UHI’s latest global recognition connects the North Highlands to a global network tackling some of the biggest challenges facing, people, communities and the planet.
UHI has announced that it has become a member of the highly influential Planetary Health Alliance.
Planetary health is based on a simple idea: that the health of people depends on the health of the natural world around them. Issues such as climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution and healthy ecosystems are no longer seen as purely environmental concerns, but as factors that directly influence human health and wellbeing.
Planetary health has become one of the fastest-growing interdisciplinary fields of the last decade. The Planetary Health Alliance is a global network connecting more than 550 member organisations across 80+ countries, including universities, research institutes, NGOs and government bodies. Its goal is to catalyse a global movement to create a liveable future for humanity and the rest of life on Earth for generations to come by regenerating Earth’s natural systems.
One Health strategy on a global stage
For UHI, membership is recognition that the work already taking place across the Highlands and Islands is making a meaningful contribution to that global conversation.
Through its One Health strategy, UHI brings together expertise spanning environmental science, healthcare, biodiversity, marine science, peatlands, sustainability and rural communities. Researchers are investigating everything from the health of our oceans and waterways to climate resilience, sustainable healthcare and improving healthcare access in remote and island communities.
One example is the pioneering work at Caithness General Hospital, where UHI researchers helped develop the world’s first hospital to achieve Alliance for Water Stewardship certification. By studying pharmaceutical pollution in wastewater and improving water management, the project showed how protecting the environment can also improve healthcare sustainability and public health.
Those themes have long been central to the North Highlands. The region’s internationally significant peatlands, extensive marine environment and rural communities provide living laboratories for research that is increasingly relevant far beyond Scotland. Membership of the Planetary Health Alliance will give UHI opportunities to collaborate with researchers and institutions around the world, exchange knowledge and develop new partnerships, while also providing a platform to showcase the unique expertise that exists across the Highlands and Islands.
Connecting global expertise with community action
Professor Stuart Gibb, Director of the Environmental Research Institute in Thurso, submitted UHI’s successful bid to join the PHA. Prof Gibb said:
“Joining the Planetary Health Alliance provides an exciting opportunity to work with colleagues from around the world who share a commitment to addressing the interconnected challenges facing human health, environmental sustainability and societal wellbeing. We look forward to learning from others, sharing our own experiences from the Highlands and Islands, and contributing to collective action that delivers meaningful benefits for both communities and ecosystems.”
As the North Highlands continues to develop as a centre for clean energy, environmental science and innovation, membership of the Planetary Health Alliance provides another opportunity to ensure the region’s knowledge and experience help shape solutions with global impact.
Photo by Bhautik Patel on Unsplash