essay about healthy environment

Essay on Environment and Human Health for Students and Children

500+ words essay on environment and human health.

The environment is all that surrounds us. It can be a living or a non-living thing. It includes many forces that are physical, chemical and other natural forces. These living things live in their environment. They consistently react with it and adapt themselves according to the conditions in their environment. In the environment, there are various interactions between the animals, plants , water, soil and other living and many non-living things present in nature. Since everything is a part of this environment of something else, we use the term environment talking about various things. People in different fields use this term differently.

Importance of Environment

The environment is very important for every living being. No one can survive without the environment. It matters a lot because planet earth is the only home for human beings. It provides food, air, water and millions of other things. Humanity’s entire life-supporting system totally depends on the well-being of all the species living the earth.

We call it the biosphere. Biosphere means one global ecological system under which all living things are depending upon each other relatively. In the ecosystem or overall biosphere, there are some smaller ecosystems like the rainforests , deserts , oceans and the tundra.

An ecosystem has both living and non-living parts. It can be terrestrial or aquatic. It explains the valuing ecosystem services: towards better environmental decision making that is available through the National Academy Press. The non-living things are like soil , water, air, nutrients, and living elements are the plants, micro-organisms , animals and human beings.

A healthy ecosystem consists of all the chemical elements and nutrients that circulate in a cycle while supporting billions of species. The species helps in the process of cycling the elements when they produce any food. It also happens during their eating, going about their lives and even though their deaths. In this process creation of a variety of goods and services takes place that is very useful for human beings.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

Human Health Issues

It is very rare for children to get seriously ill without any warning. According to the symptoms of your child, you should contact your children’s pediatrician for advice on a regular basis. Time to time treatment of symptoms or usual illness can prevent your child from getting seriously affected with any disease or making that worse or turning it into an emergency.

A true emergency occurs when you believe a severe injury or any sort of illness is threatening your child or his/her life is in danger, or it might cause any permanent harm. In this scenario, one needs emergency medical treatment immediately as soon as possible. Discuss it with the doctor about what should you do in case of a true emergency.

The use of vaccines is improving the health of the children at a huge level over a very short period. Much infectious illness one is having as a child. For example, chickenpox or polio no longer affects many children in today’s time.

FAQs on Environment and Human Health

Q.1. Name some needs that are fulfilled by the environment:

Ans. There are many needs that are fulfilled by the environment. We get food, shelter, oxygen, water, sunlight, air, and many more things. The most important thing we get from the environment is food. Because we cannot survive without food.

Q.2.What should be done in the case off health illness?

Ans. Firstly, we should diagnose the problem and then go to a doctor and do proper treatment of that particular disease or illness. And then we should cure that disease according to the guidelines of the doctor.

Customize your course in 30 seconds

Which class are you in.

• Travelling Essay
• Picnic Essay
• Our Country Essay
• My Parents Essay
• Essay on Favourite Personality
• Essay on Memorable Day of My Life
• Essay on Knowledge is Power
• Essay on Gurpurab
• Essay on My Favourite Season
• Essay on Types of Sports

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Download the App

Why having a clean and healthy environment is a human right

It's a human right to live in a healthy, clean and sustainable environment. Image:  UNSPLASHAngela Benito

.chakra .wef-1c7l3mo{-webkit-transition:all 0.15s ease-out;transition:all 0.15s ease-out;cursor:pointer;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;outline:none;color:inherit;}.chakra .wef-1c7l3mo:hover,.chakra .wef-1c7l3mo[data-hover]{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;}.chakra .wef-1c7l3mo:focus,.chakra .wef-1c7l3mo[data-focus]{box-shadow:0 0 0 3px rgba(168,203,251,0.5);} Ty Greene

David sangokoya.

Listen to the article

• The WHO forecasts that climate change is expected to cause around 250,000 deaths per year between 2030 and 2050.
• After being first debated in the 1990s, the UN Human Rights Council declared that having a clean, healthy and sustainable environment is a human right.
• Leading civil society voices told us why this is so crucial to ensure a healthy environment for all.

On 8 October 2021, the UN Human Rights Council declared that having a clean, healthy and sustainable environment is a human right , with 43 votes in favor and 4 abstentions. The measure was first debated during the 1990s, and the new resolution follows decades of advocacy from various civil society groups.

The WHO forecasts that climate change is expected to cause around 250,000 deaths per year between 2030 and 2050, from factors such as malnutrition, malaria and heat stress, and that the direct costs will be between USD 2-4 billion per year by 2030. More than a quarter of the planet’s population rely on forests for their livelihood, while 1.2 billion people in tropical countries rely on nature for their basic needs.

Have you read?

Why local action is key in the fight against climate change, climate change: how wildfires are causing tree species to relocate.

Following the declaration, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, said: “Bold action is now required to ensure this resolution on the right to a healthy environment serves as a springboard to push for transformative economic, social and environmental policies that will protect people and nature.”

We asked leading civil society voices what they think is needed from government, business and civil society to take action and mobilize efforts around ensuring and protecting a clean environment for all. Here’s what they said:

We need to reframe our relationship to nature

Gopal Patel, Co-Founder & Director, Bhumi Global

A reframing of our relationship with the natural world is needed in order to ensure we can provide everyone with a clean, healthy and sustainable environment. For too long we have artificially separated ourselves from nature. We’ve placed an artificial divide between ourselves and the natural world. Our politics, economic models and modern lifestyles reflect this.

This is not natural, and as we are seeing, not healthy or sustainable for the planet or for humanity. The human species is inextricably interconnected with nature. Throughout history, and in all parts of the world, nature is a common denominator. It is the basis of our civilizations, cultures and ways of life. A return to this way of thinking needs to be the basis of any meaningful action to restore the environment, address the climate crisis, and put nature on the path to recovery.

A social dialogue is needed

Kitso Phiri, Executive Secretary, Botswana Mine Workers Union

Realization of the right to a clean and hazardous free environment requires commitment to social dialogue by tripartite partners in reconciling economic and social interests. Although the laws generally make it mandatory for businesses to remedy environmental impacts caused by their economic activities, weak government regulatory mechanism makes enforcement an onerous exercise. These challenges are even more pronounced in the case of multinational enterprises. An equally weak civil society is disabled from monitoring the level of compliance with environmental obligations and provide meaningful contributions to environmental policy formulation and management.

Therefore, states should strengthen their environmental management policies and regulations; they should build capacities of civil society and government entities; provide additional funding for training and education of social partners; establish a tripartite social dialogue forums on environmental protection, inclusive of civil society.

A game-changer for people and the planet

Monica Iyer, Human Rights Officer, Environment and Climate Change Team, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights

The Human Rights Council’s recognition that a clean, healthy and sustainable environment is a human right can be a game-changer for people and the planet.

But there is much more needed to make this right a reality for all. States must advance efforts to implement the right working hand-in-hand with civil society, businesses and other stakeholders. They must take urgent environmental action, backed by adequate finance, and support a just transition to a sustainable, human rights-based economy. Businesses should integrate environmental considerations in human rights due diligence processes, fully accounting for how the environmental effects of their activities can also affect human rights.

Those with power and access in fora where environmental policy is being developed, like COP26, should elevate the voices and leadership of affected individuals and communities, who are frequently excluded despite often having the most at stake and the best understanding of effective solutions. They should also promote and accept accountability for the harms caused by environmental damage.

The lives of women and vulnerable communities depend on clean air and clean water for all

Kahea Pacheco, Co-Director, Women’s Earth Alliance

An estimated 240 acres of natural habitat is destroyed every hour. Women and girls bear the brunt of this environmental degradation. While ~30% of humanity does not have access to safe drinking water, UNICEF acknowledges the 200 million hours that women and girls spend collecting water daily as a “colossal waste of their valuable time.” Evidence shows women's participation and decision making in management of local forests significantly improves forest conditions and conservation. And, leadership by Indigenous women, who have sustainably stewarded our natural world for generations, is crucial to preserving life without perpetuating the undue burden on already vulnerable communities.

Economic recovery and environmental action can go hand in hand

Jennifer Morris, Chief Executive Officer, The Nature Conservancy

The connection between human wellbeing and nature is indisputable. Governments, businesses and civil society must collaborate on every level to protect the ‘best’ of what is left on Earth and at sea, and improve areas of food production, energy siting, fishing and infrastructure planning. There is a clear path to funding this transformation by reducing ineffective subsidies and supply chain practices, producing new sources of funding and investing in a manner that pays dividends for nature.

In fact, we can close nearly half the biodiversity funding gap with no new funding, by reducing the flow of capital to harmful behaviors and shifting it toward activities that benefit nature. If done thoughtfully, economic recovery and environmental action can go hand in hand, leading to healthier, more prosperous lives.

This is a clarion call for public engagement and accountability

Amali Tower, Founder & Executive Director, Climate Refugees

The pandemic has made clear how shared our environment truly is, and also how unequal. Rich, high emitting countries that have benefited from the forces that created climate change are insulating themselves from those effects, in similar ways to the pandemic. This is a moral issue, but also one of justice. The most urgent changes needed are from these governments – crucially, the G20 countries – to reduce their emissions, which accounts for a staggering 80% of global emissions, and to fully transition to green economies. These countries need to grant, not loan, urgent climate adaptation finance that developing countries have long awaited so as to develop sustainably and build resiliency to the disproportionate impacts of climate change on their populations, many of whom are on the move. They also require parallel loss and damage climate finance to avert and minimize effects, and as compensation for the irreversible damage, forced migration and displacement.

Governments must also ratify and update their laws to uphold the right to a healthy environment to its full extent, including holding businesses, particularly extractive industries compliant. Environmental pollution and climate change have shown to be effective issues in empowering people to action, and climate related litigation has proven effective in Germany and the Netherlands , and in individual rights, where in France, pollution was a factor in determining a migrant’s residency rights . Civil society must seize this opportunity as a clarion call to mobilize public engagement and hold governments to account, where the greatest hope is in the resilient Global South and youth, pointing the way forward.

The right to a healthy environment offers hope to those most impacted

Katharina Rall, Senior Researcher, Environment & Human Rights, Human Rights Watch

The adoption of the resolution recognizing the right to a healthy environment could offer some hope to many communities around the world already hard-hit by environmental degradation and climate change. To make the enjoyment of the right a reality for those most impacted, governments should recognize the right at the national level and develop strong environmental protection laws and policies to safeguard the rights of at risk populations. This includes requiring businesses to comply with environmental and human rights standards, for example through mandatory climate change due diligence regulations, and ensuring broad participation in environmental decision making by civil society groups and impacted populations – including protecting environmental defenders under threat or attack.

Businesses should comply with existing laws and ensure that their operations, including their global value chains , do not negatively affect the environment or violate the rights of nearby communities, including through rigorous environmental and human rights due diligence. They should stop efforts to silence environmental advocates, for example through baseless nuisance lawsuits—known as strategic lawsuits against public participation , or SLAPPs—and align their business models with international environmental and human rights standards.

25,000+ students realised their study abroad dream with us. Take the first step today

Here’s your new year gift, one app for all your, study abroad needs, start your journey, track your progress, grow with the community and so much more.

Verification Code

An OTP has been sent to your registered mobile no. Please verify

Thanks for your comment !

Our team will review it before it's shown to our readers.

Essay on Environment: Examples & Tips

• Updated on  
• May 30, 2022

In the 21st century, the Environmental crisis is one of the biggest issues. The world has been potentially impacted by the resulting hindrance in the environmental balance, due to the rising in industrialization and urbanization. This led to several natural calamities which creates an everlasting severe impact on the environment for years. To familiarize students with the importance environment, the subject ‘Environmental Studies’ is part of the curriculum in primary, secondary as well as higher school education. To test the knowledge of the students related to Environment, a question related to the topic in the form of essay or article writing is included in the exam. This blog aims to focus on providing details to students on the way, they can draft a well-written essay on Environment.

This Blog Includes:

Overview on environment, tips on writing an effective essay, format (150 words), sample essay on environment, environment essay (100 words), essay on environment (200-250 words), environment essay (300 words), world environment day.

To begin the essay on Environment, students must know what it is all about. Biotic (plants, animals, and microorganisms) and abiotic (non-living physical factors) components in our surroundings fall under the terminology of the environment. Everything that surrounds us is a part of the environment and facilitates our existence on the planet.

Before writing an effective essay on Environment, another thing students need to ensure is to get familiarised with the structure of essay writing. The major tips which students need to keep in mind, while drafting the essay are:

• Research on the given topic thoroughly : The students must research the topic given in the essay, for example: while drafting an essay on the environment, students must mention the recent events, so to provide the reader with a view into their understanding of this concept.
• Jot down the important points: When the students research the topic, students must note down the points which need to be included in the essay.
• Quote down the important examples: Students must quote the important examples in the introductory paragraphs and the subsequent paragraphs as well.
• Revise the Essay: The student after finishing writing students must revise the content to locate any grammatical errors as well as other mistakes.

Essay on Environment: Format & Samples

Now that you are aware of the key elements of drafting an essay on Environment, take a look at the format of essay writing first:

Introduction

The student must begin the essay by, detailing an overview of the topic in a very simple way in around 30-40 words. In the introduction of the essay on Environment, the student can make it interesting by recent instances or adding questions.

Body of Content

The content after the introduction can be explained in around 80 words, on a given topic in detail. This part must contain maximum detail in this part of the Essay. For the Environment essay, students can describe ways the environment is hampered and different ways to prevent and protect it.

