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Ireland’s Environment 2012
118
Introduction
The World Health Organisation
(WHO) defines health as complete
physical, emotional and social
wellbeing and not just the absence
of disease; the environment impacts
on all of these aspects. Clean air and
water are essential to health, but
physical activity, activities of daily
living, transportation, urban design,
community participation, food supply
and nutrition also impact on health
and are directly related to both the
environment and wellbeing. When
ecosystems are maintained in good
condition they provide direct health
benefits: a growing body of evidence
demonstrates the value of contact
with nature in the prevention/
treatment of conditions including
stress, depression and obesity
(Annerstedt and Währborg, 2011).
Pollution in the environment can
harm health. The WHO estimates
that environmental hazards are
responsible for as much as a
quarter of the total burden of
disease worldwide and that as
many as 13 million deaths could be
prevented every year by improving
environmental quality (WHO, 2006).
The causes of most of these deaths
are air pollution, poor water quality
and insufficient sanitation. These
risks to human health are not
confined to the developing world but
also exist to a greater or lesser extent
in all countries, including Ireland,
as do risks posed by environmental
chemicals, noise and waste. For
this reason the protection of public
health is a fundamental driver of
environmental protection legislation
and practice in Europe and Ireland.
Vulnerable groups such as those on
low incomes, children and the elderly
may be disproportionately exposed
to poor environmental conditions,
giving rise to health inequalities.
Sustainable management of the
environment is fundamental to
addressing health inequalities
and achieving health for all.
As the preceding chapters have
shown, the overall quality of the
Irish environment is good and
damage to health associated with
environmental pollution in Ireland is
likely to be far less than that caused
by lifestyle factors such as poor diet,
lack of exercise and tobacco use. To
minimise future risks and capture
benefits to health, protection of
Ireland’s high-quality environment
is vital.
Ecosystem Services
and Health
The environment offers a wealth of
benefits to health and wellbeing.
Natural ecosystems and the
biodiversity that they support not
only provide essential food but also
help to break down waste, purify
water, cleanse the air and even serve
as a source of pharmaceutical drugs,
many of which have been derived
from micro-organisms, fungi, plants
and animals. The global value of
these ecosystem services has been
estimated to be US$16–54 trillion
(€12–40 trillion) per year (Costanza
et al., 1997), while more recently
for Ireland, ecosystem services were
estimated to have a value of over
€2.6 billion per annum (Bullock et
al., 2008).
For over 200,000 years, humans
have used the resources of forests
and grasslands, rivers, lakes and
the sea to ensure their survival and
create prosperity. In the early 1800s
a change began that has led to
a complete transformation in the
way in which people live. At the
start of the industrial revolution,
large numbers of people moved
into towns and cities, leaving rural,
outdoor lifestyles behind. Since
that time, the world population has
increased from 1 to 7 billion people,
with 85% of Europeans now living
in urban environments. Average
lifespan has increased dramatically,
from around 60 up to 80 years. This
has been due, in part, to increased
food availability, improved hygiene
and medical advances.