Journal Description
Challenges — Journal of Planetary Health
Challenges
— Journal of Planetary Health is a transdisciplinary, peer-reviewed, open access journal on planetary health that welcomes contributions addressing any aspect of the interconnected Grand Challenges affecting human wellbeing and flourishing of all life on Earth in the Anthropocene. It is published quarterly online by MDPI and addresses the urgent need to accelerate cross-sectoral advances towards the sustainable development goals (SDGs) by integrating solutions proposed by the natural, social and health sciences, and the humanities. The Nova Network, a member of the Planetary Health Alliance (PHA), is affiliated with Challenges — Journal of Planetary Health.
- Open Access— free for readers, with article processing charges (APC) paid by authors or their institutions.
- High Visibility: indexed within RePEc, Gale, EBSCO, ProQuest, and other databases.
- Rapid Publication: manuscripts are peer-reviewed and a first decision is provided to authors approximately 29.3 days after submission; acceptance to publication is undertaken in 4.6 days (median values for papers published in this journal in the first half of 2025).
- Recognition of Reviewers: reviewers who provide timely, thorough peer-review reports receive vouchers entitling them to a discount on the APC of their next publication in any MDPI journal, in appreciation of the work done.
Latest Articles
Into the Blue: An ERC Synergy Grant Resolving Past Arctic Greenhouse Climate States
Challenges 2025, 16(3), 36; https://doi.org/10.3390/challe16030036 - 30 Jul 2025
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The Arctic Ocean is turning blue. Abrupt Arctic warming and amplification is driving rapid sea ice decline and irreversible deglaciation of Greenland. The already emerging, substantial consequences for the planet and society are intensifying and yet, model-based projections lack validatory consensus. To date,
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The Arctic Ocean is turning blue. Abrupt Arctic warming and amplification is driving rapid sea ice decline and irreversible deglaciation of Greenland. The already emerging, substantial consequences for the planet and society are intensifying and yet, model-based projections lack validatory consensus. To date, we cannot anticipate how a blue Arctic will respond to and amplify an increasingly warmer future climate, nor how it will impact the wider planet and society. Climate projections are inconclusive as we critically lack key Arctic geological archives that preserved the answers. This “Arctic Challenge” of global significance can only be addressed by investigating the processes, consequences, and impacts of past “greenhouse” (warmer-than-present) climate states. To address this challenge, the ERC Synergy Grant project Into the Blue (i2B) is undertaking a program of research focused on retrieving new Arctic geological archives of past warmth and key breakthroughs in climate model performance to deliver a ground-breaking, synergistic framework to answer the central question: “Why and what were the global ramifications of a “blue” (ice-free) Arctic during past warmer-than-present climates?” Here, we present the proposed research plan that will be conducted as part of this program. Into the Blue will quantify cryosphere (sea ice and land ice) change in a warmer world that will form the scientific basis for understanding the dynamics of Arctic cryosphere and ocean changes to enable the quantitative assessment of the impact of Arctic change on ocean biosphere, climate extremes, and society that will underpin future cryosphere-inclusive IPCC assessments.
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Open AccessArticle
Young People’s Perspectives on Climate Change in Urban Brazil
by
Irene Rizzini and Mariana Menezes Neumann
Challenges 2025, 16(3), 35; https://doi.org/10.3390/challe16030035 - 21 Jul 2025
Abstract
The climate crisis poses profound risks to present and future generations. Nonetheless, the perspectives of children and young people internationally, and more specifically in Brazil, remain underexplored. Based on a multi-discipline literature review on climate anxiety and nature (dis)connectedness, the hypothesis is that
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The climate crisis poses profound risks to present and future generations. Nonetheless, the perspectives of children and young people internationally, and more specifically in Brazil, remain underexplored. Based on a multi-discipline literature review on climate anxiety and nature (dis)connectedness, the hypothesis is that the effects and symptoms of increasing (dis)connection with natural environments have short-, medium-, and long-term consequences. Access to natural spaces is a vital response to counteract the negative impacts of climate change. This article discusses findings from a study conducted in urban Brazil with 200 young people aged 12 to 18 years old, with the aim of addressing three research questions from ten questions that comprised the complete survey. The major research questions were as follows: 1. ‘Climate change worries me’: How do you relate to this statement? 2. How does climate change affect you?, and 3. Do you think some young people are more affected by climate change than others? The results show that young people care about and are preoccupied with climate change, especially when they reflect on their futures and the future generations. Although young participants are deeply concerned about climate change and feel its effects them personally in the form of anxiety, fear, and insecurity, they often lack clear pathways for contributing to broader environmental efforts beyond individual actions. These findings highlight an urgent need to foster community-based approaches and enhance education and resources for enlarging and improving youth engagement, especially to rethink the everyday strategies addressing these challenges, and to foster new paradigms of interaction with the natural world based on (re)connection with natural spaces. The correlation between climate anxiety and nature (dis)connection offers an approach that is still little explored, especially concerning children and young people.
