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Integrating Human Health and Ecological Integrity into a Systems Framework
Citation:
Fisher, W. AND S. Yee. Integrating Human Health and Ecological Integrity into a Systems Framework. SETAC, Minneapolis, MN, November 12 - 16, 2017.
Impact/Purpose:
A systems framework is presented that ties environmental and human health factors into a single structure. This provides a visual organizational tool that can be used at every step of a decision process, and can be particularly effective for complex, multidisciplinary issues that require a robust understanding of the linkages across ecological, health, social and economic disciplines. It is useful for understanding the full suite of ramifications from a decision, including unintended consequences.
Description:
Unintended and long-term effects of environmental decisions on public health, social welfare and economic stability are difficult to understand, much less anticipate. This is partly because environmental decisions are too often considered separate from factors that determine individual and community well-being. To better understand the ramifications of a decision, a systems context is essential, where environmental, social and economic factors are considered simultaneously. Yet, the complexity of multiple interacting factors in a system is daunting, and has constrained effective systems thinking. Conceptual frameworks are useful for capturing, visualizing and organizing the connections among key factors in a complex system, and can be useful in advancing the OneHealth context. To this end, we merged the Driving force–Pressure–State– Impact–Response (DPSIR) structure for environmental resources and the Driving forces-Pressure-State-Exposure-Effect-Action (DPSEEA) structure for human health assessments to integrate the multiple social-cultural, economic and environmental aspects of decisions into an integrated EcoHealth DPSIR framework. The parallels within the DPSIR and DPSEEA structures provide a conceptual simplicity to the EcoHealth DPSIR. Driving force includes both economic sectors and social drivers; Pressure includes environmental stresses and human behavior; State includes environmental and human condition; Impact includes ecosystem services and human well-being; and Responses can include environmental or behavioral actions. The framework provides a visual organizational tool can be used at every step of a decision process, and can be particularly effective for complex, multidisciplinary issues that require a robust understanding of the linkages across ecological, health, social and economic disciplines.