Public Health and Land Cover in the UK


Background

Land cover (the physical characteristics of the land surface, including natural, agricultural and urban environments), and the activities taking place on the land, can influence public health in a wide variety of ways. These include i) direct effects on human physiology, such as heat stress and air pollution effects exacerbated by urban heat islands, or allergic rhinitis related to emissions of allergenic pollen; ii) indirect effects, such as the role of habitats for vectors that carry vector-borne diseases; and iii) influences on well-being, such as the psychological benefits of greenspace. Improved understanding of the relationships between public health and land cover will help inform both public health and land cover experts on the appropriate policies and actions by which land cover may be utilised to improve public health.

Audience

The workshop focuses on bringing together Public Health policymakers, researchers and practitioners in Public Health England and related agencies with research experts in public health and land cover.

Overarching aim

Improve application of research on land cover and public health to useful public health outcomes in the UK.

Aims of workshop:

  • Increase engagement/collaboration between UK public health and land cover experts
  • Identify key relationships between public health and land cover
  • Identify current and future potential capabilities of land cover datasets/information to inform public health research
  • Identify current public health and land cover activities and key research gaps
  • Define priority projects and valuation activities (both national and local), and potential funding to support these

Write up from the workshop

Please take a look at the summary of the key points discussed at the Public Health and Land Cover in the UK workshop.

Presentations from the day

Introductions and objectives of workshop

Public Health and Land Cover workshop introduction

State of science in the UK

Aim: Provide overview of the state of science relating to Public Health and Land Cover

Mapping Vegetation to Assess Allergen Exposures

Importance of land cover in determining vector-borne disease risk

Spatial distribution of Shiga-toxin producing E.coli O157 in relation to agricultural land use in England.

Greenspace for health and wellbeing: types of measures

Improving evidence for public health

Aim: Identify key relationships between Public Health and Land Cover

National Public Health Policy and Land Cover

Local Public Health Policy and the Natural Environment

Quantifying the ecosystem services that underpin health and wellbeing

Valuing green space: considering environmental and health benefits in planning

Priority research projects and potential funding

Aim: Identify priority joint research projects and potential funding sources