Browsing by Issue Date, starting with "2023-04-06"
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- Mental health, well-being and climate change: scope and challengesPublication . Fonte, Carla; Caridade, Sónia; Dinis, Maria Alzira PimentaClimate change (CC) manifests itself through extreme weather conditions and is gaining more and more attention from the scientific community and civil society, considering the social implications in various domains of daily life. Undeniable social, economic and environmental consequences have been disclosed worldwide, in addition to the significant psychosocial impacts that the resulting weather events pose to mental health and well-being of people. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), vicarious trauma, anxiety, substance abuse, depression, survivor guilt, recovery fatigue, and suicidal ideation, are some of the mental health problems linked with the occurrence of catastrophic weather events. Other threats involve financial and relationship stress and the consequent potentiation of the risks of violence, in particular gender-based violence (GBV) and aggression, disproportionately affecting those who are most marginalized. Paradoxically, and in response to CC, the research shows that these same circumstances may also inspire individuals to more positive and adaptive behaviours, such as altruism, optimism and compassion, promoting a life meaning and individual development, motivated by CC post-traumatic growth. Based on an expert-driven literature review, this chapter intends to assess and discuss the relevant literature describing how CC impacts on the mental health and well-being of individuals and societies, as well as the hazards associated with increasing problems of violence and aggression. Likewise, it also aims to analyse and discuss specific responses to the CC that can contribute to positive changes in learning, growth and behaviour throughout life. The promotion of pro-environmental behaviour through education is considered as an important strategy in this context.
- Industrial waste management in Ghana: environmental challenges and climate change impacts on human healthPublication . Debrah, Justice Kofi; Teye, Godfred Kwesi; Wahaj, Zujaja; Dinis, Maria Alzira PimentaWaste having a significant and relevant material presence in our everyday life was not considered worthy of human attention up until the 1990s. Most probably, this delayed recognition of waste is due to the fact that it has been mistakenly understood as something that is supposed to remain invisible to the human eye in a sense that it is assumed to be occupying those spaces that are not inhabited by human beings. Contemporary times, however, are marked by giving due importance to waste. It is seen as a crucial environmental and health challenge for species’ survival on earth and is therefore placed center stage in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that aim to protect the planet. More recently, SDG 12, ensuring sustainable consumption and production patterns, has alerted to fast-growing waste management (WM) environmental issues. With the earth being viewed as a limited natural resource and having the inadequate capacity to accommodate wastes leading to adverse environmental and health consequences, caution must be taken to understand the associations between global consumption, total waste, and wasting patterns. Conceptualizing waste as a globally circulating material, particularly in terms of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) such as carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and sulphur oxide (SOx), the governance of waste has become a global concern. This chapter focuses on WM in Ghana, a middle-income economy country in the West of Africa. Due to rapid industrialization, Ghana is witnessing an ever-escalation of the country’s contribution to global environmental waste issues, especially GHG emissions. This study aims to identify and address the challenges associated with managing waste in Ghana. Additionally, it proposes specific measures to mitigate climate change and its effects on the environment and human health resulting from WM. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted with 101 responses received from WM experts based on the aim. The data were analysed using the statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) version 27. 72% of respondents were male, with most completing first and second degrees and have been working between 11 and 15 years. Although most of the respondents’ report waste being poorly managed, 93% consider that the associated causes of improper WM include inadequate infrastructure, lack of landfills, lack of tools and logistics, and equipment. All respondents believed that the challenges affect climate change through the emission of GHGs and particulate matter, resulting in global warming and impacting human health.
- Climate change and health hazards: addressing hazards to human and environmental health from a changing climatePublication . Leal Filho, Walter; Vidal, Diogo Guedes; Dinis, Maria Alzira PimentaIs very international. Presents a combination of projects, case studies, and practical experiences. Addresses interdisciplinary authorship.
- PrefacePublication . Leal Filho, Walter; Vidal, Diogo Guedes; Dinis, Maria Alzira Pimenta