Community-Based Social, Ecological, and Health Assessments

Human health is intricately connected to the environment, yet social, ecological, and human health effects are often considered separately in risk assessments. This session explores how an integrated approach to assessing risks can help address complex environmental problems. Speakers will present results from their long-term research into the impacts of environmental chemicals and pathogens on community and environmental health. These projects include studying naturally produced algal toxins in South Pacific fisheries; the use of fisheries as critical sources of nutrition by at-risk communities in the U.S.; and the interconnected social, environmental, and health-related impacts of water and sanitation access and wastewater treatment in Latin America. Discussion will address the importance of educational efforts and robust communication with community stakeholders and leaders, particularly in terms of understanding resource use patterns and developing strategies for mitigating risks to susceptible populations. The panel demonstrates how scientists from different disciplinary backgrounds can work to integrate socio-environmental concerns that directly affect human health.