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(This article belongs to the Special Issue Planetary Health: From Evidence to Action–Confronting Reality (Including Submissions Associated with the 2024 Planetary Health Summit (PHAM2024))
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Open AccessArticle
Moderate Impact of Increasing Temperatures on Food Intake in Human Populations
by
Per M. Jensen and Marten Sørensen
Challenges 2025, 16(3), 34; https://doi.org/10.3390/challe16030034 - 21 Jul 2025
Abstract
Increasing temperatures associated with climate change will lead to (periodic) temperature-induced reductions in food intake in human and other mammal populations. Human adults, however, are both tolerant and resilient to periodic nutritional deficits, and the associated health effects should be limited. Intermittent nutritional
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Increasing temperatures associated with climate change will lead to (periodic) temperature-induced reductions in food intake in human and other mammal populations. Human adults, however, are both tolerant and resilient to periodic nutritional deficits, and the associated health effects should be limited. Intermittent nutritional deficits may also cause growth restriction in developing foetuses and young children, which potentially affects their food intake in later life. Therefore, temperature-induced hypophagia can be hypothesised to manifest as later compensatory responses with multiple concomitant (or extended) lags of varying temporal dimensions. We examined the relationship between calorie intake and ambient outdoor temperatures for a time series covering past decades (FAO data for 1961–2013) in 80 countries to determine if humans alter their food intake in response to elevated temperatures. We included eleven different temporal “windows of exposure” of varying lag. These windows considered current and recent exposure, just as lagged effects allowed for a consideration of past effects on mothers, their children, and childhood exposure. It was hypothesised that one of these could provide a basis for predicting future changes in human calorie intake in response to climate change. Our analyses showed no apparent association with temperatures in ten of the eleven hypotheses/models. The remaining hypothesis suggests that current calorie intake is linked to decadal mean temperatures with a lag of approximately three decades, pointing to an impact on mothers and their (developing) children. The impact of an increase in mean temperature varies with temperature amplitudes, and negative impacts are only found in countries with low temperature amplitudes (warmer countries), albeit the impact on calorie intake caused by a 2–3 °C change in temperatures or temperature amplitudes is generally modest. However, in considering calorie intake, we only address quantities of food (with unspecified quality), which insufficiently reflect the full range of nutritional challenges associated with increasing temperatures. Understanding climate-driven changes in human food intake requires global interdisciplinary collaboration across public health, environmental science, and policy.
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(This article belongs to the Section Human Health and Well-Being)
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Open AccessViewpoint
McDonald’s McLean Deluxe and Planetary Health: A Cautionary Tale at the Intersection of Alternative Meats and Ultra-Processed Marketing
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Susan L. Prescott and Alan C. Logan
Challenges 2025, 16(3), 33; https://doi.org/10.3390/challe16030033 - 17 Jul 2025
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Dietary choices and patterns have enormous consequences along the lines of individual, community, and planetary health. Excess meat consumption has been linked to chronic disease risk, and at large scales, the underlying industries maintain a massive environmental footprint. For these reasons, public and
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Dietary choices and patterns have enormous consequences along the lines of individual, community, and planetary health. Excess meat consumption has been linked to chronic disease risk, and at large scales, the underlying industries maintain a massive environmental footprint. For these reasons, public and planetary health experts are unified in emphasizing a whole or minimally processed plant-based diet. In response, the purveyors of ultra-processed foods have added “meat alternatives” to their ultra-processed commercial portfolios; multinational corporations have been joined by “start-ups” with new ultra-processed meat analogues. Here, in our Viewpoint, we revisit the 1990s food industry rhetoric and product innovation, a time in which multinational corporations pushed a great “low-fat transition.” We focus on the McLean Deluxe burger, a carrageenan-rich product introduced by the McDonald’s Corporation in 1991. Propelled by a marketing and media-driven fear of dietary fats, the lower-fat burger was presented with great fanfare. We reflect this history off the current “great protein transition,” a period once again rich in rhetoric, with similar displays of industry detachment from concerns about the health consequences of innovation. We scrutinize the safety of carrageenan and argue that the McLean burger should serve as a cautionary tale for planetary health and 21st century food innovation.
