A scoping review of human health co-benefits of forest-based climate change mitigation in Europe
Climate change is a pressing global challenge with profound implications for human health. Forest-based climate change mitigation strategies, such as afforestation, reforestation, and sustainable forest management, offer promising solutions to mitigate climate change and simultaneously yield substan...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2024-04-01
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| Series: | Environment International |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S016041202400179X |
| _version_ | 1797243021834584064 |
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| author | Matilda van den Bosch María Lucía Bartolomeu Sarah Williams Corina Basnou Ian Hamilton Mark Nieuwenhuijsen Joan Pino Cathryn Tonne |
| author_facet | Matilda van den Bosch María Lucía Bartolomeu Sarah Williams Corina Basnou Ian Hamilton Mark Nieuwenhuijsen Joan Pino Cathryn Tonne |
| author_sort | Matilda van den Bosch |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Climate change is a pressing global challenge with profound implications for human health. Forest-based climate change mitigation strategies, such as afforestation, reforestation, and sustainable forest management, offer promising solutions to mitigate climate change and simultaneously yield substantial co-benefits for human health. The objective of this scoping review was to examine research trends related to the interdisciplinary nexus between forests as carbon sinks and human health co-benefits. We developed a conceptual framework model, supporting the inclusion of exposure pathways, such as recreational opportunities or aesthetic experiences, in the co-benefit context. We used a scoping review methodology to identify the proportion of European research on forest-based mitigation strategies that acknowledge the interconnection between mitigation strategies and human impacts. We also aimed to assess whether synergies and trade-offs between forest-based carbon sink capacity and human co-benefits has been analysed and quantified. From the initial 4,062 records retrieved, 349 reports analysed European forest management principles and factors related to climate change mitigation capacity. Of those, 97 studies acknowledged human co-benefits and 13 studies quantified the impacts on exposure pathways or health co-benefits and were included for full review. Our analysis demonstrates that there is potential for synergies related to optimising carbon sink capacity together with human co-benefits, but there is currently a lack of holistic research approaches assessing these interrelationships. We suggest enhanced interdisciplinary efforts, using for example multideterminant modelling approaches, to advance evidence and understanding of the forest and health nexus in the context of climate change mitigation. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-24T18:48:30Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-66dbbed443cb40019b00793da6e381ba |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0160-4120 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T18:48:30Z |
| publishDate | 2024-04-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Environment International |
| spelling | doaj.art-66dbbed443cb40019b00793da6e381ba2024-03-27T04:51:28ZengElsevierEnvironment International0160-41202024-04-01186108593A scoping review of human health co-benefits of forest-based climate change mitigation in EuropeMatilda van den Bosch0María Lucía Bartolomeu1Sarah Williams2Corina Basnou3Ian Hamilton4Mark Nieuwenhuijsen5Joan Pino6Cathryn Tonne7ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain; CIBER Epidemiología Y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain; School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada; Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada; European Forest Institute, Biocities Facility Rome, Italy; Corresponding author.Dirección Nacional de Epidemiología del Ministerio de Salud de La Nación, Buenos Aires, ArgentinaISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain; CIBER Epidemiología Y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, SpainCREAF, Cerdanyola del Vallès, SpainUniversity College London, London, United KingdomISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain; CIBER Epidemiología Y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, SpainCREAF, Cerdanyola del Vallès, SpainISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain; CIBER Epidemiología Y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, SpainClimate change is a pressing global challenge with profound implications for human health. Forest-based climate change mitigation strategies, such as afforestation, reforestation, and sustainable forest management, offer promising solutions to mitigate climate change and simultaneously yield substantial co-benefits for human health. The objective of this scoping review was to examine research trends related to the interdisciplinary nexus between forests as carbon sinks and human health co-benefits. We developed a conceptual framework model, supporting the inclusion of exposure pathways, such as recreational opportunities or aesthetic experiences, in the co-benefit context. We used a scoping review methodology to identify the proportion of European research on forest-based mitigation strategies that acknowledge the interconnection between mitigation strategies and human impacts. We also aimed to assess whether synergies and trade-offs between forest-based carbon sink capacity and human co-benefits has been analysed and quantified. From the initial 4,062 records retrieved, 349 reports analysed European forest management principles and factors related to climate change mitigation capacity. Of those, 97 studies acknowledged human co-benefits and 13 studies quantified the impacts on exposure pathways or health co-benefits and were included for full review. Our analysis demonstrates that there is potential for synergies related to optimising carbon sink capacity together with human co-benefits, but there is currently a lack of holistic research approaches assessing these interrelationships. We suggest enhanced interdisciplinary efforts, using for example multideterminant modelling approaches, to advance evidence and understanding of the forest and health nexus in the context of climate change mitigation.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S016041202400179XCarbon sinkHealth co-benefitsNature-based solutionsEcosystem servicesClimate changeForest management |
| spellingShingle | Matilda van den Bosch María Lucía Bartolomeu Sarah Williams Corina Basnou Ian Hamilton Mark Nieuwenhuijsen Joan Pino Cathryn Tonne A scoping review of human health co-benefits of forest-based climate change mitigation in Europe Environment International Carbon sink Health co-benefits Nature-based solutions Ecosystem services Climate change Forest management |
| title | A scoping review of human health co-benefits of forest-based climate change mitigation in Europe |
| title_full | A scoping review of human health co-benefits of forest-based climate change mitigation in Europe |
| title_fullStr | A scoping review of human health co-benefits of forest-based climate change mitigation in Europe |
| title_full_unstemmed | A scoping review of human health co-benefits of forest-based climate change mitigation in Europe |
| title_short | A scoping review of human health co-benefits of forest-based climate change mitigation in Europe |
| title_sort | scoping review of human health co benefits of forest based climate change mitigation in europe |
| topic | Carbon sink Health co-benefits Nature-based solutions Ecosystem services Climate change Forest management |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S016041202400179X |
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