A Call to Action for Planetary Health
Integrating Ecology Budgets into a Global Organization
Words by: Shashi Sharma, Adjunct Professor, Harry Butler Institute, Murdoch University
Source: Shashi Sharma LinkedIn article
The continued unsustainable use of natural resources has resulted in negative impacts on our planet, including global biodiversity loss, water stress impacts, greenhouse gas emissions, and climate change. The extraction of natural resources has tripled in the last fifty years and the rate at which we consume natural resources far exceeds the planet’s capacity to renew them. While several high-powered international panels, committees and institutions over the years have assessed the global situation and provided helpful reports, they have not been effective in eliciting decisive actions from those who must act immediately.
It is clear that urgent action is needed to safeguard the health of our planet and sustain our growing human population. One of the proposed actions is the establishment of a Planetary Health Organization that integrates various aspects of health and the environment, including the creation of a mandatory requirement for all nations to present 5-year Ecology Budgets.
There is currently a lack of integration of ecology into the decision-making process of governments, which is crucial for ensuring the sustainability of the planet. The current economic reporting system fails to capture the true cost of economic activities on the environment and natural resources. By requiring all nations to present 5-year Ecology Budgets as part of the Planetary Health Organization, we can provide a comprehensive view of a nation's consumption of natural resources and its impact on the environment. This would allow for informed decision-making and prioritization of conservation efforts, increase transparency and accountability, and bring attention to the value of natural resources and the importance of conserving them for future generations.
The establishment of a Planetary Health Organization that integrates Plant Health, Animal Health, Human Health, Air Health, Soil Health, Water Health, and Planetary Health Emergencies could be a significant step towards a more sustainable future. Such an organization would bring together experts from various fields to address complex global health and environmental issues that require a comprehensive and integrated approach. It would provide a platform for dialogue and collaboration between nations, academia, non-governmental organizations and other stakeholders to work together to achieve sustainable development goals. It would ensure that the health and well-being of both people and the planet are given the attention they deserve.
The integration of the mandatory Ecology Budget requirement as part of the Planetary Health Organization would bring numerous benefits. It would facilitate an interdisciplinary approach to tackling global health and environmental challenges, increase global coordination and cooperation between different countries and organizations, improve funding for research and programs aimed at improving global health, and help to standardize data collection and analysis, leading to a better understanding of the root causes and potential solutions to these problems. It would also raise public awareness about the importance of global health and the need for action and help to better integrate health and environmental policies, leading to a more comprehensive approach.
The time for action is now as we need more integrated and centralized system of global governance where decisions about environmental and sustainability issues are made at a global level, rather than by individual countries. The current global governance system needs to be improved and reformed to better address the pressing environmental and sustainability challenges of the 21st century. This will require the cooperation and collaboration of governments, civil society organizations, and individuals around the world, working together to create a more sustainable and equitable future for all.
We owe it to ourselves, future generations, and the planet to take disruptive yet necessary actions towards sustainable development.