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Open AccessEssay
Educational Leadership: Enabling Positive Planetary Action Through Regenerative Practices and Complexity Leadership Theory
by
Marie Beresford-Dey
Challenges 2025, 16(3), 32; https://doi.org/10.3390/challe16030032 - 15 Jul 2025
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Uniquely rooted in regenerative leadership and complemented by Complexity Leadership Theory (CLT), this conceptual essay offers a theoretical exploration of how educational institutions can act as dynamic systems that catalyze adaptive, community-led responses to anthropocentric socio-environmental crises. Rather than sustaining existing structures, educational
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Uniquely rooted in regenerative leadership and complemented by Complexity Leadership Theory (CLT), this conceptual essay offers a theoretical exploration of how educational institutions can act as dynamic systems that catalyze adaptive, community-led responses to anthropocentric socio-environmental crises. Rather than sustaining existing structures, educational leadership for regeneration seeks to restore ecological balance and nurture emergent capacities for long-term resilience. Positioned as key sites of influence, educational institutions are explored as engines of innovation capable of mobilizing students, educators, and communities toward collective environmental action. CLT offers a valuable lens for understanding how leadership emerges from nonlinear, adaptive processes within schools, enabling the development of innovative, collaborative, and responsive strategies required for navigating complexity and leading planetary-positive change. Drawing on a synthesis of the recent global literature, this paper begins by outlining the need to go beyond sustainability in envisioning regenerative futures, followed by an introduction to regenerative principles. It then examines the current and evolving role of educational leadership, the relevance in enabling whole-institution transformation, and how this relates to regenerative practices. The theoretical frameworks of systems thinking and CLT are introduced before noting their application within regenerative educational leadership. The final sections identify implementation challenges and offer practical recommendations, including curriculum innovation, professional development, and youth-led advocacy, before concluding with a call for education as a vehicle for cultivating planetary-conscious citizens and systemic change. This work contributes a timely and theoretically grounded model for reimagining educational leadership in an era of global turbulence.
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(This article belongs to the Section Planetary Health Education and Communication)
Open AccessArticle
Leveraging Public–Private Partnerships for a Circular Industry Economy: Advancing Economic Sustainability in Industrial Waste Management in the Emirate of Ajman, UAE
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Khaled Alhosani
Challenges 2025, 16(3), 31; https://doi.org/10.3390/challe16030031 - 6 Jul 2025
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This study investigates the empowering role of public–private partnerships (PPPs) in the economic sustainability of waste management (ESW) and the circular industry economy (CIE), specifically in the small, rapidly industrialising Emirate of Ajman, UAE. Embracing a circular economy is vital for the sustainability
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This study investigates the empowering role of public–private partnerships (PPPs) in the economic sustainability of waste management (ESW) and the circular industry economy (CIE), specifically in the small, rapidly industrialising Emirate of Ajman, UAE. Embracing a circular economy is vital for the sustainability agenda while forging a transformative commitment to planetary health (PH) in a manner that is especially crucial for small states with limited carrying capabilities. A quantitative methodological orientation is employed in a survey-based research design, followed by the Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling statistical technique to test the hypothesised relationships. Sampling involved the three sub-populations of government employees (n = 123), managers/employees of private waste collection businesses (n = 106), and employees of private industrial waste generation industries (n = 276). Findings indicate that PPP empowerment positively impacts ESW and contributes to the creation of CIE. Moreover, ESW fosters the growth of CIE in Ajman. Notably, the perspectives of government stakeholders differ from those of non-government actors. This research underscores the significance of PPP empowerment in the development of CIE towards SDGs 11, 12, and 17, emphasising the mediating role of ESW between PPPs and CIE in small, rapidly industrialising states. The study recommends that the Ajman government implement training and social initiatives aimed at aligning the sustainability perspectives of all stakeholders involved in waste management to promote the mutual benefits of “people, places, and planet”.