In the essay on Environment, students can focus on summing the essay in 30-40 words, by writing its aim, types, and purposes briefly. This section must swaddle up all the details which are explained in the body of the content.

Below is a sample of an Essay on Environment to give you an idea of the way to write one:

The natural surroundings that enable life to thrive, nurture, and destroy on our planet called earth are referred to as an environment. The natural environment is vital to the survival of life on Earth, allowing humans, animals, and other living things to thrive and evolve naturally. However, our ecosystem is being harmed as a result of certain wicked and selfish human actions. It is the most essential issue, and everyone should understand how to safeguard our environment and maintain the natural balance on this planet for life to continue to exist.

Nature provides an environment that nourishes life on the planet. The environment encompasses everything humans need to live, including water, air, sunshine, land, plants, animals, forests, and other natural resources. Our surroundings play a critical role in enabling the existence of healthy life on the planet. However, due to man-made technical advancements in the current period, our environment is deteriorating day by day. As a result, environmental contamination has risen to the top of our priority list.

Environmental pollution has a detrimental impact on our everyday lives in a variety of ways, including socially, physically, economically, emotionally, and cognitively. Contamination of the environment causes a variety of ailments that can last a person’s entire life. It is not a problem of a neighborhood or a city; it is a global issue that cannot be handled by a single person’s efforts. It has the potential to end life in a day if it is not appropriately handled. Every ordinary citizen should participate in the government’s environmental protection effort.

Between June 5 and June 16, World Environment Day is commemorated to raise awareness about the environment and to educate people about its importance. On this day, awareness initiatives are held in a variety of locations.

The environment is made up of plants, animals, birds, reptiles, insects, water bodies, fish, humans, trees, microbes, and many other things. Furthermore, they all contribute to the ecosystem.

The physical, social, and cultural environments are the three categories of environments. Besides, various scientists have defined different types and numbers of environments.

1. Do not leave rubbish in public areas. 2. Minimize the use of plastic 3. Items should be reduced, reused, and recycled. 4. Prevent water and soil contamination

Hope the blog has given you an idea of how to write an essay on the Environment. If you are planning to study abroad and want help in writing your essays, then let Leverage Edu be your helping hand. Our experts will assist you in writing an excellent SOP for your study abroad consultant application. 

Sonal is a creative, enthusiastic writer and editor who has worked extensively for the Study Abroad domain. She splits her time between shooting fun insta reels and learning new tools for content marketing. If she is missing from her desk, you can find her with a group of people cracking silly jokes or petting neighbourhood dogs.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Contact no. *

Leaving already?

8 Universities with higher ROI than IITs and IIMs

Grab this one-time opportunity to download this ebook

Connect With Us

25,000+ students realised their study abroad dream with us. take the first step today..

Resend OTP in

Need help with?

Study abroad.

UK, Canada, US & More

IELTS, GRE, GMAT & More

Scholarship, Loans & Forex

Country Preference

New Zealand

Which English test are you planning to take?

Which academic test are you planning to take.

Not Sure yet

When are you planning to take the exam?

Already booked my exam slot

Within 2 Months

Want to learn about the test

Which Degree do you wish to pursue?

When do you want to start studying abroad.

September 2024

January 2025

What is your budget to study abroad?

How would you describe this article ?

Please rate this article

We would like to hear more.

Talk to our experts

1800-120-456-456

• Environment Essay

Essay on Understanding and Nurturing Our Environment

The environment is everything that surrounds us – the air we breathe, the water we drink, the soil beneath our feet, and the diverse flora and fauna that inhabit our planet. It's not just a backdrop to our lives; it's the very essence of our existence. In this essay, we'll explore the importance of our environment, the challenges it faces, and what we can do to ensure a sustainable and thriving world for generations to come.

Our environment is a complex and interconnected web of life. Every living organism, from the tiniest microbe to the largest mammal, plays a crucial role in maintaining the balance of ecosystems. This delicate balance ensures the survival of species, including humans. For instance, bees pollinate plants, which produce the oxygen we breathe. Nature is a masterpiece that has evolved over millions of years, and we are just one small part of this intricate tapestry.

Importance of Environment  

The environment is crucial for keeping living things healthy.

It helps balance ecosystems.

The environment provides everything necessary for humans, like food, shelter, and air.

It's also a source of natural beauty that is essential for our physical and mental health.

The Threats to Our Environment:

Unfortunately, our actions have disrupted this delicate balance. The rapid industrialization, deforestation, pollution, and over-exploitation of natural resources have led to severe environmental degradation. Climate change, driven by the increase in greenhouse gas emissions, is altering weather patterns, causing extreme events like floods, droughts, and storms. The loss of biodiversity is another alarming concern – species are disappearing at an unprecedented rate due to habitat destruction and pollution.

Impact of Human Activities on the Environment

Human activities like pollution, deforestation, and waste disposal are causing environmental problems like acid rain, climate change, and global warming. The environment has living (biotic) and non-living (abiotic) components. Biotic components include plants, animals, and microorganisms, while abiotic components include things like temperature, light, and soil.

In the living environment, there are producers (like plants), consumers (like animals), and decomposers (like bacteria). Producers use sunlight to make energy, forming the base of the food web. Consumers get their energy by eating other organisms, creating a chain of energy transfer. Decomposers break down waste and dead organisms, recycling nutrients in the soil.

The non-living environment includes climatic factors (like rain and temperature) and edaphic factors (like soil and minerals). Climatic factors affect the water cycle, while edaphic factors provide nutrients and a place for organisms to grow.

The environment includes everything from the air we breathe to the ecosystems we live in. It's crucial to keep it clean for a healthy life. All components of the environment are affected by its condition, so a clean environment is essential for a healthy ecosystem.

Sustainable Practices:

Adopting sustainable practices is a key step towards mitigating environmental degradation. This includes reducing our carbon footprint by using renewable energy, practicing responsible consumption, and minimizing waste. Conservation of natural resources, such as water and forests, is essential. Supporting local and global initiatives that aim to protect the environment, like reforestation projects and wildlife conservation efforts, can make a significant impact.

Education and Awareness:

Creating a sustainable future requires a collective effort, and education is a powerful tool in this regard. Raising awareness about environmental issues, the consequences of our actions, and the importance of conservation is crucial. Education empowers individuals to make informed choices and encourages sustainable practices at both personal and community levels.

Why is a Clean Environment Necessary?

To have a happy and thriving community and country, we really need a clean and safe environment. It's like the basic necessity for life on Earth. Let me break down why having a clean environment is so crucial.

First off, any living thing—whether it's plants, animals, or people—can't survive in a dirty environment. We all need a good and healthy place to live. When things get polluted, it messes up the balance of nature and can even cause diseases. If we keep using up our natural resources too quickly, life on Earth becomes a real struggle.

So, what's causing all this environmental trouble? Well, one big reason is that there are just so many people around, and we're using up a lot of stuff like land, food, water, air, and even fossil fuels and minerals. Cutting down a bunch of trees (we call it deforestation) is also a big problem because it messes up the whole ecosystem.

Then there's pollution—air, water, and soil pollution. It's like throwing a wrench into the gears of nature, making everything go wonky. And you've probably heard about things like the ozone layer getting thinner, global warming, weird weather, and glaciers melting. These are all signs that our environment is in trouble.

But don't worry, we can do things to make it better:

Plant more trees—they're like nature's superheroes, helping balance everything out.

Follow the 3 R's: Reuse stuff, reduce waste, and recycle. It's like giving our planet a high-five.

Ditch the plastic bags—they're not great for our landscapes.

Think about how many people there are and try to slow down the population growth.

By doing these things, we're basically giving our planet a little TLC (tender loving care), and that's how we can keep our environment clean and healthy for everyone.

Policy and Regulation:

Governments and institutions play a vital role in shaping environmental policies and regulations. Strong and enforceable laws are essential to curb activities that harm the environment. This includes regulations on emissions, waste disposal, and protection of natural habitats. International cooperation is also crucial to address global environmental challenges, as issues like climate change know no borders.

The Role of Technology:

Technology can be a double-edged sword in environmental conservation. While some technological advancements contribute to environmental degradation, others offer solutions. Innovative technologies in renewable energy, waste management, and sustainable agriculture can significantly reduce our impact on the environment. Embracing and investing in eco-friendly technologies is a step towards a greener and more sustainable future.

Conclusion:

Our environment is not just a collection of trees, rivers, and animals; it's the foundation of our existence. Understanding the interconnectedness of all living things and recognizing our responsibility as stewards of the Earth is essential. By adopting sustainable practices, fostering education and awareness, implementing effective policies, and embracing eco-friendly technologies, we can work towards healing our planet. The choices we make today will determine the world we leave for future generations – a world that can either flourish in its natural beauty or struggle under the weight of environmental degradation. It's our collective responsibility to ensure that it's the former.

FAQs on Environment Essay

1. What is the Environment?

The environment constitutes the entire ecosystem that includes plants, animals and microorganisms, sunlight, air, rain, temperature, humidity, and other climatic factors. It is basically the surroundings where we live. The environment regulates the life of all living beings on Earth.

2. What are the Three Kinds of Environments?

Biotic Environment: It includes all biotic factors or living forms like plants, animals, and microorganisms.

Abiotic Environment: It includes non-living factors like temperature, light, rainfall, soil, minerals, etc. It comprises the atmosphere, lithosphere, and hydrosphere.

Built Environment: It includes buildings, streets, houses, industries, etc. 

3. What are the Major Factors that Lead to the Degradation of the Environment?

The factors that lead to the degradation of the environment are:

The rapid increase in the population.

Growth of industrialization and urbanization.

Deforestation is making the soil infertile (soil that provides nutrients and home to millions of organisms).

Over-consumption of natural resources.

Ozone depletion, global warming, and the greenhouse effect.

4. How do we Save Our Environment?

We must save our environment by maintaining a balanced and healthy ecosystem. We should plant more trees. We should reduce our consumption and reuse and recycle stuff. We should check on the increase in population. We should scarcely use our natural and precious resources. Industries and factories should take precautionary measures before dumping their wastes into the water bodies.

5. How can we protect Mother Earth?

Ways to save Mother Earth include planting more and more trees, using renewable sources of energy, reducing the wastage of water, saving electricity, reducing the use of plastic, conservation of non-renewable resources, conserving the different flora and faunas, taking steps to reduce pollution, etc.

6. What are some ways that humans impact their environment?

Humans have influenced the physical environment in many ways like overpopulation, pollution, burning fossil fuels, and deforestation. Changes like these have generated climate change, soil erosion, poor air quality, and undrinkable water. These negative impacts can affect human behavior and can prompt mass migrations or battles over clean water.  

7. Why is the environment of social importance?

Human beings are social animals by nature. They spend a good amount of time in social environments. Their responsibility towards the environment is certainly important because these social environments might support human beings in both personal development goals as well as career development goals.

The right to a healthy environment: 6 things you need to know

Facebook Twitter Print Email

On 8 October, loud and unusual applause reverberated around the chamber of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. A battle fought for decades by environmental activists and rights’ defenders, had finally borne fruit.

For the first time ever, the United Nations body whose mission is to promote and protect human rights around the world, passed a resolution recognising access to a healthy and sustainable environment as a universal right.

The text also calls on countries to work together, and with other partners, to implement this breakthrough.

“Professionally that was probably the most thrilling experience that I ever have had or that I ever will have. It was a massive team victory. It took literally millions of people, and years and years of work to achieve this resolution”, said David Boyd, UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and Environment, who was in the room when President Nazhat Shameem from Fiji, brought down her gavel, announcing the voting results.

43 votes in favour and 4 abstentions counted as a unanimous victory to pass the text that cites the efforts of at least 1,100 civil society, child, youth and indigenous people’s organizations, who have been campaigning for global recognition, implementation and protection of the human right to a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment.  

A little bit of joyful emotion at the very staid Human Rights Council , as the UN for the first time recognizes the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment! (Mask was only off for a moment!) pic.twitter.com/8rUXJpz9z0 SREnvironment SREnvironment

But why is this recognition important, and what does it mean for climate change-affected communities?

Here are six key things you need to know, compiled by us here at UN News.

1. First, let’s recall what the Human Rights Council does, and what its resolutions mean

The Human Rights Council is an inter-governmental body within the United Nations system, responsible for strengthening the promotion and protection of human rights around the globe and for addressing situations of human rights violations and make recommendations on them.

The Council is made up of 47 UN Member States which are elected by the absolute majority in the General Assembly and represent every region of the world.

Human Rights Council resolutions are “political expressions” that represent the position of the Council’s members (or the majority of them) on particular issues and situations. These documents are drafted and negotiated among States with to advance specific human rights issues.

They usually provoke a debate among States, civil society and intergovernmental organisations; establish new ‘standards’, lines or principles of conduct; or reflect existing rules of conduct.

Resolutions are drafted by a “core group”: Costa Rica, the Maldives, Morocco, Slovenia and Switzerland, were the countries who brought resolution 48/13 for its adoption in the council, recognising for the first time that having a clean, healthy and sustainable environment is indeed a human right.

2. It was a resolution decades in the making

In 1972, the United Nations Conference on the Environment in Stockholm , which ended with a historical declaration, was the first one to place environmental issues at the forefront of international concerns and marked the start of a dialogue between industrialized and developing countries on the link between economic growth, the pollution of the air, water and the ocean, and the well-being of people around the world.

