Climate and health strategies must address the biodiversity crisis – statnews.com

Report on the Integration of Climate Change, Biodiversity, and Global Health for Sustainable Development

Introduction: An Indivisible Global Health Emergency

A consensus is emerging within the global scientific community, underscored by joint calls from over 200 scientific journals in 2021 and 2023, to treat climate change and biodiversity loss as a single, indivisible global health emergency. This perspective aligns with the core principles of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), recognizing that human health is fundamentally dependent on planetary health. The health sector has begun to mobilize, particularly on climate action, but a significant gap remains in addressing the concurrent biodiversity crisis, threatening the achievement of multiple SDGs.

Progress and Gaps in Aligning with Sustainable Development Goals

Advances in Climate Action and Health (SDG 3, SDG 13)

The health sector has made notable progress in integrating climate change into its agenda, a crucial step toward achieving SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being) and SDG 13 (Climate Action). Key developments include:

• The first-ever Health Day at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP28) in 2023.
• The endorsement by over 150 countries of a declaration on climate and health.
• The pledge of $1 billion in funding to support initiatives at the climate-health nexus.

These actions reflect a growing acknowledgment of climate change as a primary threat to global public health.

The Critical Neglect of Biodiversity (SDG 14, SDG 15)

Despite its foundational importance, biodiversity has been largely overlooked within the health sector’s response to the environmental crisis. This oversight undermines progress on SDG 14 (Life Below Water) and SDG 15 (Life on Land), which are essential for human survival and well-being. Biodiversity underpins numerous systems critical to health, including:

• Nutritious food production (related to SDG 2: Zero Hunger)
• Safe drinking water (related to SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation)
• Clean air
• Regulation of infectious diseases

This neglect is evident in key policy documents and research priorities. For instance, the COP28 declaration on climate and health makes no mention of biodiversity, and a search of the world’s leading medical journal yields significantly fewer results for “biodiversity” than for “climate change.” Without integrating biodiversity, efforts to achieve climate stability and protect public health will be incomplete.

Consequences of Biodiversity Loss on Global Health and Development

The Sixth Mass Extinction and its Health Implications

The planet is experiencing a catastrophic loss of biodiversity, with wildlife populations declining by nearly 75% over the past 50 years. This human-driven sixth mass extinction has profound implications for achieving SDG 3. The unraveling of ecosystems creates cascading consequences that directly impact human health. Two examples illustrate this linkage:

1. Decline of Bat Populations: The decimation of bat populations in North America by white-nose syndrome has reduced natural insect control, leading to increased pesticide use by farmers, which has been potentially linked to higher infant mortality.
2. Collapse of Vulture Populations: In South Asia, the use of a painkiller in cattle led to the collapse of vulture populations. The resulting increase in uneaten animal carcasses contributed to the spread of rabies and other diseases, causing an estimated hundreds of thousands of excess human deaths and significant economic costs.

Exacerbating Inequities and Future Risks (SDG 10)

The health sector’s failure to address the biodiversity crisis perpetuates two significant inequities, directly challenging the aims of SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities):

• Impact on Marginalized Communities: Indigenous peoples and rural communities, who are often most dependent on biodiversity, suffer disproportionately from its loss yet receive little support.
• Intergenerational Inequity: The irreversible nature of extinction means that current inaction passes severe ecological costs and diminished health security to future generations.

A Framework for Integrated Action and Policy Recommendations

Leveraging International Momentum for Coordinated Action

Recent international agreements provide a strong foundation for integrating biodiversity into the climate and health agenda, fostering partnerships essential for SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals). Key frameworks include:

• The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
• The Global Action Plan on Biodiversity and Health.
• The WHO Pandemic Agreement, which addresses drivers of disease at the human-animal-environment interface.

These agreements signal a global consensus on the need for integrated action to address the interconnected challenges of climate, biodiversity, and health, reinforcing the legal and moral obligations of states to ensure a sustainable environment for the realization of the right to health.

A Call to Action for the Health Sector

To effectively address these challenges and safeguard the ecological foundations of health, the health sector must adopt a comprehensive strategy. Health professionals are positioned to translate policy into real-world impact by taking the following steps:

1. Engage Policymakers: Advocate for climate policies that are sensitive to health and biodiversity and are focused on equity to avoid undermining long-term resilience, contributing to SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions).
2. Generate and Apply Evidence: Quantify the health benefits of protecting and restoring nature to provide a strong case for scaling conservation efforts in line with SDG 3, SDG 14, and SDG 15.
3. Integrate into Practice: Embed insights on biodiversity’s role in health into clinical practice, public health surveillance systems, and community health programs.
4. Update Educational Curricula: Reform educational programs to prepare the next generation of health professionals for the interconnected challenges of a changing world.
5. Direct Funding Strategically: Require and support the integration of biodiversity considerations into all climate and health initiatives to ensure a holistic approach.

