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Contributions of sustainability science to the study of environmental health problems

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  • Walter Alfredo Salas-Zapata

    (University of Antioquia UdeA)

  • Leonardo Salas-Zapata

    (University of Antioquia)

Abstract

From the ontological point of view, environmental health problems do not differ from problems of unsustainability. This leads us to think that sustainability science could contribute to resolve important questions that studies on environmental health are not resolving. A literature review was made in order to analyse the scope and limitations of studies on environmental health problems. Based on the characteristics of environmental health studies, we highlighted some examples of questions that are being ignored and analysed four contributions that sustainability science could make to solve them. These contributions come from three key components of sustainability science: (1) the unit of analysis—social–ecological systems, (2) a theory—resilience theory and, specifically, social–ecological resilience, (3) and the approaches of complex systems and transdisciplinarity. From a sustainability science perspective, four contributions could be made: environmental health problems are redefined as social–ecological systems; environmental health is assumed to be the result of adaptation processes; the environment and society are recognized as systems, not as matrices of factors; and human action acquires content and structure and, in turn, explains the behaviour of environmental health problems.

Suggested Citation

  • Walter Alfredo Salas-Zapata & Leonardo Salas-Zapata, 2017. "Contributions of sustainability science to the study of environmental health problems," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 19(2), pages 347-367, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:endesu:v:19:y:2017:i:2:d:10.1007_s10668-015-9738-7
    DOI: 10.1007/s10668-015-9738-7
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Luks, Fred & Siebenhuner, Bernd, 2007. "Transdisciplinarity for social learning? The contribution of the German socio-ecological research initiative to sustainability governance," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 63(2-3), pages 418-426, August.
    2. Levin, Simon A. & Barrett, Scott & Aniyar, Sara & Baumol, William & Bliss, Christopher & Bolin, Bert & Dasgupta, Partha & Ehrlich, Paul & Folke, Carl & Gren, Ing-Marie & Holling, C.S. & Jansson, Annma, 1998. "Resilience in natural and socioeconomic systems," Environment and Development Economics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 3(2), pages 221-262, May.
    3. Hirsch Hadorn, Gertrude & Bradley, David & Pohl, Christian & Rist, Stephan & Wiesmann, Urs, 2006. "Implications of transdisciplinarity for sustainability research," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 60(1), pages 119-128, November.
    4. Krister Andersson & Michael Burns & Marcel Bursztyn & Adam Douglas Henry & Ann Laudati & Kira J M Matus & Elizabeth McNie, 2008. "The Ruffolo Curriculum on Sustainability Science 2008 Edition," CID Working Papers 32, Center for International Development at Harvard University.
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