Presentation at 3rd GRF One Health Summit 2015 The One Health Approach in Action - Tools and Projects

1. Catherine Ganzleben / 06/10/2015 / 3rd GEF One Health Summit / Davos
Environment, health and well being
nexus
Catherine Ganzleben
European Environment Agency

2. Content
• What we do
• How we think about environment and
health
• Key messages from integrated
assessments of the state of the
environment in Europe

3. Agency of the European Union
3
• 28 EU Member States
• Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway,
Switzerland and Turkey
• 6 Cooperating countries (West
Balkan)
Our task is to provide sound, independent information on the
environment to policy makers

4. EU 7th Environmental Action Programme 2015-2020
Priority objective: to safeguard citizens from environment-related
pressures and risks to health and well-being

5. EEA Activities
air quality water
quality
climate
change noise
chemicals urban
environment
combined
impacts on
HH & E

6. Key natural resources supporting human health and well-being

8. Safeguarding people from environmental risks to health
Good news
• Improvements in drinking
water and bathing water
quality
• Reduced exposure to key
hazardous pollutants
Bad news
• In 2011, about 430,000 premature deaths in the EU were attributed to
fine particulate matter (PM2.5)
• Environmental noise is estimated to contribute to at least 10,000
premature deaths p/a due to coronary heart disease and strokes
• Exposure to chemicals is associated with an observed increase of
endocrine diseases and disorders in humans

9. Good news: Trends in emissions of heavy metals

10. Bad news: endocrine disrupting chemicals
The impacts of endocrine disrupters on wildlife, people
and their environments – 2012 report
• Rates of endocrine diseases in human populations have
increased with the growth of the chemical industry
• Evidence of endocrine disruption in wildlife species
• EDCs with similar mode of action have combined effects

11. Bad news: EU urban population exposed to air pollutant concentrations above WHO air
quality guidelines

12. Climate change:
• Premature deaths due to heatwaves
• Changes in disease patterns due to vector distribution
• Flood damage to key infrastructures
• Increased forest fires – generate PM
Urbanisation:
• Increases in urban population throughout Europe – 72%
• Land uptake for infrastructure development
• Pressures on resources and environmental quality
Aging populations:
• Current proportion of people aged 65+ years >17.5%
• Projected to reach 29.5% by 2060
• Impacts on public health - increased vulnerability
Complex systemic risks to health and increased vulnerability

13. Vulnerability to
climate change:
Proportion of urban
population aged 65+
years

14. Conclusions
• Environmental challenges are inter-linked and
cannot be dealt with as single issues
• Health, environment and social aspects are
interconnected
• Systemic policy approaches required - synergies
and trade-offs
• Global dimensions – chemicals, climate change,
food systems
• Value of ecosystems perspective as an entry point

15. Thank you!
catherine.ganzleben@eea.europa.eu