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ARTIGO ARTICLE
Global environmental health and sustainable development:
the role at Rio+20

Saúde ambiental global e desenvolvimento sustentável:


o papel na Rio+20

Gregg Lawrence Furie 1


John Balbus 2

Abstract The Rio+20 United Nations Confer- Resumo A Conferência da ONU Rio +20 sobre
ence on Sustainable Development represents a cru- desenvolvimento sustentável representa uma opor-
cial opportunity to place environmental health at tunidade crucial para colocar a saúde ambiental à
the forefront of the sustainable development agen- frente da agenda de desenvolvimento sustentável.
da. Billions of people living in low- and middle- Bilhões de pessoas que vivem em países de baixa e
income countries continue to be afflicted by pre- média renda continuarão a ser afligidas por doen-
ventable diseases due to modifiable environmen- ças evitáveis devido a exposições ambientais mo-
tal exposures, causing needless suffering and per- dificáveis causando sofrimento desnecessário e per-
petuating a cycle of poverty. Current processes of petuando um ciclo de pobreza. Processos de desen-
economic development, while alleviating many volvimento econômico atuais, enquanto aliviam
social and health problems, are increasingly linked muitos problemas de saúde e sociais, estão cada vez
to environmental health threats, ranging from air mais ligados a ameaças de saúde ambiental, abran-
pollution and physical inactivity to global climate gendo desde poluição do ar e inatividade física até
change. Sustainable development practices attempt mudanças climáticas globais. Práticas de desen-
to reduce environmental impacts and should, in volvimento sustentável tentam reduzir o impacto
theory, reduce adverse environmental health con- ambiental e deveriam, em teoria, reduzir as con-
sequences compared to traditional development. sequências adversas da saúde ambiental em rela-
Yet these efforts could also result in unintended ção ao desenvolvimento tradicional. Ainda assim,
harm and impaired economic development if the esses esforços podem também resultar em danos
new “Green Economy” is not carefully assessed for não intencionais e em pior desenvolvimento eco-
adverse environmental and occupational health nômico se a nova “Economia Verde” não for cui-
impacts. The environmental health community dadosamente avaliada para impactos na saúde
1
has an essential role to play in underscoring these ambiental e ocupacional adversos. A comunidade
Robert Wood Johnson
Foundation Clinical relationships as international leaders gather to da saúde ambiental tem um papel essencial para
Scholars Program, Yale craft sustainable development policies. desempenhar, enfatizando estas relações enquanto
School of Medicine. 333 Keywords Sustainable development, Environmen- líderes internacionais se reúnem para criar políti-
Cedar Street SHM IE-61
PO Box 208088. 06520 tal health, Global health, Climate change, Rio+20 cas de desenvolvimento sustentável.
New Haven CT USA. Palavras-chave Desenvolvimento sustentável,
john.balbus@nih.gov Saúde ambiental, Saúde global, Mudança climáti-
2
National Institute of
Environmental Health ca, Rio +20
Sciences
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Furie GL, Balbus J

Introduction ronmental exposures. Avoiding the unintended


consequences of development on the environ-
The Rio+20 United Nations Conference on Sus- ment and health is essential to achieving sustain-
tainable Development represents a timely oppor- ability objectives.
tunity to identify key linkages between environmen- The environmental health community can
tal health and sustainable development objectives. make three key contributions to achieving sus-
In principle, sustainable development - frequently tainable development objectives: 1) supporting
defined as “development that meets the needs of efforts to reduce modifiable environmental expo-
the present without compromising the ability of sures that continue to perpetuate poverty in low-
future generations to meet their own needs”1 - and middle-income countries (LMICs); 2) char-
holds promise as a model by which to alleviate acterizing the environmental impacts of existing
global poverty while avoiding the unintended ad- industries, technologies, and land-use patterns
verse economic, social, and environmental conse- that are harmful to human health and 3) foresee-
quences that have accompanied traditional mod- ing potential unintended health effects of “green”
els of economic development. Accomplishing this technologies, industries, and occupations that will
lofty and complex goal will require collaborations evolve out of efforts to promote sustainability.
across sectors and disciplines, including crucial in-
put from the environmental health community. Environmental Health Affects
Health is both a precondition for and prod- Economic Development
uct of economic development2. Poor health- of-
ten a consequence of environmental exposures- Many environmental exposures contribute to
traps populations in poverty, and therefore must poor population health, which in turn constrains
be addressed to achieve development goals. A economic growth. Lost productivity due to pre-
number of frameworks employed to help under- mature death, chronic disability, or limited edu-
stand interactions between health and other eco- cational attainment compromises the economic
nomic sectors can illustrate an intersectoral ap- well being of individuals while financial losses due
proach to alleviating environmental health prob- to an unhealthy labor force strain entire indus-
lems. The DPSIR (Driver-Pressure-State-Impact- tries2. In addition, high childhood mortality rates
Response) model (see Figure 1) is particularly – a common consequence of communicable dis-
useful in describing how economic development eases associated with poor environmental quali-
policies and practices can ultimately impact hu- ty – may result in higher birth rates and larger
man health by influencing landscapes and envi- family sizes. Sharing finite resources amongst
more individuals can trap families in a cycle of
poverty3. Environmentally mediated diseases
often take their greatest toll among the most vul-
nerable populations, thus impeding economic
Driving force Response
Transport
growth where it is most needed.
Agriculture Strong Transport policy It is estimated that 24% of the total global
Industry  Agricultural policy
Regional policy
burden of disease – measured in disability-ad-
Energy
Energy policy justed life years (DALYs) – can be attributed to
Pressure modifiable environmental risk factors4, 90% of