UN Member States back then, declared that people have a fundamental right to "an environment of a quality that permits a life of dignity and well-being," calling for concrete action. They called for both the Human Rights Council and the UN General Assembly to act.

Since 2008, the Maldives, a Small Island Developing State on the frontline of climate change impacts, has been tabling a series of resolutions on human rights and climate change, and in the last decade, on human rights and environment.

In the last few years, the work of the Maldives and its allied States, as well as the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and Environment and different NGOs, have been moving the international community towards the declaration of a new universal right.

Support for UN recognition of this right grew during the COVID-19 pandemic. The idea was endorsed by UN's Secretary-General António Guterres and High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet, as well as more than 1,100 civil society organisations from around the world. Nearly 70 states on the Human Rights Council also added their voices to a call by the council’s core group on human rights and environment for such action, and 15 UN agencies also sent a rare joint declaration advocating for it.

“A surge in emerging zoonotic diseases, the climate emergency, pervasive toxic pollution and a dramatic loss of biodiversity have brought the future of the planet to the top of the international agenda”, a group of UN experts said in a statement released in June this year, on World Environment Day.

3. It was a David vs Goliath story…

To finally reach the vote and decision, the core group lead intensive inter-governmental negotiations, discussions and even experts’ seminars, over the past few years.

Levy Muwana, a Youth Advocate and environmentalist from Zambia, participated in one of the seminars.

“As a young child, I was affected with bilharzia, a parasitic disease, because I was playing in the dirty water near my household.

A few years later, a girl died in my community from cholera. These events are sadly common and occurring more often.

Water-born infectious diseases are increasing worldwide, especially across sub-Saharan Africa, due to the changing climate”, he told Council members last August.

Muwana made clear that his story was not unique, as millions of children worldwide are significantly impacted by the devastating consequences of the environmental crisis. “1.7 million of them die every year from inhaling contaminated air or drinking polluted water”, he said.

The activist, along with over 100.000 children and allies had signed a petition for the right to a healthy environment to be recognised , and they were finally heard.

“There are people who want to continue the process of exploiting the natural world and have no reservations about harming people to do that. So those very powerful opponents have kept this room from going forward for decades.

It's almost like a David and Goliath story that all of these civil society organizations were able to overcome this powerful opposition, and now we have this new tool that we can use to fight for a more just and sustainable world”, says David Boyd, the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and Environment.

4. But what good is a non-legally binding resolution?

Mr. Boyd explains that the resolution should be a catalyst for more ambitious action on every single environmental issue that we face.

“It really is historic, and it really is meaningful for everyone because we know right now that 90% of people in the world are breathing polluted air.

“So right off the bat if we can use this resolution as a catalyst for actions to clean up air quality, then we're going to be improving the lives of billions of people”, he emphasizes.

Human Rights Council resolutions might not be legally binding, but they do contain strong political commitments.

“The best example we have of what kind of a difference these UN resolutions make is if we look back at the resolutions in 2010 that for the first time recognized the right to water . That was a catalyst for governments all over the world who added the right to water to their constitutions, their highest and strongest laws”, Mr. Boyd says.

The Rapporteur cites Mexico, which after adding the right to water in the constitution, has now extended safe drinking water to over 1,000 rural communities.

“There are a billion people who can't just turn on the tap and have clean, safe water coming out, and so you know, for a thousand communities in rural Mexico, that's an absolutely life-changing improvement. Similarly, Slovenia, after they put the right to water in their constitution because of the UN resolutions, they then took action to bring safe drinking water to Roma communities living in informal settlements on city outskirts”.

According to the UN Environment Programme ( UNEP ), the recognition of the right to a healthy environment at the global level will support efforts to address environmental crises in a more coordinated, effective and non-discriminatory manner, help achieve the Sustainable Developing Goals, provide stronger protection of rights and of the people defending the environment, and help create a world where people can live in harmony with nature.

5. The link between human rights and environment is indisputable

Mr. Boyd has witnessed firsthand the devastating impact that climate change has already had on people’s rights.

In his first country mission as a Special Rapporteur, he met the first community in the world that had to be completely relocated due to rising sea levels, coastal erosion and increased intensity of storm surges.

“You know, from this beautiful waterfront paradise on a Fijian island, they had to move their whole village inland about three kilometers. Older persons, people with disabilities, pregnant women, they're now separated from the ocean that has sustained their culture and their livelihoods for many generations”.

These situations are not only seen in developing countries. Mr. Boyd also visited Norway where he met Sami indigenous people also facing the impacts of climate change.

“I heard really sad stories there. For thousands of years their culture and their economy has been based on reindeer herding, but now because of warm weather in the winters, even in Norway, north of the Arctic Circle, sometimes it rains.

“The reindeer who literally for thousands of years had been able to scrape away snow during the winter to get to the lichens and mosses that sustained them, now can't scrape away the ice - and they’re starving”.

The story repeats itself in Kenya, where pastoralists are losing their livestock because of droughts that are being exacerbated by climate change.

“ They have done nothing to cause this global crisis and they’re the ones who are suffering, and that's why it's such a human rights issue .

“That's why it's such an issue of justice. Wealthy countries and wealthy people need to start to pay for the pollution they've created so that we can help these vulnerable communities and these vulnerable peoples to adapt and to rebuild their lives”, Mr. Boyd said.

6. What’s next?

The Council resolution includes an invitation to the UN General Assembly to also consider the matter. The Special Rapporteur says he is “cautiously optimistic” that the body will pass a similar resolution within the next year.

“We need this. We need governments and we need everyone to move with a sense of urgency. I mean, we're living in a climate, biodiversity, and pollution crisis, and also a crisis of these emerging diseases like COVID which have environmental root causes. And so that's why this resolution is critically important because it says to every government in the world ‘you have to put human rights at the centre of climate action, of conservation, of addressing pollution and of preventing future pandemics’”.

For Dr. Maria Neira, the World Health Organization’s ( WHO ) environment chief, the resolution is already having important repercussions and a mobilizing impact.

“The next step will be how we translate that on the right to clean air and whether we can push, for instance, for the recognition of WHO’S Global Air Quality Guidelines and the levels of exposure to certain pollutants at a country level. It will also help us to move certain legislation and standards at the national level”, she explains.

Air pollution, primarily the result of burning fossil fuels, which also drives climate change, causes 13 deaths per minute worldwide. Dr. Neira calls for the end of this “absurd fight” against the ecosystems and environment.

“All the investments need to be on ensuring access to safe water and sanitation, on making sure that electrification is done with renewable energy and that our food systems are sustainable.”

According to WHO, achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement would save millions of lives every year due to improvements in air quality, diet, and physical activity, among other benefits.

“The climate emergency has become a matter of survival for many populations. Only systemic, profound and rapid changes will make it possible to respond to this global ecological crisis", says the Special Rapporteur.

For Mr. Boyd, the approval of the historical resolution in the Human Rights Council was a ‘paradoxical’ moment.

“There was this incredible sense of accomplishment and also at the exact same time a sense of how much work remains to be done to take these beautiful words and translate them into changes that will make people's lives better and make our society more sustainable”.

The newly declared right to a healthy and clean environment will also hopefully influence positively negotiations during the upcoming UN Climate Conference COP26, in Glasgow, which has been described by the UN chief as the last chance to ‘turn the tide’ and end the war on our planet.  

• climate change
• environment
• human rights

The Influence of Environmental Health on Society Health Essay

Policies of addressing healthy environment.

Can we have a polluted environment and a healthy society at the same time?

A polluted environment means an unstable and unhealthy society. The effects of pollution are so many, as they range widely. It would be hard to have a healthy society in an area where there is pollution. Pollution causes damage to human and animals, plants, as well as the entire environment(Plattenberg, 2007).

Globally, the types of pollution that are common are air, water, and soil pollution. According to several researches done, it is evident that the impact of pollution may range from a minor discomfort to complex diseases. The people who suffer from mild discomfort because of pollution may tend to ignore the issue. The seriousness of pollution impacts is realized when complex diseases arise such as cancer or physical deformities.

Whether minor or complex effect of pollution, all leads to unhealthy living. Air polluted area would probably result to unhealthy people suffering from lung inefficiency, respiratory problems, asthma attacks, and infected physical body organs.

Water pollution would result to serious complications such as typhoid, Amoebiasis, Ascariasis etc. Soil pollution results to worse effects to human beings such as leukemia, brain damage to young children, kidney damage, and fatigue(Rana, 2006). Nevertheless, it would be hard to maintain health in a polluted environment.

Maintaining environment health is a highly crucial aspect in the society. Citizens find it hard to avoid pollution, but there are measures that can be put, to ensure minimized environmental pollution. Any form of pollution, leading to serious diseases like cancer and body organs failure should be avoided totally.

In efforts of trying to handle the issue of environment pollution, there are vital steps that would be considered first. Close observation of any chemical released to the environment without any control would be crucial. All the offensive trades that might be taking place within cities should be inspected to ensure that they are licensed, and their disposal guaranteed.

Any application of intended development that is likely to cause environment pollution should be assessed closely(Malabika, 2009). It would also be the responsibility of citizens to present complains of any form of pollution, which they may experience. Any form of pollution that may cause harm to human and animals should never be given a chance.

In conclusion, it is evident that I have proved beyond any reasonable doubt that, a polluted environment cannot sustain the people’s healthy status. Although Larry used to take water direct from the creek, and did not suffer from a serious illness that would be defined as luck.

However, although Larry did not witness serious complications, biologically he caused himself some internal bodily harm. For people to be secured in the society, pollution should be minimized starting from homes, businesses, institutions, industries, and even recreational areas(Malabika, 2009).

If some organizations control pollution and others refuse to do the same, it would be hard for the society to live in a healthy manner. No matter how minor a certain pollution may seem to be, any form of pollution should be avoided. The minor pollutions, which are avoided leads to some serious effects to human and animals(Malabika, 2009).

I thank Larry for sharing with me his interesting views concerning the water pollution. I am sure now Larry is convinced that a polluted environment leads to unhealthy society. Never again should he ignore to treat drinking water for the sake of his healthy.

Malabika, R. (2009). Environmental pollution: Impact of technology on quality of life. New York: Today & Tomorrow’s printers.

Plattenberg, R. (2007). Environmental pollution: a new research. New York: Nova Publishers.

Rana, S. (2006). Environmental pollution: health and toxicology. Michigan: Alpha science international Ltd.

• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2023, December 22). The Influence of Environmental Health on Society Health. https://ivypanda.com/essays/environmental-health/

"The Influence of Environmental Health on Society Health." IvyPanda , 22 Dec. 2023, ivypanda.com/essays/environmental-health/.

IvyPanda . (2023) 'The Influence of Environmental Health on Society Health'. 22 December.

IvyPanda . 2023. "The Influence of Environmental Health on Society Health." December 22, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/environmental-health/.

1. IvyPanda . "The Influence of Environmental Health on Society Health." December 22, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/environmental-health/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "The Influence of Environmental Health on Society Health." December 22, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/environmental-health/.

• Larry Hillblom: Should Larry Junior Go to Court or Settle?
• Larry King: The Pioneer of Mass Communication
• Worth It? Larry’s Detective Story
• Google Company: Larry Page' Leadership Style
• Larry Siegel's "Criminology: The Core"
• Harvard President Larry Summers' Controversial Speech
• Building a School in the Polluted Environment
• Polluted Water and Human Diseases
• Polluted Indian River Lagoon Hurts the Local Economy
• Adam Makos and Larry Alexander' Book "A Higher Call"
• Mercury: Environmental Concerns and Economic Value
• The Concept of Green Technology in Modern World
• A Discussion of Air Pollution & Related Health Implications on the Community
• Control of noise and radon gas levels
• The Worrying Population Statistics

Concept of Healthy Environment

Introduction and definition of terms, scope of a healthy environment, origins of the healthy environment, works cited.

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the term healthy can be taken to refer to something that causes or helps to produce good health while the term environment refers to the totality of several surrounding conditions, especially those influencing development and growth.

A healthy environment, therefore, can be said to refer to the aggregate of such surrounding conditions or environs that promote good health. It is necessary to note that the good health referred to in this context is all-inclusive of (all) living things; that is to say, the good health of humans, animals, plant life and even protozoa.

Of further significance, is the observation that references to a healthy environment are often made with particular attention to human health. This means that what is generally considered as a healthy environment is that (environment) which has minimal or negligible adverse health effects on an individual. Therefore, the health risks associated with such surroundings are low.

Generally, a healthy environment encompasses several considerations including but not limited to sanitation and general hygiene, clean air and atmospheric concerns (minimizing the rate of ozone layer depletion and neutralizing the greenhouse effect), access to clean drinking water and regulation of oil dumping and waste disposal in the high seas, conservation and the sustainable use of natural resources, ensuring compliance with laws and regulations on occupational hazards or injuries, creating a safe environment or atmosphere for the enjoyment of governance infrastructures and facilities such as roads and hospitals and putting in place mechanisms for the control and treatment of communicable diseases (through vaccinations and quarantines for example) among others.

According to Robert H. Friis in Essentials for Environmental Health (3), the concept of a healthy environment entails creating a world in which the air is safe to breathe. Where the water is safe to drink and use, the land is arable and free from toxins, and wastes are managed effectively and disposed of. It also involves ensuring that diseases are kept at bay and natural areas are preserved. He further categorizes this environment into physical and social and distinguishes them thus:

“…the physical environment includes the air, water and soil through which exposure to chemical, biological and physical agents may occur. The social environment includes housing, transportation, urban development, land use, industry and agriculture and results in exposures such as work related stress, injury and violence (Friis 3).”

