The Covid-19 pandemic has demonstrated the strong linkages between ecological health and human health. When ecosystems are disturbed – through activities like deforestation or pollution, for example – the services they provide like clean water, healthy food, and protection from wind and waves can be disrupted. Those same disturbances can also bring diseases into contact with humans for the first time.

For years, Pacific Island leaders have declared that the greatest threat to security in the region is climate change, because it dramatically alters the ecosystems that Pacific peoples depend on economically, culturally, and socially. This non-traditional concept of security is not new, and must be integrated into future frameworks for adaptation and response, not only to climate change but to other threats to global sustainability. Furthermore, as the impacts of the pandemic have reached nearly every country and sector worldwide, it has become more clear how intertwined our health is with the global environment. The Planetary Health framework specifically focuses on how human-caused disruptions to ecosystems can have negative and unpredictable health effects.

To learn more about ecological security in the Pacific and the concept of Planetary Health, check out Pacific RISA’s Dr. Laura Brewington recent video interview with Doug Parsons, host of the Adaptation Channel at Cimpatico Studios, where they discussed the Covid-19 pandemic, Pacific RISA’s work throughout the region, and more. She has also published an East-West Center Wire on the topic. The Planetary Health Alliance contains numerous print, video, and audio resources for more information on the Planetary Health Framework.

Cover photo source: Upsplash.