"The current climate crisis poses an unprecedented risk to humanity"

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted more than ever the close connection between human health and the health of the planet. The Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC) is a pioneer in international planetary health research and teaching. Cristina O'Callaghan Gordo, professor and co-director of the Interuniversity Master's Degree in Planetary Health, offered by the UOC, Pompeu Fabra University and ISGlobal, talked to us about the global challenges we'll have to face to maintain global health in the current context of environmental and climate crisis caused by human activity, and why we need to train professionals and conduct research in planetary Health. O'Callaghan is principal investigator of the new Barcelona Interdisciplinary Research Group on Planetary Health - BITAL, in the Faculty of Health Sciences at the UOC.

Where does your interest in planetary health come from?

Although the term "planetary health" is relatively new, first appearing in 2015 in an article published by the Rockefeller Foundation-Lancet Commission on Planetary Health, my interest in contributing to nature conservation and improving people's health predates that.

I studied Biology to contribute to the conservation of natural spaces, especially the marine environment, which I have been passionate about since I was a child – I watched all Jacques Cousteau's documentaries! In my degree, I became more interested in human health. After graduating I took part in a project with indigenous communities in the Peruvian Amazon affected by pollution caused by oil extraction. There, I saw the close relationship between the health of natural systems and human health. I understood that this relationship is altered by socio-economic factors and that the negative effects are felt by the most vulnerable communities. That's how my interest in planetary health began.

What are the objectives of the UOC's BITAL research group?

We focus on studying what effects anthropogenic alterations of natural systems have on human health. We aim to propose solutions to improve people's health on a global scale. We adopt an interdisciplinary approach, analysing not only the biological and environmental causes of diseases, but also the social and economic causes, which often drive changes in natural systems. Environmental equity and justice are also cross-cutting themes in our research.

What impact do you hope to have in the short and medium term?

We've only been organized as a group for a few months. I started at the UOC in 2020 and the other senior investigator, Margarita Triguero-Mas, joined a year ago. We have grown considerably in recent months and we hope that the UOC's research into planetary health will soon have an impact.

In the last year we have started two European projects that we hope will have quite an impact. The first is the GreenMe project, which investigates how nature-based therapies and a green prescription framework can be scaled to improve people's mental health and well-being, while providing social and environmental benefits. The second, CATA-Earth (Catalysing Transformative Change in Planetary Health Education), aims to design community-led planetary health education programmes in regions of Southeast Asia that are vulnerable to the climate crisis.

One of the focuses of your research is the pollution suffered by indigenous communities due to industrialization. How is it affecting them?

So far I have worked with indigenous communities living in oil extraction areas, specifically in the north of the Peruvian Amazon, where environmental pollution levels are very high. These populations depend on subsistence agriculture, hunting and fishing, so the pollution of their territory puts their health and well-being at risk.

As long ago as 2006, a study carried out by the Peruvian government reported that the levels of lead in blood and cadmium in urine were very high in the population of this area. In 2013 an environmental emergency was declared and in 2024 a health emergency. The negative effects on the health and well-being of these communities are very extensive and go beyond environmental pollution. For example, the presence of extractive industry has led to the entry of alcohol (previously practically non-existent) and has triggered a surge in the prevalence of alcoholism in these communities. The arrival of sex workers has increased the incidence of HIV and other sexually-transmitted diseases. These problems are especially serious in populations that have very limited access to health services.

I've focused on studying heavy metal levels in the local population and analysing possible exposure pathways. Environmental remediation policies have reduced these levels, although they are still high. We have also observed that, although oil extraction is the main source of exposure to lead, there are others, such as the use of lead bullets for hunting. This finding has prompted us to set up a new project (funded by the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities' Knowledge Generation Projects programme) to assess the impact of the introduction of firearms for hunting on lead levels in hunter-gatherer communities and on the natural environment.

You have also investigated the influence of high temperatures on different diseases, more specifically kidney pathologies. What do we know?