Waste release/emissions Medium which occurs in the developing world. More-


Land take  Emission limits
Landscape modification Planning guidance/control over, within LMICs, young populations are dis-
proportionately affected4, robbing societies of
State those individuals with greatest potential for pro-


Quality guidelines/
Pollution standards ductivity and compounding other challenges to
Habitat loss Weak Habitat designation
Hydrological adjustments  poverty reduction. Among those under the age
Monitoring
Climate change Remediation of 15, 34% of the total burden of disease can be
Impact attributed to the environment as compared to



Biodiversity 17% among those aged 15 or older4. Lower res-


Landscape quality piratory tract infections, diarrheal illnesses, ma-
Human health laria, childhood cluster conditions, neglected
tropical infections, and undernutrition are large-
Figure 1. DPSIR Framework. Source: EU Integrated ly responsible for this difference. While commu-
Environmental Health Impact Assessment System. http:// nicable diseases closely associated with poverty
www.integrated-assessment.eu/ represent a large fraction of the overall environ-
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mental burden, non-communicable diseases The high and rising prevalence of non-com-
(NCDs) and unintentional injuries, which also municable diseases in LMICs threatens econom-
disproportionately affect younger populations in ic growth. In the absence of efforts to slow this
LMICs, make important contributions as well. trajectory in LMICs, diabetes, cardiovascular dis-
ease, chronic respiratory disease, and cancer are
Communicable Diseases projected to result in US$500 billion in annual
Lower respiratory infections and diarrheal ill- economic losses between 2011 and 2025, equiva-
nesses, by far the leading contributors to envi- lent to 4% of their combined GDP in 201010. One
ronmentally mediated disease burden and mor- study found that a 10% increase in mortality due
tality, represent two of the top five overall causes to NCDs was associated with a 0.5% decrease in
of death globally5. In the developing world, 41% economic growth11. Environmental hazards con-
of lower respiratory tract infections are due to tribute to this economic burden. A 2007 study
indoor air pollution from burning biomass as a by the World Bank found that the health impacts
household energy source and 94% of diarrheal of urban air pollution in China resulted in eco-
illnesses result from inadequate access to sanita- nomic losses equivalent to up to 3.7% of China’s
tion and uncontaminated water4. GDP, three-quarters of which was attributed to
Providing universal access to clean water and lost productivity due to premature mortality12.
sanitation within LMICs could, through reduced Like communicable diseases, the burden of
incidence of diarrheal disease alone, yield estimated NCDs is borne disproportionately by younger
annual savings of US$1.7 billion in reduced health populations in low- and middle-income countries,
care costs, US$203 million from avoided non-med- where 29% of deaths due to NCDs occur before
ical household expenditures (e.g. transportation to the age of 60, as compared to 13% in high-income
healthcare facilities), US$3.5 billion from avoided countries8. Vulnerable populations that are most
lost days of work and school, and US$7.3 billion susceptible to death or disability from NCDs due
from prevented premature mortality6. An addi- to limited access to preventive care or treatment are
tional benefit would be the recovered economic the least equipped to cope with resultant losses in
value of convenience time (i.e. time no longer de- productivity8. Treatment of chronic diseases re-
voted to hauling water or traveling to sanitation quires significant ongoing expenditures – a cost
facilities), estimated at US$158 billion annually. born primarily by individuals LMICs – that eat
Malaria, the fourth leading cause of DALYs away at income or force individuals to forego ther-
attributable to the environment- nearly all of apy. LMICs, whose healthcare delivery systems
which occurs in the developing world-, can also are already strained and underfunded, may expe-
serve as an impediment to economic growth. rience even greater financial challenges in the face of
Gallup and Sachs found that, all else being equal, rising prevalence of NCDs.
countries with a high burden of malaria grew
1.3% less per person annually than those with- Unintentional Injuries
out malaria, and that reducing the burden of Environmental factors are responsible for a
malaria by 10% was associated with a 0.3% great- greater proportion of disease burden due to un-
er rate of economic growth7. intentional injuries in the developing world4.
Unintentional injuries- including the leading
Noncommunicable Diseases cause, road traffic injuries- result in three times
Noncommunicable diseases, many of which as many DALYs per 100,000 population in the
have linkages to the environment, are the leading LMICs as compared to high-income countries13.
cause of mortality worldwide and their contribu- Furthermore, road traffic accidents, occupational
tion to total mortality is rising in the face of shift- injuries, falls, and unintentional poisonings dis-
ing disease risk factors8. They account for nearly proportionately affect younger age groups, con-
45% of the overall disease burden in LMICs, with tributing to premature mortality and disability.
cardiovascular disease, chronic respiratory dis- The annual economic cost of road traffic injuries
ease, cancer, neuropsychiatric disease, and diabe- in LMICs has been estimated at US$65 billion.
tes making significant contributions5. Exposure
to indoor and outdoor air pollution, chemicals, Economic Development Affects
dust, heavy metals, and infectious agents repre- Environmental Health
sent important environmental risk factors. The
built environment has been implicated more re- Economic development has undoubtedly been
cently as a determinant of NCDs, mediated large- accompanied by dramatic improvements in hu-
ly through its effects on physical activity9. man health but, paradoxically, has been accompa-
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Furie GL, Balbus J

