Integration of health and environment through health impact assessment: Cases from three continents

Maya Negev, Hagai Levine, Nadav Davidovitch, Rajiv Bhatia, Jennifer Mindell

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Despite the strong linkage between environment and health, institutions responsible for these fields operate in largely fragmented ways with limited interaction. As illustrated in the recent engagement between health and urban planning institutions, inter-institutional cooperation could support more effective and politically acceptable solutions for both local and global problems. Analysis of three case-studies, from three different continents, shows that HIA might serve to promote synergies among health and environmental disciplines in different local contexts, and could lead to institutional and procedural changes that promote health. Case examples provided supportive evidence for these effects, despite differences in approaches to HIA and governance levels. Obstacles to the use of HIA for inter-institutional integration also differed between countries. Lessons learned could support cooperation in other common interests of health and environment disciplines such as research, training and preparedness, and mitigation of public health emergencies related to the environment.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)60-67
Number of pages8
JournalEnvironmental Research
Volume114
DOIs
StatePublished - Apr 2012
Externally publishedYes

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
The First author would like to thank the Environment and Health Fund for the doctoral fellowship during which this paper was written. The authors would like to thank Erica Ison for her valuable comments.

Funding Information:
Funding: The first author's PhD scholarship is funded by the Environment and Health Fund, Israel.

Keywords

  • Decision making
  • Environmental health
  • Health impact assessment (HIA)
  • Policy making
  • Risk assessment

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Biochemistry
  • General Environmental Science

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