From the above school of thought, it is indeed evident that a discussion on a healthy environment encompasses not only the physical and tangible aspects of surroundings like water and land but also the social frameworks and amenities such as housing and road usage or safety.

The history of the concept of a healthy environment can be looked at on two levels namely: a) the domestic front and b) the global front. Concerning the domestic level, the origin of the concept of the healthy environment can be traced back to the original state of nature in the social contract theory as discussed by John Locke in Two Treatise of Government (105-146).

According to this theory, the original state of nature had natural resources in abundance and each man could partake of his fill-in plenty as there was more than enough supply of resources to go around. The subsequent increase in population and competition for limited resources, which is largely fuelled by the instinctive willpower to survive and subdue, saw the emergence of a chaotic state of war which state of war necessitated the prevalence of reason and hence the birth of the concept of a sovereign state as it is known today.

This was achieved by individuals giving up/pooling their sovereignty into an amorphous body (state) charged with the duty of exercising the collective sovereignty (state power) of the individuals. Locke argues that the sustenance of a healthy environment is largely dependent on the existence of an effective management system on resources and the prudent use of such resources. This was deficient in the original state of nature as man’s core priorities then largely revolved around life, liberty and property.

Following the establishment of the concept of a sovereign state with sovereign state power, it was so that the state offers certain protection and services to the individuals instead of their loyalty. This saw the birth and development of various comfort infrastructures over time whose overall aim was not only to make the lives of citizens more comfortable but also prolong such lives.

Subsequently, there were developments and improvements in state-sanctioned mechanisms and machinery which among other things ensured and facilitated the equitable management of natural resources, the formulation, and adoption of vaccinations, the construction of roads, hospitals and housing facilities, the incorporation of and compliance with principles of sustainable development in governance and the formulation and enactment of laws and regulations on most spheres of life including health and environmental concerns.

According to Louis S. Warren in his book American Environmental History, the primary purpose of such laws is to improve human health and protect ecological values. The history of healthy environments concerning domestic fronts can be said to be largely fashioned around the socialization process of man.

According to several environmental scholars, concerning the global level, such origins can be traced back to the industrialization era that occurred in the west in the 19 th and 20 th Centuries. This was majorly due to the increased manufacturing of goods and armory that occurred before and in the course of the two world wars. Over time, the effects of improper disposal of waste (mostly gaseous and liquid) manifested into phenomenal climate change issues that needed timely and pithy addresses.

This saw the emergence of several environmental conventions and treaties/charters between the 1950s and the 1990’s such as the UNFCCC, the Kyoto Protocol, the Rio Conference on Sustainable Development, the BAMACO Convention etc to address environmental concerns as they emerged. The Stockholm Conference on Environmental and Human Settlement (1972) declaration for instance envisions environmental matters to be matters of national jurisdiction and further establishes an environmental program within the UN to gather and archive data on environmental concerns. According to L.S.Warren, however, it can be argued that the history of a healthy environment is still in the making as there is no end to man’s development and socialization.

In conclusion, the history of the concept of the healthy environment on both the domestic and global fronts is largely fashioned or woven around the development and socialization process of mankind.

Friis, Robert H.. Essentials of environmental health . 2nd ed. Sudbury, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning, 2012. Print.

Locke, John, and Peter Laslett. Two treatises of government . Student ed. Cambridge [England: Cambridge University Press, 1988. Print.

Warren, Louis S.. American environmental history . Malden, MA: Blackwell Pub., 2003. Print.

Cite this paper

• Chicago (N-B)
• Chicago (A-D)

StudyCorgi. (2022, April 22). Concept of Healthy Environment. https://studycorgi.com/concept-of-healthy-environment/

"Concept of Healthy Environment." StudyCorgi , 22 Apr. 2022, studycorgi.com/concept-of-healthy-environment/.

StudyCorgi . (2022) 'Concept of Healthy Environment'. 22 April.

1. StudyCorgi . "Concept of Healthy Environment." April 22, 2022. https://studycorgi.com/concept-of-healthy-environment/.

Bibliography

StudyCorgi . "Concept of Healthy Environment." April 22, 2022. https://studycorgi.com/concept-of-healthy-environment/.

StudyCorgi . 2022. "Concept of Healthy Environment." April 22, 2022. https://studycorgi.com/concept-of-healthy-environment/.

This paper, “Concept of Healthy Environment”, was written and voluntary submitted to our free essay database by a straight-A student. Please ensure you properly reference the paper if you're using it to write your assignment.

Before publication, the StudyCorgi editorial team proofread and checked the paper to make sure it meets the highest standards in terms of grammar, punctuation, style, fact accuracy, copyright issues, and inclusive language. Last updated: November 30, 2023 .

If you are the author of this paper and no longer wish to have it published on StudyCorgi, request the removal . Please use the “ Donate your paper ” form to submit an essay.

• Type 2 Diabetes
• Heart Disease
• Digestive Health
• Multiple Sclerosis
• COVID-19 Vaccines
• Occupational Therapy
• Healthy Aging
• Health Insurance
• Public Health
• Patient Rights
• Caregivers & Loved Ones
• End of Life Concerns
• Health News
• Thyroid Test Analyzer
• Doctor Discussion Guides
• Hemoglobin A1c Test Analyzer
• Lipid Test Analyzer
• Complete Blood Count (CBC) Analyzer
• What to Buy
• Editorial Process
• Meet Our Medical Expert Board

What is Environmental Health and What Critical Issues Impact Our Health?

What is environmental health, areas of environmental health, global environmental health, how you can help protect and improve environmental health.

Water quality, safe housing, healthy food access, and pollution -free transportation all contribute to human health, along with many other factors. Where people live and how they're connecting to the world can affect their health. The environmental health field—with its professionals, policies, and programs—is focused on these factors.

Your health is determined by personal choices (like whether you exercise or get vaccinated ) but also factors like local industry, the age of your home, food deserts , green space in your community, and more. Environmental stressors and advantages help to shape your options.

This article explains what environmental health is and how it can affect you and your community. It describes the work done by professionals and what you can do, too, to improve environmental health.

Environmental health is the  public health  field that monitors and addresses physical, chemical, and biological factors that impact your health though they're not always within your direct control.

Simply put, environmental health is the area of public health that deals with all the different ways the world can impact physical and mental well-being. Examples of impacts include:

• Lead toxicity (poisoning) from the paint or water pipes in older homes and neighborhoods
• Obesity and type 2 diabetes risk in food deserts and food swamps (communities with limited access to grocery stores and healthy food options, but often home to fast food stops)
• Cancer and the impacts of air pollution, heat, ultraviolet radiation, and other carcinogens and climate factors
• Stress, sleep disruptions , hearing loss , and other impacts due to traffic and other environmental noise
• Depression, cognition, and other brain health factors can be affected by green space

If you live in an urban heat island with few trees, it may be hotter than other neighborhoods— affecting a range of issues, from heat-related illness to asthma and heart disease. It's harder to get outside and exercise, too. When your home was built and the materials used, what insects live nearby, and what food you can access affect your health and the health of your family.

Environmental health is one of the largest fields within public health because of the myriad ways external forces can impact how people eat, live, and grow. These forces can be about addressing the natural environment (as in the case for clean water or sanitation), but they can also be the consequence of human beings' actions—including societal norms.

There are a number of initiatives focused on environmental health in the United States. Among them is the Healthy People 2030 agenda, which highlights six key areas that encompass the various ways environmental health is crucial to the health of communities.

Air Quality

Air is non-negotiable for humans. It's needed to survive and air quality can have a significant impact on health.

Poor air quality has been linked to a wide range of health issues, including SIDS, lung cancer , and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease ( COPD ). Air pollution is also linked to low birth weight.

One2019 study found that people exposed to high levels of air pollutants in the early and late states of pregnancy were more likely to have babies with lower birth weights, or with preterm births, than their non-exposed peers.

The Clean Air Act

The Clean Air Act of 1970 marked the first time the federal government took responsibility for protecting the air quality for all U.S. citizens by regulating harmful emissions from things like cars and factories. The act was later expanded in 1990 to address acid rain and ozone depletion.

Water and Sanitation

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an estimated 780 million people worldwide don’t have access to safe drinking water, and a jaw-dropping 1.7 billion (or roughly a fifth of Earth’s population) lack adequate sanitation services like clean bathrooms.

The simple act of filtering and chlorinating water systems in the United States has resulted in significant declines in once-common diseases like typhoid . Historically, clean water is responsible for the bulk of the decline in childhood mortality in the country.

The environmental health impact of safe water can't be overstated. An estimated 2,200 children die every day worldwide of diarrheal diseases linked to improper water and sanitation. The United Nations estimates a return of $4.30 in medical and social costs for every dollar spent on clean water.

Toxic Substances and Hazardous Wastes

Toxicology—that is, the area of science devoted to understanding how chemicals and substances can affect people and their surroundings—is an important field in environmental health. Many of the materials needed to advance industries and technology, like heavy metals or even some plastics, can also hurt the human body and even lead to serious medical conditions.

The Flint, Michigan, water crisis is an example of lead poisoning effects in a community that can lead to long-term health complications, including brain damage in children. Economically disadvantaged kids are often most affected.

The Flint crisis, which exposed more than 100,000 people to unsafe lead levels in drinking water, was a prime example of how environmental health issues often hurt those whose health status is already most at risk.

Homes and Communities

Home and neighborhoods are at the core of environmental health. When a neighborhood has a lot of violence, for example, families or older people might not go outside to exercise. When roads aren't properly maintained, it can result in more car crashes. When sidewalks are in poor condition, people may avoid walking for fear of accidents.

An emerging field of environmental health is that of food access. In neighborhoods without full-service grocery stores, people rely on convenience stores, gas stations, and fast food restaurants. This limits fresh produce options—a vital part of a healthy diet. These food deserts contribute to health disparities for low-income and minority populations especially.

Environmental health professionals are urging communities to establish public gardens where residents can grow and harvest their own fresh produce, improve access to public transportation to full-service grocery stores and farmers markets, and change zoning laws to incentivize retailers to offer healthier food options.

Infrastructure and Surveillance 

A primary piece of any public health strategy is information to identify risks and guide the resources and responses to prevent them. This includes investigating and responding to diseases—a field called  epidemiology —as well as screening for hazards and establishing surveillance programs.

Surveillance activities involve either going out and looking for particular health concerns (active surveillance) or by asking professionals in other fields, such as medicine or agriculture, to alert environmental health agencies when they encounter them (passive surveillance).

An example of this in action is mosquito surveillance and abatement activities. These programs test mosquitoes for certain things, including the presence of dangerous infections like  Zika virus , as well as monitor populations to ensure control measures are working. This information can help health officials know what to watch for in doctors' offices, direct local governments on where and how best to spray for mosquitoes, and alert the public if a mosquito-borne illness is spreading in the area.

In the coming decades, environmental health professionals are bracing for a warmer, wetter climate that will likely prompt or exacerbate threats to public health across the globe.

Disease-carrying mosquitoes can live in areas previously too cold for them to survive, upping the number of people impacted by vector-borne illnesses like dengue and malaria . As sea levels rise, whole coastal cities and island nations face flood risks and disease due to displacement.

Even though health outcomes have improved significantly over the past century—in wealthy nations like the United States in particular—environmental hazards and infectious diseases know no geopolitical boundaries. People today are traveling farther and more often than ever before, and conflicts in areas like Syria, Afghanistan, and South Sudan cause millions to flee their homes.

These increases in cross-border and cross-continental movements have the potential to threaten disease prevention efforts and overextend existing infrastructure. That's why it's crucial that countries look beyond their borders to improve the health of the global population overall.

Environmental health is supported by trained experts who assess nutrition and community health, test water for heavy metals, and do research on how rising heat might change where insects are likely to spread disease. They develop laws, policies, and programs at all levels of government.

And while environmental health doesn't focus on individual impacts and footprints, there's much you can do to help. Consider protecting environmental health and safety by:

• Improving air quality. You can ride your bike, take mass transportation, or work from home instead of driving a car to and from work.
• Testing for toxins. You can test for radon gas, lead paint, or heavy metal exposure in pipes to prevent toxicity. Don't forget your cooking stove, which can be a source of indoor air pollution.
• Cooling your home. You can plant trees, install roofs designed for cooling, and make lifestyle choices (like closing off rooms or running certain appliances after dark) to limit heat impacts.
• Promoting healthy food choices. Plant gardens, shop at local farmer's markets, join a food co-op, and consider eating less meat when opting for a diet that's friendlier to environmental health.

Keep in mind that visibility helps to drive environmental health policy. Talk with your government and local businesses about investing in environmental health to ensure every neighbor has the chance to live, work, and play in a healthy and safe community.

Environmental health professionals focus on factors like industrial air pollution, water quality, healthy food access, and safe housing that impact public health. In many cases, these factors (unlike the personal risk of genetics, for example) are preventable or can be changed to improve public health and overall health equity .

Most communities in the United States are served by environmental health agencies, whether at the local and state level or through federal authorities. You can help to improve environmental health by working closely with these professionals, local businesses, and other stakeholders.

But there's much you can do personally to make lifestyle changes, like limiting plastic waste and reducing energy use, that can limit environmental health risk both for you and the planet.

