World Environmental Health Day, celebrated on September 26, highlights the vital connection between human health and the environment. It calls for greater attention to how environmental degradation directly affects public health, with climate change, pollution, and unsustainable practices driving this crisis.
The statistics paint a grim picture. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), over 12.6 million deaths annually are caused by environmental issues. More than 100 illnesses, including respiratory diseases, cancers, and waterborne infections, are linked to environmental degradation. This impact disproportionately affects the poor, who often live in the most polluted areas and lack access to healthcare infrastructure. This inequality underscores a systemic failure to protect vulnerable communities.
Air pollution is one of the most pressing environmental risks. Urban areas in countries like India face a severe air quality crisis, driven by unchecked industrial emissions, vehicular pollution, and construction activities. These contribute to widespread respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. Rural areas are not spared either. In many households, the burning of biomass for cooking continues to expose millions to indoor air pollution, leading to preventable deaths. Despite government promises of cleaner energy alternatives, the transition remains slow and insufficient.
Water pollution, another critical issue, plagues both urban and rural regions. Contaminated water sources and poor sanitation cause the spread of diseases such as cholera, diarrhoea, and dysentery. Despite various “Clean India” campaigns, the country continues to grapple with waterborne diseases. The improper disposal of hazardous waste, including industrial chemicals and pesticides, also contaminates soil and water, causing long-term health impacts like cancer and developmental disorders in children.
The tragedy lies in the fact that those least responsible for environmental damage—marginalized communities—are the ones who suffer the most. While global policies aim to address environmental health, they often fail to create meaningful change at the local level. Weak governance, corporate negligence, and lack of accountability continue to drive the destruction of ecosystems, which, in turn, undermines public health efforts.
Urgent reforms in environmental protection are crucial. Governments must strictly enforce industrial regulations and impose penalties on corporations that prioritize profits over public health. Public infrastructure needs to be upgraded to ensure access to clean water, safe sanitation, and better air quality, especially in high-risk areas.
Environmental justice is inseparable from human health. The cost of inaction—escalating diseases, deaths, and displacement—will far outweigh any short-term economic gains from exploiting natural resources.
