Climate change and healthcare are major world problems that are interconnected. In a recent study led by the University of California Santa Barbara, researchers discovered that improving healthcare in Indonesia's rural areas results in decreased illegal logging, directly affecting carbon emissions.
The study was published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences revealing a link between affordable health care and deforestation. Since healthcare has improved in the past 10 years in Borneo, Indonesia, deforestation decreased by 70% as well.
More than 28,400 residents in rural areas have access to healthcare services. The most reduced logging activity in the nearby national park was most observed in the nearby villages.
Linking Healthcare and Climate Change
Andrew MacDonald from the university's Earth Research Institute said that the results show "a strong link between human health and conservation in tropical forests in the developing world." UC Santa Barbara also worked with several other universities across the United States and two NGOs.
For healthcare to be more affordable for the locals, the clinic accepts barter payments while giving discounts to those from villages where logging has significantly reduced. The bigger picture is the preservation of forests, Earth's natural carbon sinks while reducing poverty and health issues.
Susanne Sokolow from Stanford shared that the intervention method is a good example of "how to design, implement and evaluate a planetary health intervention that addresses human health and the health of rainforests on which our health depends." Around the world, more than one-third of protected areas are associated with Indigenous and local communities. Scientists have increasingly partnered with locals to study forests such as the Amazon, combining science and knowledge passed on from many generations by the tribes.
Model for Global Change
The innovative model has implications on global health as well, said Michele Barry from the Center for Innovation and Global Health. Climate change and health can be addressed together "and done in coordination with and respect for local communities."
In 2007, a healthcare clinic near Gunung Palung National Park was established by the NGOs Alam Sehat Lestari and Health In Harmony. Bartered items for payments included tree seedlings, handicrafts, or labor. Moreover, intervention from the NGOs included training in sustainable and organic agriculture as well as a chainsaw buyback program.
With available services for more than a decade, there was also a significant decline in illnesses including diabetes, malaria, and tuberculosis. The national park that had once lost nearly 60% of its trees had significantly less logging activity.
Everyone involved in the work is hopeful for the long-term effects of preserving and restoring ecosystems by creating healthcare programs. For example, scientists are working on natural filtering systems to avoid waterborne bacteria or diseases.
The study has important conclusions, said Monica Nirmala from Health in Harmony. First, healthcare and nature conservation go hand in hand. Second, rainforest communities guide the best ways to live in balance with the forests.
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