Hesperian Health Guides
Causes of Environmental Health Problems
HealthWiki > A Community Guide to Environmental Health > Chapter 3: Protecting Natural Resources for All > Causes of Environmental Health Problems
One way to think about causes of environmental health problems is:
- scarcity (not enough) of essential things we need for a healthy life, such as clean air and water, healthy soil and forests, safe and comfortable shelter, and safe working conditions.
- excess (too much) of harmful things we do not need, such as trash, toxic chemicals, pollution, and junk food.
In the story from Ecuador, health problems were caused by the scarcity of basic necessities such as clean water, toilets, and trees. In a story from Bhopal, India, health problems were caused by an excess of toxic chemicals.
In each story, improving environmental health depended on people preventing the conditions that caused both a scarcity of essential resources for life and an excess of pollution. By protecting our communities and our natural resources, we are protecting the future for our children, and our children's children.
Too many people, too few resources?
The amount of water, trees, minerals, and other natural resources on Earth is limited, while the number of people using these resources is growing rapidly. But the number of people is not the real problem. The problem is how these natural resources are distributed and used. Any time one person or a group of people uses more than their fair share of resources, or causes an excess of pollution, this imbalance can lead to environmental health problems for others.
Some people believe the best way to prevent harm to our environment is to reduce the number of people. This way of thinking leads to `population control' programs. These programs have failed to improve the lives of people anywhere because they do not address the root causes of environmental destruction, poverty, and poor health. When families have the resources they need to live with health and dignity, many choose to have fewer children. Only when communities, governments, and development programs plan for the survival of children, and the improvement of the social, political, and economic status of women, will the so-called "population problem" be solved.
But reducing the number of people in the world will not address the problem of the unequal use of resources. The best way to reduce the harmful effect people have on the environment is for the rich to use fewer resources, and to use them in a way that conserves resources for the future and does not create an excess of pollution. By first changing the behavior of those who use the most, we can begin to make sure there will be enough for a healthy life for everyone.
Corporate control is bad for our health
The health crisis on the coast of Ecuador was caused by a big corporation that paid local people to clear the forest. Not only did people lose the trees that kept the soil healthy and protected them from storms, they also lost important resources for daily survival such as food, fuel wood, medicines, fiber, and other basic needs. When a resource like a large forest cannot be put back, it is the same as if it had been stolen from nature, from communities who rely on it, and from future generations.
When corporations control resources — whether timber, oil, water, seeds, or the labor power of people themselves — they gain profit for themselves, and have little reason to protect or improve the lives of the people who need those resources to survive. Corporations may provide short-term jobs or income, but if their interest is to export local resources, when those resources are gone they will leave too. And people will be left in deeper poverty than before.
Building community institutions
Fair and equal control of natural resources means that all people have a voice in decisions about how natural resources are used and shared. Fair and equal control can take many forms, but all are based in education and organization of people to work together for change.
Environmental health is always a community issue. People must work together, as a community, to protect the resources they share in common. To work together over the long term, people usually form some sort of community group or institution.
When the cholera epidemic began to spread in Ecuador, Salud para el Pueblo organized public health committees to raise awareness and get people to act. To better respond to the cholera epidemic, the public health committees offered knowledge (how to make rehydration drink) and services (building new toilets and water systems). They also helped to restore and strengthen their communities by maintaining a health clinic, and providing health education and training at schools, parks, and in people's homes. And they inspired other people to form groups and institutions, such as the environmental health promoters and the recycling program.
Salud para el Pueblo also worked with organizations from outside their communities to provide money, engineering skills, medicines, and other resources. They made sure these resources were used and managed by the villagers themselves. The communities were also involved in the planning and decision making about expanding the program.
When governments do not provide for the basic needs of their people, the people must build institutions for themselves, as Salud para el Pueblo did, to make sure the future is healthy. Often, when communities organize, the government then responds by fulfilling its responsibilities to the people.
The different resource needs of men and women; of workers, farmers, foresters, and ranchers; and of industries, land developers, and others, can bring conflict into your community and your organization. Sometimes problems can be particularly difficult, such as balancing short-term needs for income and long-term health needs. Building strong community institutions often takes so much time because recognizing these differences and trying to settle these conflicts is difficult. Making long-term health a goal, and finding ways for everyone to work toward meeting this goal together, can help resolve difficult conflicts and build strong institutions that protect the common good.