On World Health Day, the message is clear: human health is deeply connected to the health of the environment. Clean air, safe water, fertile soil, and biodiversity are essential for human survival and wellbeing, yet growing pollution, land degradation, unsustainable water use, and biodiversity loss are putting these natural systems under severe pressure. The article emphasizes that environmental harm is not just an ecological concern—it is a direct and urgent threat to public health, affecting the air people breathe, the water they use, and the ecosystems that support life.
The piece highlights that environmental degradation can worsen health outcomes and increase the spread of disease, making access to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment a basic human right. This principle was formally recognized by the Human Rights Council in 2021. It also underscores the importance of environmental information and public participation in decision-making, noting that these values have long been promoted through the Aarhus Convention, which has supported environmental rights and governance in the UNECE region for more than two decades.
The scale of the health crisis linked to environmental damage is already severe. According to the article, the World Health Organization estimates that more than 13 million deaths each year are caused by avoidable environmental factors. Air pollution alone is responsible for 7 million deaths annually, making it the deadliest environmental health risk in the world. With over 90 percent of the global population breathing polluted air—largely due to fossil fuel use—the article makes the case that reducing pollution is not only an environmental necessity but also a major public health priority.
It points to successful international cooperation as evidence that science-based environmental governance can deliver real results. For more than 40 years, countries in the UNECE region have worked together under the Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution to address cross-border air pollution. This cooperation has helped improve air quality, protect forests, increase life expectancy, and prevent an estimated 600,000 premature deaths every year. The article notes that scientific research under the Convention consistently shows that the benefits of reducing air pollution—including lower healthcare costs, healthier ecosystems, improved agricultural productivity, and stronger economic output—far outweigh the costs of taking action.
The article also stresses the importance of water, sanitation, and hygiene, especially in light of lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic. It argues that countries must strengthen resilience to future health crises by applying integrated water resource management and using multilateral environmental agreements such as the Water Convention. The UNECE–WHO/Europe Protocol on Water and Health is highlighted as a practical framework for improving water and sanitation systems, setting national targets, and strengthening preparedness, response, and recovery in public health emergencies.
Equitable access to water and sanitation is presented as another critical pillar of health and environmental justice. The article notes that by using evidence-based tools and targeted national action, countries can make faster progress in realizing the human rights to water and sanitation, particularly for vulnerable communities. Since the Protocol on Water and Health entered into force, 19 million people in the Pan-European region have gained access to basic drinking water, demonstrating that coordinated policy action can lead to measurable and meaningful improvements.
Overall, the article argues that protecting human health requires protecting the environment, and that science must remain at the center of policy and decision-making. It calls for stronger cooperation, greater responsibility, and more ambitious action to ensure a future where both people and the planet can thrive. The central message is that there is no alternative to this path: environmental sustainability and public health are inseparable, and the choices made today will determine the wellbeing of future generations.
