PREPARED BY: AS

BEJOC
Lesson Objectives

At the end of the lesson, the students should be able to:

• determine the interrelatedness of society, environment

and health
• Create a diagram that would show the relatedness of
species in forming up a diverse and healthy society
without compromising one another; and
• identify everyday tasks & evaluate whether they
contribute to the wellness and health of biodiversity &
society or not.
What is
• is the vast variety of life forms in the entire earth.
• it encompasses all kinds of life forms, from single-celled
organisms to the largest multi-celled organisms.
• definition is in the structural & functional perspective
and not as individual species.
• Biodiversity is the source of the essential goods
& ecological services that constitute the source
of life for all and it has direct consumptive value in
food, agriculture, medicine & industry. ( Villaggio,
Globale,2009)
• Can you mention other examples of essential
goods and ecological services provided by
ecosystem?
Accordingto WW Fund for Nature &
Zoological Society of London

reported an annual decrease of

wildlife by 2%

the cause?

human population which is doubled

since 1960 to 7.4 billion
Marco Lambertini

General Director of WWF international

describe that the disppearance of
wildlife
is at unprecedented rate.

Earth might enter the sixth mass

extinction according to experts.
Understanding biodiversity within the concept of
ecosystem
Example: Large number of golden snails in
certain area in a rice field can help predict
low production of rice harvest since eggs of
golden snail are pest for rice plant.
Biological indicators
 Changes in Biodiversity

• Alteration in any ecosystem could bring varied

effects
• Examples:
- cutting down trees would either displaced or
killed animals
- it disturbs the natural order of life.
 Threats to Biodiversity

• Habitat loss and

destruction
- inhabitation of human &
use of land for economic
gain.
• Alteration in Ecosystem
composition
Ex; sudden change either
within species groups or
within the environment.
• Overexploitation
- would lead to species
decline
• Pollution & Contamination
- can cause irreversible
damaged to species and varieties
• Global climate change
- species may be lost
permanently, if not provided
with enough time to adapt to
changing climatic conditions.
Consequencies of
biodiversity loss

• Basic concept came from

Charles Darwin & Alfred
Alfred Russel Wallace.
 Nutritional Impact of Biodiversity

• Biodiversity influences food production hence, an

important element to human beings nutrition. (WHO)

• Use of fertlizers/ High Nutritiona

Pesticides productivity l
Status
 Health, Biology & Biodiversity

• Almost all living organisms are dependent to their

environment to live and reproduce.
• Basic needs of living organisms such as air, water,food
& habitat.
• Although environment sustains human life, but it can
also be destructive.
Ex: lack of basic needs is a significant cause of human
mortality.
Environmental Hazards

• increase the risk of cancer,

heart disease, asthma &
many other illnesses.
• Physical hazard
Ex. pollution, toxic chemicals
& food contaminants.
• Social Hazards
Ex: dangerous work, poor
housing condition, urban
sprawl & poverty
- unsafe drinking water, poor
sanitation & hygiene would
lead to infectious diseases.
In 2015, approximately
350,000 children under age
of 5 (mostly from developing
countries) died from diarrheal
diseases related to unsafe
drinking water.

More than 2 billion people

lack access to basic sanitation.
• The interrelation between human health & biological
diversity is considerable & complex. With current
biodivesity loss at unprecedented rates, the delicate
balance between human health & biological diversity is at
risk.
 Environment Related Illnesses

• Some human illnesses that are found to be related

with environment.
• Parkinsons disease, heart disease,, cancer,
COPD, asthma,diabetes, obesity, occupational
injuries, dysentery,arthritis, malaria &
depression
• By contrast there are
activities that promote
human health &
extend human life, but
could have adverse
environmental effects.
These includes: • Use of pesticides &
fertilizers

Use of fertilizers
&
pesticides
• Transportation
• Carbon dioxide emission
from food manufacturing
Hospitals
• So. if this is the case,...does it mean we need
to stop the operations of these
establishments, for us to live in a more
sustainable environment?

Why or why not? Support your answer.

Then , what shall we do?
• According to experts climate change could
also have a serious impact on human
health, could detereorate farming systems,
reduce nutrient in some foods.
• In addition, relationships between human health
and the environment raise many ethical,social &
legal dilemmas by forcing people to choose among
competing values.
• Ex. pesticides are harmful but plays a role in increasing
crop yield.
• If application stops, it reduces agricultural productivity
that would lead to food shortage & increases starvation
in some parts of the world.
• Social justice cocern

• People with low socio-economic status have greater

exposure to certain harmful environmental conditions in
their homes or at work.
Ex; Lead, Mercury, Pesticides, Toxic chemicals or air and
water pollution
 Vulnerable Sub-population

• Decision - making should be fair, open & democratic so

that those affected populations should also have a voice in
the delibarations.
• So, decision making process & implementing
environmental health regulations must consider
vulnerable sub-populations.
• A vulnerable sub-population is a group with an increase
susceptibility to the adverse effect of environmental risk
factor due to their age, genetics, health status or some
other conditions.
• Legal delimma
• The owner of the coal burning power plant must deal with
many laws concerning the operations of the plant,
workplace safety and and carbon emissions.
• Likewise. a developer who plans to build 150 new homes
with land he has purchased may have to deal with laws
concerning, storm drainage, water &seawage lines,
gas lines, side walks, etc.
• With this in mind, a mitigating plan & a workable plan of
action should be studied in order to not compromise
biodiversity, while at the same time, promote good
health among the society.