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Open AccessArticle
How Transformative Experiences Reshape Values, Worldviews, and Engagement with Sustainability: An Integral Inquiry
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Elizabeth Halliday and Jessica Bockler
Challenges 2025, 16(3), 30; https://doi.org/10.3390/challe16030030 - 1 Jul 2025
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Climate scientists, systems theorists, and policymakers increasingly suggest that global sustainability challenges stem from dysfunctional worldviews and values that drive individual and collective behaviors, undermining both human flourishing and planetary health. Recognizing that paradigmatic shifts in values and worldviews can arise from transformative
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Climate scientists, systems theorists, and policymakers increasingly suggest that global sustainability challenges stem from dysfunctional worldviews and values that drive individual and collective behaviors, undermining both human flourishing and planetary health. Recognizing that paradigmatic shifts in values and worldviews can arise from transformative experiences, this study employed Integral Inquiry in a mixed-methods design to examine the nature of the relationship between such experiences and engagement with sustainability. A sample of 145 adults was recruited based on self-identification of having undergone a life-changing experience and demonstrated evidence of transformative growth and integration. In the qualitative phase, 73 participants completed an open-text survey detailing their perspectives on sustainability and their related practices and behaviors. Ten individuals from this subset were interviewed to explore the depth and dimensions of their engagement with sustainability. Using Constructivist Grounded Theory analysis, three tentative themes emerged: intraconnection, personal equilibrium, and defining social change. Whilst the study was exploratory in nature, the analysis indicated that transformative experiences seemed to foster a profound felt sense of intraconnection—a deep awareness of interconnectedness with all life. This awareness appeared to naturally clarify participants’ values and beliefs, aligning their actions toward sustainability. Moreover, participants emphasized the importance of cultivating personal equilibrium—a state of inner balance and congruence in daily choices—as a foundation for meaningful social and environmental change. This study tentatively highlights the role transformative experiences can play in bringing about more pro-ecological behavior, and it underscores the need for further research into how such experiences can be more readily integrated to support global sustainability efforts.
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(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Relationship between Sustainability and Inner Development: Towards More Integrative Worldviews, Paradigms, and Actions)
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The Land That Time Forgot? Planetary Health and the Criminal Justice System
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Alan C. Logan, Colleen M. Berryessa, John S. Callender, Gregg D. Caruso, Fiona A. Hagenbeek, Pragya Mishra and Susan L. Prescott
Challenges 2025, 16(2), 29; https://doi.org/10.3390/challe16020029 - 18 Jun 2025
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Planetary health is a transdisciplinary concept that erases the dividing lines between individual and community health, and the natural systems that support the wellbeing of humankind. Despite planetary health’s broad emphasis on justice, the promotion of science-based policies, and stated commitments to fairness,
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Planetary health is a transdisciplinary concept that erases the dividing lines between individual and community health, and the natural systems that support the wellbeing of humankind. Despite planetary health’s broad emphasis on justice, the promotion of science-based policies, and stated commitments to fairness, equity, and harm reduction, the criminal justice system has largely escaped scrutiny. This seems to be a major oversight, especially because the criminalization of mental illness is commonplace, and the system continues to be oriented around a prescientific compass of retribution and folk beliefs in willpower, moral fiber, and blameworthiness. Justice-involved juveniles and adults are funneled into landscapes of mass incarceration with ingrained prescientific assumptions. In non-criminal realms, such as obesity, there is a growing consensus that folk psychology ideas must be addressed at the root and branch. With this background, the Nova Institute for Health convened a transdisciplinary roundtable to explore the need for a ‘Copernican Revolution’ in the application of biopsychosocial sciences in law and criminal justice. This included discussions of scientific advances in neurobiology and omics technologies (e.g., the identification of metabolites and other biological molecules involved in behavior), the need for science education, ethical considerations, and the public health quarantine model of safety that abandons retribution.
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Open AccessArticle
Efficient Free Fatty Acid Reduction in Palm Oil Mill Effluent (POME) for Biodiesel Production: Challenges and Optimization Strategies
by
Indunil Chamara, Helitha Nilmalgoda and Eranga Wimalasiri
Challenges 2025, 16(2), 28; https://doi.org/10.3390/challe16020028 - 12 Jun 2025
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The increasing demand for fossil fuels has led the oil industry to explore biodiesel as a renewable alternative, which is crucial for advancing planetary health. Biodiesel offers environmental benefits and shares similar properties with petroleum diesel, making it a promising substitute. However, Palm
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The increasing demand for fossil fuels has led the oil industry to explore biodiesel as a renewable alternative, which is crucial for advancing planetary health. Biodiesel offers environmental benefits and shares similar properties with petroleum diesel, making it a promising substitute. However, Palm Oil Mill Effluent (POME), containing sludge palm oil (SPO), presents challenges due to its high free fatty acid (FFA) content. This study proposes novel optimization strategies to reduce FFAs in SPO and improve biodiesel yield. A combination of base neutralization, esterification, and transesterification processes was employed. Neutralization with sodium hydroxide (NaOH) at concentrations ranging from 0.1% to 0.5% w/w was followed by esterification using sulfuric acid (H2SO4) with varying methanol-to-oil ratios. The optimal FFA reduction of 2.26% was achieved at a 6:1 methanol ratio. Transesterification with a 7:1 methanol-to-oil ratio yielded the highest biodiesel output of 71.25%. The biodiesel met ASTM standards, with a calorific value of 40.01 MJ/kg, a flash point of 180.5 °C, and a density of 0.86 g/cm3. Economic analysis estimates an annual net profit of USD 244,901,600, demonstrating that this approach provides a financially viable solution while advancing planetary health by reducing dependency on fossil fuels, mitigating climate change, and supporting sustainable fuel production.