Neta G, Martin L, Collman G. Advancing environmental health sciences through implementation science . Environ Health . 2022 Dec 23;21(1):136. doi:10.1186/s12940-022-00933-0. 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  Sources of lead exposure .

Bevel MS, Tsai MH, Parham A, Andrzejak SE, Jones S, Moore JX. Association of Food Deserts and Food Swamps With Obesity-Related Cancer Mortality in the US . JAMA Oncol . 2023 Jul 1;9(7):909-916. doi:10.1001/jamaoncol.2023.0634. 

Hiatt RA, Beyeler N. Cancer and climate change . Lancet Oncol . 2020 Nov;21(11):e519-e527. doi: 10.1016/S1470-2045(20)30448-4. 

• American Academy of Pediatrics. New AAP policy, technical report offer advice on reducing harms from excessive noise exposures .

Jimenez MP, Elliott EG, DeVille NV, Laden F, Hart JE, Weuve J, et al .  Residential green space and cognitive function in a large cohort of middle-aged women .  JAMA Netw Open.  2022;5(4):e229306. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.9306

Sampath V, Shalakhti O, Veidis E, Efobi JAI, Shamji MH, Agache I, et al . Acute and chronic impacts of heat stress on planetary health . Allergy . 2023 Aug;78(8):2109-2120. doi:10.1111/all.15702. 

Department of Health and Social Services. Healthy People 2030 .

Lee JT. Review of epidemiological studies on air pollution and health effects in children . Clin Exp Pediatr. 2021 Jan;64(1):3-11. doi:10.3345/cep.2019.00843

Liu Y, Xu J, Chen D, Sun P, Ma X. The association between air pollution and preterm birth and low birth weight in Guangdong, China .  BMC Public Health . 2019;19(1):3. doi:10.1186/s12889-018-6307-7

Environmental Protection Agency. Progress Cleaning the Air and Improving People's Health .

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Assessing access to water and sanitation .

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The water people drink .

Alsan M, Goldin C. Watersheds in child mortality: the role of effective water and sewerage infrastructure, 1880–1920 .  Journal of Political Economy . 2019;127(2):586-638. doi:10.1086/700766

Center for Disease Philanthropy. Water, sanitation and hygiene .

• United Nations. Every dollar invested in water, sanitation brings four-fold return in costs .

World Health Organization. Lead poisoning .

Brown J, Acey CS, Anthonj C, Barrington DJ, Beal CD, Capone D, et al . The effects of racism, social exclusion, and discrimination on achieving universal safe water and sanitation in high-income countries. Lancet Glob Health . 2023 Apr;11(4):e606-e614. doi: 10.1016/S2214-109X(23)00006-2. 

Economic Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture. Access to affordable, nutritious food Is limited in “Food Deserts” .

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Zika virus .

World Mosquito Program. Explainer: How climate change is amplifying mosquito-borne diseases .

U.S. National Library of Medicine. The impact of globalization on infectious disease emergence and control: Exploring the consequences and opportunities: Workshop summary .

Environmental Protection Agency. Radon .

Kiefner-Burmeister A, Heilman CC. A Century of Influences on Parental Feeding in America . Curr Nutr Rep . 2023 Dec;12(4):594-602. doi: 10.1007/s13668-023-00499-4. 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  What Is Health Equity?

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Environmental Health Services .

Healthy People.gov. Environmental Health . Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion.

National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. Environmental Health Topics .

By Robyn Correll, MPH Robyn Correll, MPH holds a master of public health degree and has over a decade of experience working in the prevention of infectious diseases.

• Engineering
• Write For Us
• Privacy Policy

Essay on Environment

Here we have shared the Essay on Environment in detail so you can use it in your exam or assignment of 150, 250, 400, 500, or 1000 words.

You can use this Essay on Environment in any assignment or project whether you are in school (class 10th or 12th), college, or preparing for answer writing in competitive exams. 

Topics covered in this article.

Essay on Environment in 150-200 words

Essay on environment in 250-300 words, essay on environment in 500-1000 words.

The environment is our natural surroundings, encompassing air, water, land, and diverse ecosystems. It sustains life on Earth, providing essential resources and habitats for all living beings. However, human activities such as deforestation, pollution, and climate change are posing significant threats to the environment and its delicate balance.

Protecting the environment is crucial for our well-being and the planet’s sustainability. It requires collective action and individual responsibility. We must adopt sustainable practices, reduce pollution and waste, conserve resources, and support conservation efforts. By valuing and preserving the environment, we ensure a healthier and more prosperous future.

Governments, businesses, and individuals must work together to address these environmental challenges. Promoting renewable energy, implementing effective policies, and raising awareness about the importance of environmental conservation are key steps to protect our planet.

Preserving the environment is not just an obligation but also an opportunity to enhance our quality of life and ensure a sustainable future for generations to come. Let us embrace this responsibility and work towards creating a harmonious relationship with nature, respecting its intrinsic value and preserving its abundance for future generations.

The environment is the natural world around us, comprising the air we breathe, the water we drink, the land we live on, and the diverse ecosystems that support life. It encompasses everything from the smallest microorganisms to the largest forests and oceans. This essay briefly discusses the importance of the environment and the need for its protection.

The environment plays a crucial role in sustaining life on Earth. It provides us with essential resources, such as clean air, water, and food, and offers habitats for countless species. It regulates the climate, supports biodiversity, and contributes to the overall well-being of human beings and the planet.

Unfortunately, human activities have had a detrimental impact on the environment. Deforestation, pollution, habitat destruction, and climate change pose significant threats to ecosystems and biodiversity. These activities have resulted in the loss of species, degradation of ecosystems, and disruption of natural cycles.

To ensure a sustainable future, it is imperative that we take collective action to protect and preserve the environment. This includes adopting sustainable practices, reducing pollution and waste, conserving natural resources, promoting renewable energy sources, and supporting conservation efforts.

Individual actions, such as reducing carbon emissions, recycling, and conserving water, can make a significant difference. Additionally, governments, businesses, and organizations must implement policies and initiatives that promote environmental sustainability.

By valuing and protecting the environment, we not only safeguard the well-being of future generations but also enhance our own quality of life. Preserving the environment is essential for maintaining the balance of ecosystems, combating climate change, and ensuring a healthy planet for all living beings.

In conclusion, the environment is of utmost importance for the well-being of both humans and the planet. It provides essential resources, supports biodiversity, and regulates the climate. Protecting the environment is a shared responsibility that requires individual and collective action. By adopting sustainable practices and supporting conservation efforts, we can contribute to the preservation of our environment and ensure a sustainable future for generations to come.

Title: Environmental Conservation – Protecting Our Planet for Future Generations

Introduction :

The environment is the foundation of life on Earth, encompassing the air, water, land, and ecosystems that support all living beings. It provides us with vital resources, regulates the climate, and sustains biodiversity. This essay explores the significance of environmental conservation, the threats it faces, and the urgent need for collective action to protect our planet.

Importance of Environmental Conservation

The environment is vital for our well-being and the sustainability of the planet. It provides us with clean air to breathe, safe water to drink, and nutritious food to eat. Ecosystems support biodiversity and provide habitats for countless species, contributing to the overall health of our planet. The environment also plays a crucial role in regulating the climate, preserving natural cycles, and mitigating the impacts of natural disasters.

Environmental Threats

Human activities have led to various environmental threats that endanger ecosystems and biodiversity. Deforestation for agriculture, logging, and urbanization destroys habitats and contributes to climate change. Pollution from industrial activities, transportation, and improper waste disposal contaminates air, water, and soil. Climate change, primarily caused by the excessive release of greenhouse gases, results in rising temperatures, melting ice caps, and extreme weather events. These threats have far-reaching consequences for both the environment and human societies.

Conservation Strategies

To protect the environment, proactive conservation strategies are necessary. Sustainable practices, such as reducing waste, conserving resources, and promoting renewable energy sources, are key to mitigating environmental impacts. Reforestation and afforestation efforts are crucial for restoring habitats and combating climate change. Conservation initiatives, including protected areas, wildlife sanctuaries, and marine reserves, help preserve biodiversity and ensure the long-term sustainability of ecosystems.

Individual and Collective Responsibility

Environmental conservation is a shared responsibility that requires both individual and collective action. Individuals can contribute by adopting sustainable lifestyles, reducing their carbon footprint, and supporting eco-friendly initiatives. Governments play a vital role in implementing policies and regulations that promote environmental protection, investing in renewable energy infrastructure, and fostering sustainable practices in industries. International cooperation is essential to address global environmental challenges and promote knowledge-sharing and technology transfer.

Benefits of Environmental Conservation

Environmental conservation yields numerous benefits. Preserving ecosystems and biodiversity supports the health of our planet and ensures the availability of vital resources for future generations. Conservation efforts contribute to climate change mitigation, reducing the risks of extreme weather events and preserving natural carbon sinks. Protecting natural areas enhances opportunities for eco-tourism, generating economic benefits for local communities. Conservation also fosters a sense of connection to nature and promotes physical and mental well-being.

Conclusion :

Environmental conservation is crucial for the well-being of both humans and the planet. It is our responsibility to protect the environment, mitigating threats such as deforestation, pollution, and climate change. By adopting sustainable practices, supporting conservation initiatives, and advocating for effective policies, we can ensure a healthier and more sustainable future for all. Environmental conservation is not just an obligation; it is an opportunity to preserve the beauty and abundance of our planet for future generations. Let us strive to live in harmony with nature, valuing and protecting the environment that sustains us. Together, we can create a better, more sustainable world for ourselves and for future generations.

• News & Events
• Eastern and Southern Africa
• Eastern Europe and Central Asia
• Mediterranean
• Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean
• North America
• South America
• West and Central Africa
• IUCN Academy
• IUCN Contributions for Nature
• IUCN Library
• IUCN Red List of Threatened Species TM
• IUCN Green List of Protected and Conserved Areas
• IUCN World Heritage Outlook
• IUCN Leaders Forum
• Protected Planet
• Union Portal (login required)
• IUCN Engage (login required)
• Commission portal (login required)

Data, analysis, convening and action.

• Open Project Portal
• SCIENCE-LED APPROACH
• INFORMING POLICY
• SUPPORTING CONSERVATION ACTION
• GEF AND GCF IMPLEMENTATION
• IUCN CONVENING
• IUCN ACADEMY

The world’s largest and most diverse environmental network.

CORE COMPONENTS

• Expert Commissions
• Secretariat and Director General
• IUCN Council

• IUCN WORLD CONSERVATION CONGRESS
• CONTRIBUTIONS FOR NATURE
• IUCN ENGAGE (LOGIN REQUIRED)

IUCN tools, publications and other resources.

Get involved

The Right to a Healthy Environment

By Yann Aguila - On October 8, 2021, the United Nations Human Rights Council adopted a resolution recognizing the human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment as an important human right. While this right is already recognized in more than 150 national jurisdictions, its international recognition paves the way for its effective integration in international law and stronger implementation domestically.

Photo: Pixabay

I.  The Right to a Clean, Healthy and Sustainable Environment: State of Affairs.

The right to a healthy environment has developed gradually since the 1970s when it was first alluded to by the 1972 Stockholm Declaration. Its first Principle states: “ Man has the fundamental right to freedom, equality and adequate conditions of life, in an environment of a quality that permits a life of dignity and well-being ”.

The Stockholm Declaration was a catalyst for the recognition of the right to a healthy environment at the national and regional levels. Today, according to UN Special Rapporteur David Boyd, the right to a healthy environment “ is included in regional human rights treaties and environmental treaties binding more than 120 States. It enjoys constitutional protection in more than 100 States and is incorporated into the environmental legislation of more than 100 States. In total, 155 States have already established legal recognition of the right to a healthy and sustainable environment .” [1] At the national level, Portugal was the first country to enshrine this right in its constitution, in 1976. [2]  Since then, the right to a healthy environment has rapidly spread to other constitutions, in a fashion unseen for any other “new” human right.

Alongside these national instruments, States developed an important regional legal corpus affirming the right to a healthy environment. For instance, the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (1981) provides that “[a] ll peoples shall have the right to a general satisfactory environment favourable to their development .” It is worth noting that the African Charter differs from other texts in that it confers this right not to individuals but to a group. Similarly, Article 38 of the Arab Charter of Human Rights (2004) protects the right of each person “ to a healthy environment ”. In Latin America, the Protocol of San Salvador to the American Convention on Human Rights (1998) recognizes the right of everyone to “ live in a healthy environment ”, and the Escazú Agreement (2018) further seeks to contribute “ to the protection of the right of every person of present and future generations to live in a healthy environment ”.

In the European region, the recognition of this right is less explicit. The Aarhus Convention (1998), which is equivalent to the Escazú Agreement, affirms in its first article “ the right of every person of present and future generations to live in an environment adequate to his or her health and well-being ”. Nevertheless, the European Convention on Human Rights (1950), does not enshrine the right to a healthy environment per se . Environmental issues are dealt indirectly through the European Court of Human Rights’ innovative and dynamic interpretation of the Convention, affording limited protection through already recognized human rights. For instance, the Court has extended the right to life, guaranteed by article 2, to include the right to be protected against risk resulting from hazardous industrial activities. [3] Similarly, the right to private and family life enshrined in article 8 was considered to comprise a right to be protected against serious damage to the environment. [4] In September 2021, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe proposed to go further: it recommended the adoption of an additional protocol to the European Convention on Human Rights that would enshrine, among others, the right to a healthy environment.

