2024-09-02
Integrating Ecology into Global Governance for a Sustainable Future
By Shashi Sharma, Agricultural Scientist, with a career in international agricultural research
The concept of planetary health offers a comprehensive approach that considers the health of the entire planet, including its ecosystems, biosphere, and climate. It encompasses the interconnections between human, animal, plant, and environmental health, as well as the social, cultural, economic, and political factors that affect these systems. Planetary health also addresses the impact of human activity on the planet and focuses on the need to transition to a more sustainable and equitable future that protects the health of both people and the planet. This approach is guided by actionable strategies, global cooperation, and the continuous measurement and evaluation of health outcomes to ensure resilience and sustainability.
The continued unsustainable use of natural resources has resulted in negative impacts on our planet, including global biodiversity loss, water stress impacts, greenhouse gas emissions, and climate change. The extraction of natural resources has tripled in the last fifty years and the rate at which we consume natural resources far exceeds the planet’s capacity to renew them. While several high-powered international panels, committees and institutions over the years have assessed the global situation and provided helpful reports, they have not been effective in eliciting decisive actions from those who must act immediately.
It is clear that urgent action is needed to safeguard the health of our planet and sustain our growing human population. One of the proposed key actions is the establishment of a Planetary Health Authority that integrates various aspects of health and the environment. A key component of this new authority would be the requirement for nations to present 5-year ecology budgets. These budgets would offer a comprehensive view of each nation's natural resource consumption and environmental impact, enabling more informed decision-making and prioritisation of conservation efforts. There is currently a lack of integration of ecology into the decision-making processes of governments, which is crucial for ensuring the sustainability of the planet. The current economic reporting system fails to capture the true cost of economic activities on the environment and natural resources.
The proposed Planetary Health Authority would serve as a centralised body, bringing together experts from diverse fields to tackle complex global health and environmental challenges. By integrating Plant Health, Animal Health, Human Health, Air Health, Soil Health, Water Health, and Planetary Health Emergencies under one umbrella, it would ensure that the health and well-being of both people and the planet are given the attention they deserve.
The integration of the mandatory ecology budget requirement as part of the Planetary Health Authority framework would bring numerous benefits. It would facilitate an interdisciplinary approach to tackling global health and environmental challenges, increase global coordination and cooperation between different nations and organisations, improve funding for research and programs aimed at improving global health, and help to standardise data collection and analysis, leading to a better understanding of the root causes and potential solutions to these problems. It would also raise public awareness about the importance of global health and the need for action and help to better integrate health and environmental policies, leading to a more comprehensive approach.
The time for action is now. We need a more integrated and centralised system of global governance where decisions about environmental and sustainability issues are made at a global level, rather than by individual nations. The current global governance system needs to be improved and reformed to better address the pressing environmental and sustainability challenges of the 21st century. This will require the cooperation and collaboration of governments, civil society organisations, and individuals around the world, working together to create a more sustainable and equitable future for all. The proposed actions include a comprehensive review of the specialised agencies of the United Nations.
As we face unprecedented environmental and health crises, bold and disruptive actions are essential to secure a sustainable future. By embracing the concept of Planetary Health and implementing innovative governance structures, we can work towards a more resilient and equitable world for current and future generations.
Header photo: A landfill in West Java. Tom Fisk, Pexels
[Opinions expressed are those of the author and not official policy of Greens WA]