M2 Overview

Introduction

An Asian megacity with crowded skyscrapers.
An Asian megacity with crowded skyscrapers.

The concept of sustainability is extremely important in Environmental Health. In this module, you will learn how the global population has been rising leading to growth of “Megacities” which have challenged carrying capacity of this planet and has led to significant environmental and ecological deterioration. You will use the IPAT model to quantify environmental impact. Finally, you will learn how global leaders and policy makers are promoting more sustainable agendas through the Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs). These ambitious goals focus on eradicating extreme poverty and hunger, advocate for women’s health and equity, while taking urgent actions to fight climate change and preserve our environment.

     Hope you will enjoy this module!

 

Learning Objectives

In this module, you will:

  1. Discuss the impact of population growth in different parts of the globe and the challenges it poses in ensuring global environmental sustainability
  2. Explain the concept of carrying capacity, and its application to current human population growth
  3. Categorize the various health risks around the world and find relationships between diseases and economic development as you learn about the concept of environmental risk transition & demographic transition
  4. Utilize the I=PAT model to understand that environmental impact is affected by the population, its consumption, and the technological capability of the population
  5. Compare the Millennium Development Goals with the Sustainable Development Goals, and critically think how these goals have been shaping environmental health at the global level