Exposure to high temperatures is associated with overall mortality and various health problems. Among other things, hospital admissions for kidney disease are increasing. Kidney pathologies, such as kidney stones, acute kidney injury and chronic kidney disease are related to recurring dehydration and heat stress. Various studies of agricultural workers in areas with tropical climates have shown that heat stress is associated with a higher incidence of kidney problems. It is estimated that 15% of workers who are frequently exposed to heat stress suffer from kidney disease.

One of my lines of research focuses on seeing if agricultural workers from different parts of Spain also present changes in kidney function due to high ambient temperatures.

And green areas, how do they relate to people's health?

It's clear that urban green areas improve health. Green spaces are associated with improvements in psychological well-being, a reduction in the risk of cardiovascular disease, and mortality from all causes.

All this can be attributed to different factors: urban green spaces promote physical activity and therefore reduce the risk of diseases associated with sedentary living, such as obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Secondly, levels of environmental pollution, especially air pollution and noise pollution, are lower in green areas. Exposure to nature also has a positive effect on well-being by reducing levels of stress, anxiety and depression. Socially, green spaces encourage community participation and social interaction, contributing to the development of strong social ties and support networks.

What measures could be taken to combat the increase in non-communicable diseases from the perspective of planetary health?

A key concept in planetary health is that of co-benefits, i.e., measures that help to improve the health of humans must also help to improve the health of natural systems, and vice versa. There are several examples of policies to reduce non-communicable diseases that have a positive effect on natural systems. One of the simplest measures is the adoption of healthy and sustainable diets, based on plant products. This type of diet leads to the emission of fewer greenhouse gases, less deforestation and habitat destruction, and less water is consumed. At the same time, it is associated with lower premature mortality and a lower incidence of cardiovascular disease and certain types of cancer.

Why do you think research into planetary health and the Master's Degree in Planetary Health at the UOC, Pompeu Fabra University and ISGlobal are important?

I believe that research into planetary health is key in the context of the environmental and climate crisis in which we find ourselves, which represents an unprecedented risk for the health and well-being of humanity. We must understand the effects of the environmental and climate crisis on human health, and urgently seek innovative solutions to mitigate the effects and adapt to these new risks. It's important to remember that planetary health research must be interdisciplinary, since the challenges we must respond to transcend the limits of any single scientific and professional discipline; they are complex and require the integration of different visions and fields of knowledge. 

This Master's Degree in Planetary Health is urgently needed to train a new generation of professionals prepared to find solutions to the challenge of the climate emergency. This need has been highlighted by various international organizations, as reflected in the United Nations report "The Future is Now", which calls on universities to promote sustainability, or in the call to action "Our Planet, Our Future", signed by more than a hundred Nobel laureates, which encourages universities to urgently incorporate the concept of planetary stewardship in all their programmes. I am very pleased with the role we are playing in promoting planetary health education globally. We are one of the first master's degrees in this field, which has positioned us as an international benchmark.

Do you think there is enough environmental awareness in our society? What needs to be done to ensure there is greater responsibility in this area?

I believe that there is growing concern about the environmental and climate crisis, and that this concern will increase as its effects have a more direct impact on our daily lives. However, I believe that this growing concern is not being translated into policies brave enough to implement the changes we urgently need. In the last election campaign we saw that most of the parties' programmes included environmental issues, but their specific proposals for mitigation and adaptation were nowhere near what would be necessary.

UOC R&I

The UOC's research and innovation (R&I) is helping overcome pressing challenges faced by global societies in the 21st century by studying interactions between technology and human & social sciences with a specific focus on the network society, e-learning and e-health.

Over 500 researchers and more than 50 research groups work in the UOC's seven faculties, its eLearning Research programme and its two research centres: the Internet Interdisciplinary Institute (IN3) and the eHealth Center (eHC).

The university also develops online learning innovations at its eLearning Innovation Center (eLinC), as well as UOC community entrepreneurship and knowledge transfer via the Hubbik platform.

Open knowledge and the goals of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development serve as strategic pillars for the UOC's teaching, research and innovation. More information: research.uoc.edu.