By recognizing biodiversity protection as a core duty of care, the health sector can help secure a sustainable and healthy future for all, in alignment with the comprehensive vision of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

1. SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
   • The article’s central theme is the indivisible link between planetary health (climate and biodiversity) and human health. It explicitly frames climate change and biodiversity loss as a “global health emergency” and states that climate change is the “single biggest health threat facing humanity.” It discusses various health outcomes, including infectious diseases, infant mortality, mental health, and the development of medicines, all of which fall under SDG 3.
2. SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
   • The article points out the inequities stemming from the neglect of biodiversity. It specifies that “Indigenous peoples, rural communities, and other marginalized groups, who are already suffering, currently receive little support in addressing this crisis.” This directly addresses the goal of reducing inequalities by highlighting the disproportionate impact on vulnerable populations.
3. SDG 13: Climate Action
   • Climate change is a primary focus. The article discusses the UN Climate Change Conference (COP28), the goal of limiting warming, and the need for climate policies to be “health- and biodiversity-sensitive.” It emphasizes that protecting nature is essential for both climate mitigation and adaptation.
4. SDG 15: Life on Land
   • The article’s core argument is the overlooked importance of biodiversity. It provides stark statistics on the decline of wildlife populations, the loss of mammalian biomass, and species extinction, directly relating to the protection and restoration of terrestrial ecosystems. It discusses the roles of specific species like bats and vultures in maintaining ecosystem balance.
5. SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals
   • The article highlights numerous examples of global cooperation and partnership. It mentions the “joint call” from over 200 scientific journals, the COP28 declaration endorsed by “more than 150 countries,” international agreements like the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and the WHO Pandemic Agreement, and financial pledges of “$1 billion.” This underscores the importance of multilateral action to address these interconnected crises.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
   • Target 3.3: By 2030, end the epidemics of AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and neglected tropical diseases and combat hepatitis, water-borne diseases and other communicable diseases. The article connects biodiversity loss to the spread of infectious diseases, such as “rabies and other diseases” following the collapse of vulture populations and the risk of “pandemic-potential zoonotic infections.”
   • Target 3.9: By 2030, substantially reduce the number of deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and air, water and soil pollution and contamination. The article links the decimation of bat populations to increased pesticide use by farmers, “potentially contributing to increased infant mortality through environmental exposure.”
   • Target 3.d: Strengthen the capacity of all countries, in particular developing countries, for early warning, risk reduction and management of national and global health risks. The call to integrate biodiversity into health strategies and surveillance systems to prevent future pandemics directly supports this target.
2. SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
   • Target 10.2: By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status. The article’s call to support “Indigenous peoples, rural communities, and other marginalized groups” who are disproportionately affected by biodiversity loss aligns with this target of ensuring inclusive action.
3. SDG 13: Climate Action
   • Target 13.2: Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies and planning. The article advocates for policymakers to “ensure climate policies are health- and biodiversity-sensitive and equity-focused,” which is a direct call for this integration.
   • Target 13.3: Improve education, awareness-raising and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction and early warning. The recommendation that “Educational curricula should also be updated to reflect the interdependencies of life” aims to build capacity among future health professionals.
4. SDG 15: Life on Land
   • Target 15.5: Take urgent and significant action to reduce the degradation of natural habitats, halt the loss of biodiversity and, by 2020, protect and prevent the extinction of threatened species. The article’s central plea is to address the biodiversity crisis, citing that “Earth’s biodiversity is vanishing at an astonishing pace” and that we are living through the “sixth mass extinction.”
   • Target 15.9: By 2020, integrate ecosystem and biodiversity values into national and local planning, development processes, poverty reduction strategies and accounts. The call for the health sector to “integrate nature into the growing climate and health movement” and for funders to “require and support the integration of biodiversity into all climate-health initiatives” directly supports this target.
5. SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals
   • Target 17.14: Enhance policy coherence for sustainable development. The article argues for integrating climate, biodiversity, and health policies, citing the need for “integrated action to address biodiversity, water, food, health, and climate challenges.”
   • Target 17.16: Enhance the global partnership for sustainable development, complemented by multi-stakeholder partnerships. The article provides examples such as the COP28 declaration, the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, and the WHO Pandemic Agreement, all of which are forms of global and multi-stakeholder partnerships.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

1. Indicators for Biodiversity Loss (SDG 15)
   • Decline in wildlife populations: The article states that “the average size of wildlife populations declined by nearly 75%” over the past 50 years. This serves as a direct indicator of biodiversity loss.
   • Mammalian biomass ratio: The statistic that “96% of the world’s mammalian biomass consists of humans and livestock; wild mammals make up just 4%” is a powerful indicator of human impact on ecosystems.
   • Rate of species extinction: The mention of the “sixth mass extinction” implies that the rate of species loss is a critical indicator being tracked.
2. Indicators for Health Outcomes (SDG 3)
   • Excess mortality rates: The estimate that the vulture die-off “caused hundreds of thousands of excess human deaths” is a quantifiable health impact indicator.
   • Economic costs of health crises: The article mentions the “economic costs of nearly $70 billion per year” associated with the vulture collapse, which can be used to measure the financial burden of ecosystem disruption.
   • Infant mortality rates: The potential link between pesticide use and “increased infant mortality” is an implied indicator for Target 3.9.
3. Indicators for Global Commitment and Action (SDG 13 & 17)
   • Number of participating countries: The fact that “more than 150 countries endorsed a declaration on climate and health” serves as an indicator of global political will.
   • Financial commitments: The pledge of “$1 billion in funding” is a concrete financial indicator of resource mobilization for climate and health initiatives.
   • Policy integration: The absence of “biodiversity” in the COP28 declaration and the draft Belém Health Action Plan is a qualitative indicator showing a lack of policy coherence, while future inclusion would indicate progress.

4. Summary Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

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