Health, Environment and Climate Change

Overview

The World Health Organisation (WHO) states that 23% of all global deaths are linked to the environment, that equates to roughly 12.6 million deaths per year. Therefore, understanding what’s in our environment and how potential environmental factors impact on human health becomes increasingly important.

This module aims to give students a deeper understanding of the relationship between environmental factors and human health. Moreover, the module will explore the potential impacts of climate change on environmental and health relations. We will investigate the role of potentially harmful environmental elements which may be naturally occurring (geogenic) or formed through human activities such as industrial practices (historical and modern), atmospheric air pollution or traffic pollution. This module will cover important aspects such as how our changing climate poses one of the greatest health security and societal challenges (UKSHA 2023); the increasing frequency and intensity of environmental health threats such as flooding and heat waves; and the disproportionate impacts on the most disadvantaged and vulnerable including the impacts of an ageing population. In addition, we will investigate how urban nature-based solutions (NbS) can be used to mitigate against the anticipated adverse health effects of climate change. We will also consider how co-benefits of NbS are possible to help the environment and to mitigate against health threats.

Lectures will be used to deepen understanding of key issues and concepts, practicals using R, GIS and remote sensing will develop skills in mapping and spatial data analysis of environmental factors and health indicators and urban heat modelling.

Learning Objectives

After completing the module students will:

Understand the environmental factors which may influence human health

Understand the potential impacts of climate change on environmental and health relations

Develop a greater understanding of different types of urban nature-based solutions and

Evaluate how NbS may be used to help the environment and to mitigate against health threats.

Skills

Ability to understand and critically evaluate scientific evidence;

Enhanced skills in scientific writing and project work including evaluation of limitations;

Enhanced skills in spatial data analysis, synthesis and evaluation, including the use of GIS and remote sensing

Time management

Referencing of published literature

Presentation and communication skills

Ability to communicate complex information to a range of audiences

Ability to undertake independent learning

Assessment

None