The path to planetary health

Atty. Gloria Ramos

The wildfires raging in Northern California for a week have already claimed 40 lives; 100,000 persons were under evacuation orders; and at least 5,400 homes destroyed, not to mention hectares of burnt trees and the species of wildlife they host.

Associated Press reports that these “firestorms” are the “deadliest group of simultaneous blazes in California history.”

Stories of survival and heroism are emerging. One bright spot in this cataclysm was a news about a family dog, Izzy, who was thought not to have survived when the house burned to the ground. A video of him emerging largely unscathed has gone viral and shared more than 4,000 times on social media.

The news brings to our attention the fact that animals are as heavily impacted as humans when calamities strike but rarely do they get the attention that humans do.

Undoubtedly, biodiversity is affected by climate change. Ocean acidification resulting from warmer waters is already harming the Great Barrier Reef, a World Heritage site. Author Naomi Klein accurately describes what is happening beneath our seas by describing it as “silent, watery death,” in contrast to the vivid and “dramatic storm or wildfire” which can be captured real time.

All these extreme weather events are tell-tale signs of an ailing home planet earth. Time is not on our side, but we must do our best to restore planetary health.

Planetary health is defined as “the health of human civilization and the state of the natural systems on which it depends. It calls urgent attention to the extensive degradation of our planet for human advancement and aims to reverse this trend by better balancing human needs with the preservation of the Earth, thereby sustaining the health and well-being of future generations.

To accomplish this, the concept also calls for a multidisciplinary, cross-sector, and trans-border approach to change mindsets and behaviors at every level, from global to local. If the planetary health community hopes to achieve these ambitious goals, then the concept of planetary health needs to quickly translate from a vast concept into a practical roadmap that guides decision making.

All levels of society and government will ultimately need to be engaged to make lasting change. However, to make substantial progress quickly, the planetary health community should first focus on decision makers in the public and private sectors, at the global and national levels, who have the power and resources to affect the mindsets and behavior of large numbers of people” (https://www.rockefellerfoundation.org/report/planetary-health-landscape-concept-action).

“The Rockefeller Foundation and the medical journal The Lancet formed The Rockefeller Foundation-Lancet Commission on Planetary Health. In July 2015, the commission published a special report—Safeguarding Human Health in the Anthropocene Epoch—which explored the scientific basis for creating Planetary Health as a new field” (https://www.rockefellerfoundation.org/our-work/initiatives/planetary-health).

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) looks at “planetary health as critical to achieving sustainable development across the economic, social, and environmental spheres.”

The University of the Philippines (UP) in Cebu recently hosted a Global Seminar entitled “Governance Challenges for Planetary Health and Sustainable Development in Southeast Asia” in partnership with the United Nations University-International Institute of Global Health (UNU-IIGH). UNU-IIGH is a global health think tank for the United Nations and builds knowledge and capacity for decision-making about global health issues within the UN system.

Participated by graduate and undergraduate students, UP Cebu Chancellor Attorney Liza D. Corro welcomed the speakers and the participants. Dr. Obijiofor Aginam, deputy director, UNU-IIGH provided the Overview of the UNU Global Seminar.

The keynote speech on “Human Health and Sustainable Development” was delivered by Dr. Teodoro Herbosa, UP executive vice president, University of the Philippines. Our very own activist people’s doctor, Dr. Romeo Quijano, also Professor of Pharmacology and Toxicology at the College of Medicine, UP Manila, shared his insights and rich experience on the topic “Health, Environment and People Empowerment.”

Dr. Prof Mohd Nordin Hasan, professor emeritus, Institute for Environment and Development (LESTARI), National University Malaysia spoke on “Adopting a systems approach to enhance the creation, synthesis, and application of interdisciplinary knowledge to strengthen planetary health.”

Lecturers likewise included Dr. Oginam who touched the topic on “Governance of Planetary Health: Mapping the key Challenges”; Dr. Suneetha Subramanian, Senior Visiting Research Fellow, UNU-IAS “Science-Policy Interface for Biodiversity, Planetary Health and Sustainable Development”; Dr. Weena Gerra of UP Cebu on “Revisiting the Global Sustainable Development Agenda: Challenges and Opportunities in Integrated Approaches”; and this columnist, representing Oceana, on “Planetary Health and Climate Change: Emerging Issues and Sustainable Solutions in Southeast Asia,” sharing the challenges and milestones in fighting overfishing, pushing for sustainable fisheries management and protecting iconic places in our megadiverse country, with focus on the campaigns in Tañon Strait and Benham Bank.

It was quite an enriching activity, with the speakers inspired by the interesting questions and perspectives from our highly engaged young professionals and students on a range of issues that demand action from both decision-makers and the citizenry. Kudos to Chancellor Corro, Dr. Gerra, Dr. Oginam, Jesse Cheah and the secretariat for a job well done.

There is no doubt that these cadres of well-informed participants, in collaboration with like-minded constituents, will pave the way for more reforms in governance to ensure resiliency of both people and ecosystems.

As UNDP’s Helen Clarke has said, “Now is the time to act. The health of all people and our planet depends on that.”