nied by new environmental threats that can under- combustion, represents another significant and
mine these gains. Access to clean water, sanitation, inequitable threat to public health15,16.
improved sources of household energy, perinatal Changes in the natural environment due to
care, vaccinations, and adequate nutrition have vir- anthropogenic climate change present numerous
tually eliminated the traditional scourges of envi- threats to human health. Extreme heat, more in-
ronmental health in high-income countries. Com- tense and frequent weather events, and exacer-
plex healthcare delivery systems and advances in bation of the effects of air pollution have direct
medical therapies and technologies have com- impacts on human health. Changing distribu-
pounded the impact of these achievements. tions of vector- and water-borne diseases, forced
Yet the very process of economic development migration due to sea level rise or desertification,
(enabled in part, as discussed, by improvements and disruption of vital ecosystem services result
in population health) has also resulted in unin- in indirect health effects.
tended adverse environmental health effects me- Although uncertainties exist, it is estimated
diated largely by environmental contamination, that in the year 2000, an excess of 160,000 deaths
exploitation of natural resources, and poorly in- and over 5 million DALYs occurred as a conse-
formed land-use decisions. Population growth, quence of climatic change that had occurred over
rapid industrialization – often in countries with the preceding 30 years17. The greatest burden was
limited capacity or incentives to regulate environ- experienced in the developing world and dispro-
mental impacts –, adoption of western lifestyles portionately among children.
and patterns of consumption, and globalization
amplify these effects. Even as new environmental The Changing Nature
health threats are emerging, vulnerable popula- of Environmental Health Threats
tions continue to bear a disproportionate, histor- Economic development has changed the char-
ical burden of environmentally mediated diseases. acteristics of environmental health hazards, result-
ing in more indirect, global, and delayed health ef-
Industrialization, Pollution, fects. Traditionally, the environmental health ef-
and Climate Change fects of industrial processes have been mediated
Industrialization has been a key driver of eco- through direct physiological impacts (e.g. expo-
nomic growth worldwide. Increased capacity for sure to air pollution resulting in cardiac or respira-
natural resource extraction, manufacturing, in- tory disease). Increasingly, the chain of causality
dustrial agriculture, and global distribution- fu- from initial environmental insult to human health
eled by the very wealth it creates- often comes at effects is growing longer (e.g. impacts from green-
the expense of the environment. The resultant house gas emissions ultimately manifesting as men-
pollution of air, land, and water has important tal health disorders in the setting of forced popula-
implications for human health through increased tion migration or the built environment influenc-
risk of toxic exposures and compromised life- ing behaviors, such as physical inactivity, that have
sustaining ecosystem services. Compounding associated health consequences). Economic devel-
these effects is an increasing demand for energy opment – characterized by industrialization, tech-
used to sustain further industrial expansion and nology adoption, and globalization – is also chang-
support the increasingly energy-intensive lifestyles ing the spatial and temporal scales over which en-
of a growing population. vironmental determinants affect human health.
Increasing demand for energy, met primarily As a consequence of global trade, individuals
through combustion of fossil fuels, is perhaps geographically isolated from a product’s end user
the greatest environmental health threat associ- often experience the most harmful environmen-
ated with economic development. Generation of tal exposures during that product’s lifecycle (e.g.
electricity from coal and the use of petroleum processes of manufacturing and disposal). The
products for transportation, industrial, and res- export of waste electronic and electronic equip-
idential and commercial applications are leading ment to developing countries- where informal
causes of air pollution. Products of combustion, repair and recycling and unregulated disposal
including particulate matter, nitrogen oxides, and result in toxic heavy metal and chemical expo-
ground level ozone, are major contributors to sures- serves as a useful example18.
mortality and morbidity from cardiovascular Indirect environmental health effects also tend
and respiratory diseases. Outdoor air pollution to exert their influence over larger spatial scales.
is responsible for 1.3 million deaths annually, with Changes in weather patterns in the context of ris-
the greatest burden in middle-income countries14. ing greenhouse gas emissions occur at a global scale,
Global climate change, due in part to fossil fuel even though individuals experience the effects lo-
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Ciência & Saúde Coletiva, 17(6):1427-1432, 2012


