Environmental degradation and health hazards in medium sized towns in India:

1
Environmental degradation and health hazards in
medium sized towns in India

• Research methods for studying the interdependency
  between urban growth and health risks

2
Structure of the Presentation

• 1. Introduction
• 2. Environmental Health
• 3. Our Research Area
• 4. Our Research Approach
• 5. Risk Perception

3
Drivers for environmental degradation and health
hazards in Indian cities

• population growth and constant poverty rates
• urbanization
• spatially concentrated industrial development
• increasing traffic volume
• lack of environmental awareness
• lack of information policy, implementation and
  efficient monitoring

4
Health Impact
source WHO 1997
5
Interdisciplinary Approach
Knowledge
Source Kineman 1998 (modified and supplemented)
6
Health Hazards

• poverty related diseases
• diarrhea
• malnutrition
• cholera, etc.
• mental health problems
• smoking
• alcoholism
• modern man-induced environmental health problems
• tuberculosis
• asthma
• cancer, etc.

7
Research on Risk Perception and Risk Communication

• Reasons for the rising interest in risk
  perception research are
• increasing fear of environmental risks
• rising interest by the media
• growing extent of environmental degradation
• lost trust in existing institutions,
  environmental management, and information policy

8
Research Approach(adapted from WHO HEADLAMP
Process)
Source Corvalán 1998 (modified)