The international recognition of the right to a healthy environment is much less advanced, as up until now States have shown reluctance to adopt a binding legal instrument recognizing such a right. Thus, the right to a healthy environment is essentially devoid of legal force in international environmental law. Apart from the aforementioned Stockholm Declaration, the Rio Declaration (1992) affirmed with less ambit that “[h] uman beings are at the center of concerns for sustainable development. They are entitled to a healthy and productive life in harmony with nature ”. This somewhat coy terminology hints towards a resistance among States to recognize this right in the Rio Declaration.

In the face of such reluctance, several initiatives have sought to enshrine the right to a healthy environment in international treaties. For instance, the IUCN's Draft International Covenant on Environment and Development (1995) provides in its article 14 that States “undertake to achieve progressively the full realization of the right of all persons to live in an ecologically sound environment”. More recently, the draft Global Pact for the Environment (2017) proposed the recognition of the right to a healthy environment in its first article [5] .

II.  The Human Rights Council’s Resolution 48/13 of October 8, 2021

On October 8, 2021, the UN Human Rights Council adopted a resolution recognizing that the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment is a human right. This decision is a major step forward. Although not legally binding, its near-unanimous adoption shows consensus on the formulation, content, and importance of this human right.

• 1.  The Way Towards this Resolution

In September 2020, a Core Group of States on Human Rights and the Environment (Costa Rica, Morocco, Slovenia, Switzerland and the Maldives) started informal discussions on the possible international recognition of the right to a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment. In March 2021, 69 States, among which figured previously reluctant States such as Germany, endorsed a statement unequivocally calling for the recognition of this right.

The Core Group’s initiative gathered thundering support. More than a thousand NGOs rallied behind their clarion call, including renowned organizations such Birdlife International, Greenpeace, and Amnesty International, or specialized organizations like the Center for International Environmental Law and the Global Pact Coalition. Fifteen UN Agencies also issued a letter endorsing the right’s recognition. This prodigious mobilization owes much to the tremendous leadership of UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and Environment David R. Boyd and his predecessor John Knox.

On October 8, 2021, and after a year of sustained advocacy, the Human Rights Council adopted Resolution 48/13 by a vote of 43 in favor, none against, and 4 abstentions (China, India, Japan, Russia). In spite of these abstentions and the absence of the United States from the Council, the adoption of this resolution reveals near-unanimous support from the international community for the right to a healthy environment.

• 2.  A Forward-Thinking Text

The Resolution’s first article recognizes “ the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment as a human right that is important for the enjoyment of human rights ”. As further detailed below, this formulation encompasses the different expressions used to refer to this right. It further notes that it is not an isolated right, but that it is rather “ related to other rights that are in accordance with existing international law ”. The text also encourages States to take action by building capacities and enacting policies enabling the enjoyment of this human right.

Besides the letter of the text, the adoption of this resolution outlines that a consensus is building up in favor of environmental rights. While it does not legally bind States, the symbol it represents could propel the reluctant governments to recognize the right to a healthy environment in their domestic legislation. Moreover, the momentum behind the right may lead to its reinforced implementation in countries where it is already recognized. Finally, it could build up speed for the recognition of the right in an international and legally binding text.

The text of the resolution makes it clear that it is not a final step, but a springboard for more ambitious measures. It invites the UN General Assembly to consider the matter, where States are considering tabling a similar resolution.

III.  Overview and definition of the concept

Depending on the legal instrument, the right to a healthy environment is referred to by various formulations.

International texts predominantly refer to a right ‘to a healthy environment’ or a right ‘to live’ in a healthy environment. Notwithstanding, the adjective ‘healthy’ has competition. In this respect, some may promote the protection of an “ ecologically sound ” environment (draft IUCN Covenant), “(permitting) a life of dignity and well-being ” (Stockholm Declaration), “ adequate to his or her health and well-being ” (Aarhus Convention) and “ respecting biodiversity ”. The 2007 Malé Declaration on the Human Dimension of Climate Change chose to formulate it as “ the right to an environment capable of supporting human society and the full enjoyment of human rights ”.

Similarly, about two thirds of national constitutions that recognize the right refer to a ‘healthy environment’. [6] Alternative expressions may be used, such as the rights to a ‘clean’, ‘safe’, ‘favorable’, ‘wholesome’, or ‘ecologically balanced’ environment. The different denominations may refer to different forms of protection. For instance, the right to a “safe” environment will focus on the protection of the environment as a non-harming environment for human beings. This is particularly noteworthy as, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), 24% of all global deaths are linked to the environment. [7]  On another level, the right to a “healthy" environment refers lost often to the protection of nature’s health as an ecosystem. 

Yet, despite the variety of denominations, the core content of the right to a healthy environment is generally common to all these national, regional, or international texts. The fundamental interconnection between the protection of the environment and the effective preservation of human rights is at the center of each of these formulations.

Part of that is because the right to a healthy environment’s character as a “claim right”. Claim rights, unlike liberty-rights, imply a positive obligation of third parties towards the right-holder. This particularity was recently reaffirmed by several jurisdictions. For instance, both the Urgenda decision [8] and the recent ruling of the German Federal Constitutional Court [9] link the rights of individuals to an obligation of the State. The State is indeed a very frequent debtor of the right to a healthy environment. However, it is not impossible for other entities, such as private companies to bear obligations under the right to a healthy environment.

The right-holder being mostly the individual, the right to a healthy environment has drawn criticism for its anthropocentric character. It is certain that the idea that humans have a right to a healthy environment is strongly influenced by the  western  conception of human rights that places humans at the center of the world. This conception ought to be balanced with an eco-centric perspective, which puts nature at the core. The African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (1981) takes a step in this direction by recognizing the right of all “ peoples ” to a satisfactory environment. Some jurisdictions have gone even further in that direction by recognizing rights to nature. The Supreme Court of Colombia thus recognized that the Colombian Amazon can be a subject of rights. [10] In New Zealand, sites of particular importance to the Māori people, such as the Whanganui River, the Te Urewera Forest, or Mount Taranaki, were also granted legal personhood.

IV.  What are the implications of such a recognition?

From a legal point of view, the right to a healthy environment has procedural and substantial implications. Taking as a reference the implementation of the right to a healthy environment by national jurisdictions, a majority of States have enacted legislation identifying procedural and substantive elements enabling for the effective implementation of this right.

On the one hand, recognizing a right to a healthy environment often implies upholding procedural rights such as the rights to receive information, to participate in decision-making about environmental matters, and to obtain access to the justice system. For instance, the Philippines have enacted specific rules regarding environmental litigation to facilitate the protection of the right to a healthy environment. [11]   

Alongside procedural rights, the right to a healthy environment also contains a substantive component. By definition, the right to a healthy environment, regardless of its precise formulation, protects the elements of the natural environment that enable a dignified life. It englobes the preservation of basic human rights such as the right to life, clean water, food, etc. For instance, the French Environmental Code recognizes the “ right of all to breathe air which is not harmful to their health ”. [12] In the same vein, the South African Constitution states that “[e] veryone has a right: (a) To an environment that is not harmful to their health or well-being ”. [13]

Moreover, this substantive component has allowed national and regional courts to impose duties on States to effectively implement the right to a healthy environment. In its landmark decision of 2020, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights held that Argentina had violated the right of the Lhaka Honhat indigenous groups to a healthy environment due to the lack of effective measures to stop activities harmful to them. Thus, Courts have recognized that States can have an obligation to prevent violations of the right to a healthy environment.

Nonetheless, the implementation of this right remains patchy due to sizeable challenges. At the international level, it is recognized only in regional conventions and in soft law instruments. In other words, it is yet to be recognized in a global and legally binding convention akin to the 1966 human rights international covenants. Such a convention would encounter significant difficulties as major world powers, such as the USA and China, are still reluctant to recognize this right for the moment.

At the national level, a recognition of the right to a healthy environment should entail the enactment of “implementation laws”. Yet, States that recognize this right constitutionally or through regional treaties do not always implement it legislatively. Without effective integration in national laws and procedures, the right to a healthy environment is barred from realizing its full potential. To this day, many States fail to uphold their obligations in a way that effectively respects, protects, and fulfills the right to a healthy environment.

Controlling the implementation of this right is not an easy ordeal either. So far, no official international mechanism monitors its application. One could argue that this gap could be filled by an implementation control mechanism at the international level. This mechanism could, minimally, take the shape of a compliance committee but whose referral should be open not only to States but also to citizens and NGOs on the model of the Aarhus Convention. Better still, an international jurisdictional organ could have as its object to ensure the respect by States of the right to a healthy environment.

In the absence of such international mechanisms, the line of first defense remains the national judge. Internal judges ought to be the first guarantors of the respect of the right to a healthy environment by taking into account the extra-territorial impact of a State's activities, including outside its borders. In other words, the national judge must ensure that the State respects not the right of its citizens to a healthy environment, but also that of all the inhabitants of the planet.

Notwithstanding, the evidence extracted from decades of implementation is encouraging. The recognition of the right to a healthy environment usually leads governments to bolster their environmental laws and policies and to provide for greater public participation. [14] A wide array of studies have indeed concluded that the inclusion of constitutional environmental rights is positively related to a better environmental performance. [15]

In conclusion, the adoption of Human Rights Council resolution is a resounding first step that could have far-reaching implications for human rights and the environment. If carried before the General Assembly, this resolution may well be the catalyst for an even more global international recognition, and perhaps even an international covenant on the right to a healthy environment.

[1] Boyd, D., Chapter 2: The Right to a Healthy and Sustainable Environment in Aguila, Y. and Viñuales, J.E., 2019. A Global Pact for the Environment-Legal Foundations.  University of Cambridge .

[2] Report of the Special Rapporteur on the issue of human rights obligations relating to the enjoyment of a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment, 19 July 2018.

[3] ECHR, Öneryildiz v. Turkey, Application n° 48939/99, judgement of November 30th, 2004.

[4] ECHR, Lopez Ostra v. Spain, Application n° 16798/90, judgement of December 9th, 1994.

[5] The text of the draft Pact is available online on the Pact website: https://globalpactenvironment.org  

[6] Id. Boyd D., in Aguila, Y. and Viñuales, J.E., 2019.

[7] Preventing disease through healthy environments: a global assessment of the burden of disease from environmental risks , WHO Report, 13 September 2018.

[8] Urgenda Foundation v. State of the Netherlands , Supreme Court of the Netherlands (December 20, 2020)

[9] BVerfG , Order of the First Senate of 24 March 2021 - 1 BvR 2656/18

[10] Supreme Court of Columbia, Future Generations v. Ministry of the Environment (April 5, 2018)

[11] Rules of Procedure for Environmental Cases , Republic of the Philippines Supreme Court Manila, April 13, 2010.

[12] French Environmental Code, art. L220-1.

[13] Constitution of South Africa (1996), sec. 24

[14] D.R. Boyd. 2012.  The Environmental Rights Revolution: A Global Study of Constitutions, Human Rights, and the  Environment. Vancouver: University of British Columbia Press.

[15] See per instance, C. Jeffords and L. Minkler. 2016. “Do Constitutions Matter? The Effects of Constitutional Environmental Rights Provisions on Environmental Performance,” Kyklos 69(2): 295-334. or C. Jeffords. 2016. “On the Temporal Effects of Static Constitutional Environmental Rights provisions on Access to Improved Sanitation Facilities and Water Sources,” Journal of Human Rights and the Environment 7(1): 74-110.

About the Author

He chairs the Environment Commission of the Think Tank « Le Club des juristes », at the origin of the Global Pact for the Environment initiative.

He is the author or co-editor of numerous books and articles, such as «  A Global Pact for the Environment: Legal Foundations » , «  Droit public français et européen  » or «  Principios de Derecho Ambiental y Agenda 2030  »

Related content

The BIODEV2030 project, launched in early 2020 supports the country's development ambition, while…

IUCN welcomes with relief and gratitude the negotiated decisions on fishing subsidies made…

This report is the first step in identifying and targeting priority interventions and solutions…

Sign up for an IUCN newsletter

January 28, 2011

The Link between the Environment and Our Health

Would people care more about the environment if they had a better understanding of how it affects them personally?

On supporting science journalism

If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing . By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.