cally. Furthermore, the consequences of indirect sures to pesticides while reducing fossil fuel con-
environmental health threats are being experienced sumption, topsoil erosion, and fresh water de-
over longer temporal scales. The health effects of pletion and pollution24. Adopting a “cradle-to-
anthropogenic greenhouse gases already emitted cradle” philosophy of manufacturing- in which
will be experienced for decades, if not centuries. a product’s component materials can be recycled
indefinitely- could conserve natural resources
Moving Forward while reducing the health effects of the material
extraction and waste disposal processes25.
The environmental health community’s in- The Green Economy will serve as the economic
put is essential to the success of a movement to- engine of a movement towards sustainable devel-
wards sustainable development. Continued ef- opment. By definition, the industries that make
fort is necessary to eradicate traditional and up the Green Economy will only be consistent with
modern environmental health threats that per- the principles of sustainable development if they
petuate the cycle of poverty in the developing do not have their own unintended environmental
world. These efforts will be bolstered by strate- health effects. For example, the wind and solar
gies to promote economic growth in low- and energy industries will not be fully sustainable if
middle- income countries. But, as economic associated occupational hazards are not mitigat-
growth is achieved, new models of development ed26, regardless of their potential substantial pos-
that minimize unhealthy environmental external- itive impacts on health through reductions in air
ities are needed. Vigilance will be necessary to pollution and climate change. Buildings that
ensure that these alternative technological mod- achieve greater energy efficiency through tighter
els of development do not, themselves, have un- construction will not be achieving the goals of
anticipated adverse environmental health effects. sustainable development if reductions in ventila-
Promoting policies, technologies, and indus- tion create greater exposure to indoor air pollu-
tries that have mutual benefits for human health tion or mold. New technologies, yet undeveloped,
and the environment- often termed co-benefits- will appear to hold great promise in helping meet-
may be an effective way to align environmental ing sustainable development objectives. Yet, even
health and sustainable development goals. Such the most well intentioned efforts can have adverse
strategies may appeal to policy makers given the environmental health effects, well demonstrated
potential for positive impacts in multiple sectors by the epidemic of arsenic poisoning in Bangladesh
from single interventions. Emphasizing the envi- that resulted from wells tapped to provide access
ronmental health benefits of sustainable develop- to uncontaminated sources of water27. Maintain-
ment efforts may increase public acceptance and ing vigilance will be critical to ensuring that indus-
political buy-in. Preventing disease related to mod- tries created to support sustainable development
ifiable or avoidable environmental exposures lends do not unintentionally cause ill-health, thereby
a powerful economic argument for sustainable resulting in further suffering for vulnerable pop-
development interventions with health co-benefits. ulations and a burden on economic growth.
Numerous strategies to achieve health co-ben-
efits have been proposed, particularly within the
context of reducing greenhouse gas emissions19.
Promoting active transport - walking and cycling Collaborations
for transportation- through interventions at the
level of the built environment and transporta- GL Furie and J Balbus participated equally in all
tion policy could increase physical activity while stages of preparation of the article.
reducing air pollution and greenhouse gas emis-
sions from the transportation sector20. Increas-
ing electricity generation from renewable energy Acknowledgements
sources would decrease both indoor and out-
door air pollution while reducing greenhouse gas This article is the work product of an employee
production21,22. Decreasing red meat consump- or group of employees of the National Institute
tion could have beneficial effects on cardiovascu- of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), Na-
lar disease while decreasing greenhouse gas pro- tional Institutes of Health (NIH), however, the
duction through reductions in conversion of for- statements, opinions or conclusions contained
est to pasture land, methane gas release, and en- therein do not necessarily represent the state-
ergy-intensive livestock feed production23. Sus- ments, opinions or conclusions of NIEHS, NIH
tainable agricultural systems could reduce expo- or the United States government.
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Furie GL, Balbus J

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