste about 30-40% of all food produced, and we appropriate about 40% of the planet’s livable surface to feed ourselves.
Our environment is changing. Atmospheric carbon dioxide levels are rising at a record pace, with the current levels having increased by about six-fold since the 1950s. 2024 was Earth’s warmest year on record, and 2023 was the warmest one for oceans, which have also become 30% more acidic since the Industrial Revolution. Pollinators, which are needed for plants and crops to grow, are disappearing worldwide. Biodiversity is declining at an alarming rate, with monitored wildlife populations decreasing by an estimated 73% over just 50 years.
And it’s affecting our health. Climate change, biodiversity loss, deforestation, and other factors affect where, when, and how intensely infectious diseases emerge. Increased drought, declining pollinators, and extreme storms make it harder to grow food, and some crops are also becoming less nutritious because of atmospheric changes, making people more susceptible to malnutrition and disease. Air pollution, whether from industrial emissions, vehicular exhaust, or smoke from fires clearing forests for agricultural use, can lead to cardiorespiratory illnesses and other diseases. Hurricanes and other extreme weather events put people’s lives at risk. And witnessing the degradation of our world—not to mention the increasing frequency of disasters—can have severe consequences for our mental health.
Planetary Health AllianceIn complex, interconnected systems, what we do to the world comes back to affect us, and not always in the ways that we expect. Understanding and acting upon these challenges calls for massive collaboration across disciplinary and national boundaries to safeguard our health.
We encourage you to present Planetary Health to your communities!
Planetary Health Frameworks
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Planetary Health Frameworks
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Planetary Health Frameworks
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