Dear EarthTalk : Aren’t environmental issues primarily about health? Detractors like to trivialize environmentalists as “tree huggers,” but the bottom line is that pollution makes us sick, right? Wouldn’t people care more if they had a better understanding of that?— Tim Douglas, Stowe, Vt. No doubt many of the ways we harm our environment come back to haunt us in the form of sickness and death. The realization that the pesticide-laced foods we eat, the smokestack-befouled air we breathe and the petrochemical-based products we use negatively affect our quality of life is a big part of the reason so many people have “gone green” in recent years. Just following the news is enough to green anyone. Scientific American reported in 2009 that a joint U.S./Swedish study looking into the effects of household contaminants discovered that children who live in homes with vinyl floors—which can emit hazardous chemicals called phthalates—are twice as likely to develop signs of autism as kids in other homes. Other studies have shown that women exposed to high levels of polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) flame retardants common in cushions, carpet padding and mattresses—97 percent of us have detectable levels of these chemicals in our bloodstreams—are more likely to have trouble getting pregnant and suffer from other fertility issues as a result. Cheaply produced drywall made in China can emit so much sulfur gas that it not only corrodes electrical wiring but also causes breathing problems, bloody noses and headaches for building occupants. The list goes on and on.... But perhaps trumping all of these examples is the potential disastrous health effects of global warming. Carbon dioxide emissions may not be directly responsible for health problems at or near their point of release, but in aggregate they can cause lots of distress. According to the Center for Health and the Global Environment at Harvard Medical School, climate change over the coming decades is likely to increase rates of allergies, asthma, heart disease and cancer, among other illnesses. Also, it is quite likely that, as global temperature rises, diseases that were previously found only in warmer areas of the world may show up increasingly in other, previously cooler areas, where people have not yet developed natural defenses against them. And the loss of rain forest that accompanies increases in temperature means less access to undiscovered medicines and degradation of the environment’s ability to sustain our species. Given the link between environmental problems and human health, more of us are realizing that what may seem like exorbitant up-front costs for environmental clean-up may well pay us dividends in the end when we see our overall health care costs go down and our loved ones living longer, healthier lives. To help bridge the understanding gap between environmental problems and human health, the nonprofit Environmental Health Sciences offers the free website, Environmental Health News , which features daily reports on research showing how man-made environmental problems correspond to a wide range of individual and public health problems. Even your local TV station or newspaper likely carries an occasional story about the health effects of environmental pollution. We don’t have to look very hard to find examples of environmental neglect leading to human suffering. But with newfound public awareness and the commitment of younger generations to a cleaner future, we are moving in a good direction. CONTACTS : Harvard Medical School Center for Health and the Global Environment, http://chge.med.harvard.edu ; Environmental Health News , www.environmentalhealthnews.org .

SEND YOUR ENVIRONMENTAL QUESTIONS TO: EarthTalk® , c/o E – The Environmental Magazine , P.O. Box 5098, Westport, CT 06881; [email protected] . E is a nonprofit publication. Subscribe : www.emagazine.com/subscribe ; Request a Free Trial Issue : www.emagazine.com/trial .

We use cookies to enhance our website for you. Proceed if you agree to this policy or learn more about it.

• Essay Database >
• Essay Examples >
• Essays Topics >
• Essay on Environment

Healthy Environment Essay

Type of paper: Essay

Topic: Environment , Children , Alcoholism , Health , Water , Life , Pollution , Policy

Published: 12/23/2019

ORDER PAPER LIKE THIS

This paper attempts to examine all the arguments that have been conducted regarding environmental policy. It reflects on the question whether pollution and cleanliness could co-exist and what policy is best suited to promote a healthier and cleaner environment. Lastly, the main points of the debate are summed to emphasize on the learning that has taken place.

Dear Larry,

POLLUTION AND CLEANLINESS CANNOT CO-EXIST Larry, after having series of discussions and countless debates with you regarding what leads us towards a healthier and a happier society, I could only find the answer within us; each and every individual is the answer to the survival that would follow with a healthy environment. It may be possible to have a polluted environment as well as healthier one as long as the polluted environment does not take over the healthy completely as to deprive the world wholly from cleanliness in every way. The rapidity with which we are cutting trees for our manufacturing purposes, the increase in vehicles, the pace with which rural areas are seemingly nowhere to be found these days, we are simply inviting trouble in our lives, as we are actually pushing away the nature from us. Have you ever calculated how if we keep killing (I would call this murder because even if the effect takes over indirectly, it does kill people) 4 billion trees each year, without planting any tree in its place, in less than 20 years, we would be panting for oxygen just like after a heavy run and the worst part is that we would only be taking in carbon monoxide by then. The vehicle increase and urbanization has allowed the worst of the gases to come out in the open. Drinking water from properly filtered tanks would not show me any benefits at the moment. However, in the long run, the clean water that has been squenching my thirst for years would finally take effect when I would stay active. You might be given the benefit of doubt about your habit as a child. Generally, if we get ourselves used to a certain habit as kids, we find ourselves immune to it. Nevertheless, all effects take worse forms during the last phase of life so keep hoping that the creek water keeps you healthy or start drinking clean water to wash away all toxins that may be piling up all these years. If pollution does no harm, then why does every child that is born today, is infected with jaundice? If a cleaner environment makes not much difference like the polluted one, then why are more people getting prone to asthma due to the vehicle emission? During the years 1989-2000, higher infant mortality rates were predicted when gynecologists understood the relation between air pollution and the infant development. In a study that was conducted in America, it was found in the year 2000 that the major cause of child asthma is exposure to bad air.

POLICY ON ENVIRONMENTAL WELFARE

If I were to design a policy on public safety and healthy environment, my goals would have been simple. I would put a full stop on tree cutting. Is health more important than the luxurious mahogany furniture to serve our comforts? If we are not living any longer, even the finely-made timber bed would not give us any comfort. My policy would put a ban on trees. If we are to cut trees, then we must ‘grow others too’. The rapidity of decline among trees is due to no replacement. We are not replacing the current trees with others. If lives are to be saved, then trees are to be grown. They are not merely shades, they are live saviors. The UV rays that have increased skin cancers are simply reaching us because of the trees that have been removed.

I would continue to assert the benefits of a healthier environment. It was a great experience to debate about the importance and to be familiarized with your ideas Larry. I came to discover my own points and even got a chance to reflect on my ideas deeply. To sum up the main points of our argument, we stressed on how environmental damage is disastrous, the need for a cleaner society, we also saw how the polluted world and a clean one cannot co-exist in any way and then we debated our policies on the environment.

Council, N. r. (2005, June 8). About Us: An NRDC organization. Retrieved July 10, 2012, from An NRDC website: http://www.nrdc.org/health/effects/fasthma.asp Material, H. (2005). Health Promotion International. Oxford Journal, 20, 101-103. Ritz, B. (2008). Air pollution impacts on Infants and children. California: UCLA departments of epidemiology.

Cite this page

Share with friends using:

Removal Request

Finished papers: 845

This paper is created by writer with

ID 278499186

If you want your paper to be:

Well-researched, fact-checked, and accurate

Original, fresh, based on current data

Eloquently written and immaculately formatted

275 words = 1 page double-spaced

Get your papers done by pros!

Other Pages

Gender discrimination argumentative essays, labor party research papers, tick research papers, metabolite research papers, popsicle research papers, gehrig research papers, laceration research papers, shallows research papers, grenade research papers, the effects of task completed more than once in regards to students cheating and research paper sample, example of essay on reply post to name nursing philosophies compared, the normative model essay example, time money value slp essay examples, the millennuim and the thousand years of revelation 20 1 6 research paper example, essay on back to school personal, leadership teambuilding and communication essay sample, south korea transportation safety research paper, example of essay on unjust laws and racism, obama care and it 039 s negative effects on the us research paper, young public leaders struggle in maintaining strict ethical standards because they essays examples, good example of research paper on truman doctrines, free essay about short response 5, free research paper on main options, essay on women rights, scn llp investment research paper sample, us food regulation research paper examples, techniques for providing potable and fresh water to arid regions report examples, renick essays, lovato essays, axelrod essays, filial essays, episodic essays, john stuart essays, urban agriculture essays, food security essays, farr essays, nicholas essays, acta essays, alter essays, downstream essays, costco wholesale essays, bjs wholesale club essays.

Password recovery email has been sent to [email protected]

Use your new password to log in

You are not register!

By clicking Register, you agree to our Terms of Service and that you have read our Privacy Policy .

Now you can download documents directly to your device!

Check your email! An email with your password has already been sent to you! Now you can download documents directly to your device.

or Use the QR code to Save this Paper to Your Phone

The sample is NOT original!

Short on a deadline?

Don't waste time. Get help with 11% off using code - GETWOWED

No, thanks! I'm fine with missing my deadline

Essay On Environment and Human Health

This essay examines how the environment affects human health and how humans can take steps to improve their health by protecting their environment. It looks at the importance of clean air, water, and food for human health, and how environmental pollution can have a negative effect on human health. It also explores the potential of natural remedies to improve the health of both humans and the environment.

Environment and human health are closely related. The environment we live in has a huge impact on our health and wellbeing. We depend on a healthy environment to provide us with the food, water and air we need to survive. If our environment is polluted or damaged, it can lead to poor health and illness. We can help protect our environment and our health by taking steps such as reducing our use of chemicals, recycling, and conserving energy. By doing these things, we can help reduce air, water, and soil pollution. We can also protect our environment from further damage by reducing waste and using natural resources responsibly. It is also important to make sure that the food we eat is safe and healthy. Eating foods grown without pesticides or chemicals can help reduce our exposure to chemicals that can harm us. It is also important to support sustainable farming practices to help preserve our environment for future generations. Finally, we can take steps to protect our environment and our health by educating ourselves and others about the importance of protecting our environment. We can also get involved in local initiatives that help to protect our environment and our health. By protecting our environment, we will be protecting our health and the health of generations to come.

FAQs Related to Essay On Environment and Human Health

1. what is the relationship between environment and human health.

The relationship between environment and human health is very close and complex. Our environment can have a significant impact on our physical, mental, and emotional health, both directly and indirectly. For example, air pollution can cause respiratory diseases, including asthma, lung cancer, and chronic bronchitis.

2. What are the environmental factors that can cause disease?

Environmental factors that can cause disease include exposure to toxins such as air pollution, water pollution, and chemicals; ultraviolet radiation; physical agents such as noise, radiation, and extreme temperatures; and biological agents such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites. Poor nutrition, inadequate housing, and overcrowding can also contribute to the risk of developing certain diseases.

3. What are the most common environmental health hazards?

The most common environmental health hazards are air pollution, water pollution, lead poisoning, exposure to hazardous chemicals, ultraviolet radiation, and indoor air pollution.

4. What are the health effects of air pollution?

Air pollution can cause numerous health effects, including asthma, respiratory irritation, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. Long-term exposure to air pollution can also lead to decreased life expectancy.

5. What are the health effects of water pollution?

Water pollution can cause numerous health effects, including digestive problems, skin irritation, reproductive problems, and neurological problems. It is also linked to cancer and can contaminate drinking water supplies.

6. What is indoor air pollution and what health effects can it cause?

Indoor air pollution is caused by the presence of hazardous particles and gases, such as radon, formaldehyde, and asbestos, in the air. It can cause a range of health effects, including respiratory and cardiovascular problems, as well as cancer.

7. What are the health effects of poor nutrition?

Poor nutrition can lead to a range of health problems, including obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and anemia. It can also lead to weakened immune systems, cognitive impairment, and stunted growth.

8. What are the health effects of exposure to natural disasters?

Exposure to natural disasters can lead to physical and psychological health problems, such as trauma, anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

9. What are the impacts of environmental pollution on human health?

Environmental pollution can have a variety of negative impacts on human health. These can range from short-term illnesses such as headaches, dizziness, and nausea to more serious long-term conditions such as respiratory diseases, cancer, and heart disease.

You should not Miss This:

• Essay on Pollution Due to Firecrackers
• Human Disease: What is Cancer?
• Pollution of Air and Water
• Essay on Selling Tobacco should be banned
• Essay on Effects of Erosion
• Essay On Alcohol and Nervous System
• Wastewater Story
• Essay on Smoking in public places should be banned

Related Articles

Colorful Rainbow Crafts for Kids

Craftwork is not limited to kids, in fact, it’s not confined to any age limit. By doing craftwork our creativity increases. We are in school,…

Easy Butterfly Crafts for Kids – Catch the Flying Butterfly

I am super excited for the spring and all the fun that it brings: playing in the park, jumping in the mud puddles, riding bikes,…

Easy Apple Craft Ideas For Kids

We all know about apples, it’s a fruit which we all have eaten once or more than a thousand times. It has so many benefits…

Pipe Cleaner Crafts for Kids

At first glance, pipe cleaners might seem like a weird thing to use for craft. However, once you discover the innumerable possibilities of this DIY…

Best Preschool and Childcare in Aurora (USA)

Are you searching for the best preschool and childcare in Aurora then you are at the right place because here is a list of the…

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Essay on Importance Of Environment

Students are often asked to write an essay on Importance Of Environment in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Importance Of Environment

What is the environment.

The environment is everything around us. It includes the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the land we live on. It’s home to all living things, not just people, but also plants and animals. Keeping it clean and safe is very important for our health and survival.

Why the Environment Matters

A healthy environment gives us clean air and water, which are essential for life. It also provides food and materials for shelter. If we harm our surroundings, we hurt ourselves, because we depend on nature for our basic needs.

Protecting Our Future

Taking care of the environment means looking after our planet for future generations. If we use up resources or pollute our world, there might not be enough left for kids in the future. We must act now to ensure a green and healthy Earth for everyone.

Also check:

• Speech on Importance Of Environment

250 Words Essay on Importance Of Environment

Our environment is like our home. It is where we live, eat, breathe, and play. Just like we keep our houses clean, we need to keep our environment clean too. It gives us air, water, food, and everything we need to live. If we don’t take care of it, it can’t take care of us.

Air and Water

Think about the air we breathe and the water we drink. They come from our environment. If we make the air and water dirty, it’s bad for our health. We can get sick from dirty air and water. So, keeping them clean is very important for us to stay healthy.

Plants and Animals

Plants give us oxygen and food. Animals can be our friends and they also give us food. They all live in the environment. If we hurt the environment, we also hurt the plants and animals. This is not good because we need them to live a happy and healthy life.

We also need to think about our future. If we don’t take care of the environment now, it might not be a nice place for us or our children in the future. We want to have clean air, water, and a beautiful world to live in for a very long time.

