Planetary and human health: planetary boundaries, climate change, and disaster risk reduction
Module Aims
This module introduces the concept of planetary health. Participants will develop an understanding of key issues including climate change and planetary boundaries. The module is explicitly informed by the planetary health education framework (Guzman et al 2021). The module will be focused on how science can inform public policy in these areas. These issues are relevant in contexts all across the world. They will be particularly important for those pursuing careers in evidence based public health and policy making.
Module Learning Outcomes
By the end of the module, students should be able to:
- Explain planetary health, sustainability and the Sustainable Development Goals
- Debate the anthropocene and planetary boundaries approach to understanding environmental issues
- Discuss how climate change, and other environmental changes affect health
- Appraise how action to address climate change can affect health and the role of health services in addressing climate change
- Describe how planetary health issues are related to social justice and wider social issues
- Develop a personal perspective on planetary health including an interconnectedness in nature
- Characterise approaches to complex system change including advocacy and movement building
Pre-requisites
Teaching Strategy
A mixture of taught sessions, usually in the morning, and participatory sessions in the afternoon. Personal reflective log considering own role in relation to planetary health issues, with daily exercises to undertake. These will inform part of the assessment.
Assessment
The assessment consists of an in-person verbal presentation of 1) a structured written report on a planetary health topic of your choice and 2) your reflections on your learning from the module.
Module Length
4 days