EGS Seminar – Tuesday 29th January 2013

Tuesday 29th January 2013, Room E419, 4th floor, John Dalton East Building, from 1.00-2.00pm.


Integrating Ecology and Human Health

Konstantinos Tzoulas, MMU

Urbanisation has led to specialisation within ecology and to a renewed focus on health promotion. Health promotion focuses on creating the social, economic, and environmental conditions which promote health. Urban ecology studies the species, habitats and ecosystems within and surrounding cities. Both disciplines emphasize an important role of ecosystems in promoting human health. How could the contributions of urban ecology to health promotion be identified, quantified and managed? What are the key opportunities for and barriers to integrating these two disciplines? This presentation aims to provide an overview of the conceptual, theoretical and practical links between urban ecology and health promotion. This overview is based on five research projects that used literature and best practice reviews, conceptual modelling, the delphi technique, non-participant observation and bibliometric and content analysis. The outcomes of this research included a conceptual framework; an international research agenda; an understanding of naturalistic urban landscapes; and conceptual maps of practical initiatives and of disciplines involved in linking urban ecology and health promotion. These outcomes contribute to understanding the links between social and ecological systems and between ecosystem and human health. However, there is need for further research in overcoming the barriers to inter- trans- and multi- disciplinary integration.