In short, the environment is very important for our health, for the animals and plants, and for our future. We should always remember to keep it clean and safe. It’s like taking care of our own big home where everyone lives together.

500 Words Essay on Importance Of Environment

The environment is everything that is around us. It includes the air we breathe, the water we drink, the park where we play, and even the street where we walk. It’s the trees, animals, rivers, and mountains. The environment is our home, and we share it with every living thing on Earth.

Why the Environment is Important

Firstly, the environment gives us the basic things we need to stay alive. This includes clean air, water, and food. Without these, we cannot survive. Trees help make the air clean, rivers and lakes give us water, and the soil is where our food grows. If we don’t take care of the environment, we could lose these important things.

Secondly, the environment is important because it is where we live. We build our homes and cities in it. We play, learn, and grow in it. If the environment is dirty or damaged, it can make us sick. For example, if the air is full of smoke, it can be hard to breathe, and dirty water can make us ill.

Animals and Plants Need the Environment

Animals and plants live in the environment too. They need clean air, water, and a safe place to live. If we harm the environment, we also harm them. Many animals and plants are in danger because their homes are being destroyed. We need to protect them because they are part of our world, and they help the environment stay healthy.

The Environment and Our Future

Taking care of the environment is also about thinking of the future. What we do today can help make sure that the environment is a good place for us and for children who are not yet born. If we use too many resources, like cutting down too many trees or using too much water, there might not be enough left for the future. We need to use things carefully and try to reduce waste.

What Can We Do?

There are many things we can do to help the environment. We can recycle things like paper, plastic, and glass instead of throwing them away. We can save water by turning off the tap when we brush our teeth. We can plant trees and take care of the plants in our gardens. Even walking or riding a bike instead of using a car can help reduce pollution.

In conclusion, the environment is very important. It gives us what we need to live, it is where we spend our lives, and it is home to many other living things. We must protect and take care of it. By doing small things to help the environment, we are making a big difference for our planet and for the future. Let’s all work together to keep our environment clean, safe, and beautiful!

That’s it! I hope the essay helped you.

If you’re looking for more, here are essays on other interesting topics:

• Essay on Importance Of Entertainment
• Essay on Importance Of Electricity In Our Daily Life
• Essay on Importance Of Effective Communication

Apart from these, you can look at all the essays by clicking here .

Happy studying!

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Importance Of Healthy Environment Essay

Show More A healthy environment is an essential part of life. One goal that is addressed in the healthy people two thousand twenty is environmental health. The objective is to promote health through a healthy environment. The environmental factors that are being focused on right now are outdoor air quality, surface and ground water quality, toxic substance and hazardous waste, global health environment, and climate change. Nurses and their patients are affected in numerous ways by all of these issues, and it is the nurses’ goal to be an activist and raise awareness to patients. By doing those simple things it will allow them to achieve a much healthier environment for all. According to the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion [ODPHP] …show more content… These hazardous conditions are the cause of death, disease, and disability around the world. Some examples of environmental-related causes that are linked to a strong environmental component are malaria, respiratory diseases, diarrheal, and numerous vehicle diseases. A nurses main goals is to eliminate health disparities. Nurses are the heart of directly caring for those who have faced global health challenges. Nurses can team up and collaborate with other nurses within different borders to teach different beneficial health care policies around the world. They can gain insight and help to expand nurses’ capacity globally, communicate ideas, and best …show more content… According to Afazal (2007), “Over the last 100 years the average temperature on the earth as risen approximately one degree. Energy related C02 emissions have risen, and the ice cap is shrinking.” States the Online Journal of issues in nursing . The world is changing and it has the potential to lead to natural disasters that could be devastating to nurses and patients. These disasters put everyone at risk for different health disparities due to losses of homes, injury, and inadequate amounts of safety. One way nurses are able to get involved is to join committees and faith organizations to reduce global warming. They can teach the public about global warming and climate change. Nurses can give examples of ways to reduce the bad habits and to use alternative earth friendly changes in their everyday lives. Nurses can take personal action by making choices at home, the work place, and communities to reduce the amount of pollutants and natural disaster causing risk factors. Nursing is a very caring trusted profession. As nurses begin to understand and see the side effects of all environmental issues such as air quality, water quality, global environmental factors, and climate change the advocacy roles and roles in planning and care delivery will evolve. Nurses will make an impact on patient care directly and indirectly. They are prepared to contribute to saving lives by improving health through advocacy,

Related Documents

Value based health care.

In the IOM Report, The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health, nurses are called to take a larger role in America’s health system. They are asked to practice to the full extent of their education, achieve advanced levels of education and training, and be invested partners with physicians and other health care partners. All three of these models will require nurses to be successful. By answering the call of the IOM report and the ACA, nurses have the opportunity to not only improve the nation’s health, but also strengthen their…

Impact Of Iom Report On Nursing

We as a nurse and nursing student are trying our level best to peruse higher level of education to develop our nursing practice in order to provide quality care. Nurses are switching their roles of management and provider level and not limiting to bedside care. Nurses are performing new roles such as nursing director, nurse manager, housing director, chief nursing office and chief executive officer to meet the IOM report goals. Nursing roles such as nurse care coordinator, case manager, assessment and referral nurse, patient safety nurse, emergency management director, nurse coach, and chief nursing informatics officer are on the rise to fulfil health care shortage. Nurses are expanding and changing their careers to meet the IOM goals and to provide seamless, affordable, and quality…

Jean Watson Research Paper

I think it is really important in this aspect of nursing, to include teaching and prevention practices, because to keep one’s level of health at optimal levels, they must understand why it is important to live a healthy lifestyle now and also how to live a healthy lifestyle based on their own personal…

NURS 421: A Career As A Nursing Student

As a nursing student, I have a personal and professional interest in contributing to the health of individuals, families, and communities. In particular, I have a pronounced interest in global health matters, specifically related to environmental and women’s health. During the winter semester of my freshman year, I had the pleasure of taking of NURS 421: Perspectives in Global Health. From discussing issues ranging from child malnutrition and HIV/AIDS to postpartum health, the course expanded my knowledge of global health challenges.…

Community Health Promotion Paper

Nurses are in the position to educate and empower the community by providing health care information and preventive measures. It starts by educating the community and organizing a biweekly health promotion event about healthy lifestyle such as not drinking alcohol, not using tobacco, importance of exercise, healthy diet and lifestyle. Organizing an end of the month health event to engage and educate the community about health prevention and health promotion. It is important to encourage the schools to enforce a tobacco free policy for faculty staff, students, and visitors. It is also a good idea to organize a free biweekly exercise program for the community residents.…

Reflective Essay On Nursing Education

Preparing for this assignment required thoughtful preparation that resulted in an educational experience for myself the student. Listening intently to the Institute of Medicine released report 10/05/10 video (HTTP://iom.edu/reports/2010/the future of nursing-leading-change-advancing health.aspx) lead to excitement for me as a nurse. The Institute of Medicine report discussed the Future of Nursing: Leading change, Advancing Health. I was very surprised to learn that there were at least three million nurses in the healthcare workforce in 2010, imagine what those numbers might look like today. Hopefully nurses will consider this, will we see as a nation see a significant change in those three million nurses when the baby boomers retire.…

The Young Invincibles Summary

After reading the article written by David Amsden called the Young Invincibles, I’ve build an interest in the problem of young individuals, mostly students, who live without health insurance and the impact it has on their life. These young adult picture such inspiring minds and work hard in school to build a future, while also trying to find ways to pay their bills and build their dreams by attending school. The main focus was discussing the subtle ways, by means of living without any health insurance and the way it changes the behavior of these young individuals and the way they think. The impact this places on them, varies in a significant number of ways. For example, any illness or life and death situation this person may encounter, the recovery and quality of speed they’re entitled to depends mostly on their health insurance, with the number of days for treatments they’re able to receive.…

Nursing Leadership Research Paper

Nurses must take a role in leadership to advance changes in healthcare policy, to keep up with changing technology, and promote…

Public Health Nurse's Role In Health Promotion

1. Describe briefly how you participated in the community engagement health promotion activities and the key learnings from these activities. a. How did you ensure that your interventions were socially and culturally appropriate for the population served (IA)? • As a class we had a discussion and survey about the needs of a diverse college population, and concluded that students are faced with a lot of stress. Which is something we knew being students ourselves.…

Nursing Philosophy Statement

As a child, I dreamed of becoming a nurse. My dream formed my actions and decisions throughout my life. What I desired was to help others. I have spent over four decades as a nurse. Of all my nursing experiences, I believe teaching is the most fulfilling that I have had.…

Roles Of A Nurse For Health Promotion

Not only should health promotion be implemented by the health care provider, but it is crucial that public policies acknowledge the way in which health is affected by education, housing, industry, social welfare, and environmental planning (McMurray & Clendon, 2015). Agency and community nurses must also approach health care with a holistic approach, especially when there is awareness that community members lack basic necessities, knowledge and experience (Bailie, McDonald, Stevens, Guthridge & Brewster, 2011). The nurse treats patients by not only providing general health care methods, but also encouraging lifestyle adjustments to enable recovery and prevention (Yi-erh, Sendall, Fleming & Lidstone, 2013). In order for the determinants of health to improve, certain community resources and facilities are…

The Impact Of The Iom Report On Nursing Education

In 2010 the Institute of Medicine published a report called The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health. It discusses how nurses can make changes to create a greater role in America’s healthcare system. It encourages nurses to become more educated and to take on leadership roles. It also talks about nurses working in partnership with physicians and other highly trained healthcare professionals. Therefore, nurses should study this report and see what kind of changes they can make in their own practice.…

Nursing Role In Policy Making Essay

Nurses can influence public policy through an advocacy role. Advocacy includes the process of influencing someone to at least consider one’s point of view. Nurses observe the positives and negatives of the current health care system, which enable them to identify needs and concerns related to the care patients currently receive. The first step in the legislative process is the identification of an issue or a problem. The issue can be simple as a desire to give public recognition to a person or event or else an issue of a more complex nature.…

Standards Of Public Health Nursing

Public health nursing is defined by the American Nurses Association (ANA) as nursing practice that focuses on the health of the population through continuous surveillance and assessment of multiple elements related to health with the intent to promote health and wellness; prevent disease, disability, and premature death and improve neighborhood quality of life (p.2). Public health nurses are advocates for change to help improve the health of the whole community including private, public, and non-governmental organizations (p.3). “The standards of professional nursing practice are authoritative statements of the duties that all registered nurses, regardless of role, population, or specialty, are expected to perform competently” (ANA p. 27).…

Importance Of Environmental Pollution Essay

Environmental Pollution Pollution is the one of the biggest problem in the earth. Pollution means environmental bad effects which are harmful and dangerous for human life. It has changed our environment for past couple years, and it’s getting worse and worse. One big cause of pollution is that humans don’t care enough about our environment. There are many categories of pollution like water pollution, land pollution, and air pollution.…

Related Topics

• Health care
• Public health
• Health disparities
• Environment

Ready To Get Started?

• Create Flashcards
• Mobile apps
•   Facebook
•   Twitter
• Cookie Settings

• Publications
• Virtual Health Library
• Virtual Campus for Public Health
• PAHO/WHO Collaborating Centres
• Track your shipment
• Regional Revolving Funds
• The Decade of Healthy Aging
• Elimination Initiative
• Migration and Health in the Americas
• HEARTS in the Americas
• Sustainable Health Agenda for the Americas 2018-2030
• Alerts and Epidemiologic Updates
• Technical and Scientific Products
• Resources for Journalists
• News Releases
• Country News
• Technical Unit News
• Infographics
• Champions of Health
• Public Health Heroes
• Collaborators
• Past campaigns
• PAHO/WHO Newsletters
• PAHO Calendars
• History of PAHO
• PAHO's Former Directors
• Organizational Chart
• Statement of Assessed Contributions due from Member States
• Communicable Disease Prevention, Control, and Elimination
• Comprehensive Immunization
• Evidence and Intelligence for Action in Health
• Innovation, Access to Medicines and Health Technologies
• Social and Environmental Determinants for Health Equity
• Health Emergencies
• Health Systems and Services
• Noncommunicable Diseases and Mental Health
• Pan American Sanitary Conference
• Directing Council
• Executive Committee
• Subcommittee on Program, Budget and Administration
• Internships
• Partnerships
• Office of Internal Audit

World Health Day 2024 - 'My health, my right’

April 7, 2024

Around the world, the right to health of millions is increasingly coming under threat.

Diseases and disasters loom large as causes of death and disability.

Conflicts are devastating lives, causing death, pain, hunger and psychological distress.

The burning of fossil fuels is simultaneously driving the climate crisis and taking away our right to breathe clean air, with indoor and outdoor air pollution claiming a life every 5 seconds.

The WHO Council on the Economics of Health for All has found that at least 140 countries recognize health as a human right in their constitution. Yet countries are not passing and putting into practice laws to ensure their populations are entitled to access health services. This underpins the fact that at least 4.5 billion people — more than half of the world’s population — were not fully covered by essential health services in 2021.

To address these types of challenges, the theme for World Health Day 2024 is  'My health, my right’.

This year’s theme was chosen to champion the right of everyone, everywhere to have access to quality health services, education, and information, as well as safe drinking water, clean air, good nutrition, quality housing, decent working and environmental conditions, and freedom from discrimination.

Link to communication material

Key messages

Human rights factsheet (WHO)

Human Rights and Health

Universal Health

Air Quality

Health Equity