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Open AccessPerspective
From Laggard to Leader: A Novel Policy Perspective of Michigan’s Preliminary Path to Climate Success
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Laura U. Schneider and Nancy Boyd
Challenges 2025, 16(2), 27; https://doi.org/10.3390/challe16020027 - 31 May 2025
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The realities of climate change are here, and in the absence of encompassing U.S. federal policies directing action, it is left to the states to help set our course for the future. At the forefront of state action is Michigan, which in 2023
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The realities of climate change are here, and in the absence of encompassing U.S. federal policies directing action, it is left to the states to help set our course for the future. At the forefront of state action is Michigan, which in 2023 passed sweeping legislation requiring the state to achieve climate neutrality, a significant investment in electric vehicle infrastructure, and a commitment to environmental justice. The bold climate-forward actions by the state have been described by many as vaulting the state of Michigan into a national leader on climate policy. This perspective uses Michigan’s novel collection of climate-related policies to examine the connections between infrastructure, environmental justice, and climate change in Michigan. The legislation was passed with strong Democratic support, but Republicans and some environmentalists are concerned about the feasibility of the state to implement the legislation, especially when some states like California are having to back down from their green energy goals. We find that the legislation focuses on the triple bottom line by supporting economic growth in the state, advancing the interests of rural and urban communities alike, and embracing ambitious environmental goals. Michigan is already seeing successful implementation of this policy, and the lessons of this action can help provide a roadmap for other states seeking to move forward on climate policy. This novel perspective demonstrates the unique qualities Michigan is bringing to climate legislation, and the newness of the policies opens new research opportunities for a variety of scholarship interests.
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Open AccessArticle
From Utopia to Dystopia: Interviews in Iceland About the Future Amid Climate Change
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Michelle Ritchie, Sarah Heaton, Alexander Scheid, Hannah Mott, Gudrun Mobus Bernhards, Sloane Sengson, Kathryn Foral and Jon Calabria
Challenges 2025, 16(2), 26; https://doi.org/10.3390/challe16020026 - 30 May 2025
Abstract
Studies at the intersection of climate change and futures research are needed. In response, we interviewed Icelanders (n = 63) to understand individuals’ visions of the future. Linguistic analysis revealed that participants expressed themselves informally with moderate confidence, high authenticity, and a negative
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Studies at the intersection of climate change and futures research are needed. In response, we interviewed Icelanders (n = 63) to understand individuals’ visions of the future. Linguistic analysis revealed that participants expressed themselves informally with moderate confidence, high authenticity, and a negative tone. Deductive thematic analysis revealed three overarching visions of the future: (1) a utopian future characterized by environmental and social harmony where people return to nature; (2) a stable future reminiscent of today with improved infrastructure, connectivity, and continued sustainability and adaptation practices that maintain a rural lifestyle; and (3) a dystopian future marked by climate disruptions, overpopulation, and new environmental hazards requiring more emergency management resources alongside cultural barriers to adaptation that lead to the decay of infrastructure. The findings underscore the need to understand community-specific values and concerns for developing culturally sensitive and sustainable climate change adaptation strategies.
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Open AccessOpinion
In the Company of the Unknown: Cultivating Curiosity for Ecological Renewal
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Dragana Favre
Challenges 2025, 16(2), 25; https://doi.org/10.3390/challe16020025 - 20 May 2025
Abstract
This article argues that environmental education must move beyond knowledge transmission to become a transformative, psychological, and relational practice. Rooted in the One Health framework, which emphasizes the interconnectedness of human, animal, and ecological well-being, this article positions curiosity as a central catalyst
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This article argues that environmental education must move beyond knowledge transmission to become a transformative, psychological, and relational practice. Rooted in the One Health framework, which emphasizes the interconnectedness of human, animal, and ecological well-being, this article positions curiosity as a central catalyst for ecological and psychological integration. While this article specifically engages with the One Health framework, the same integrative principles apply equally to the closely related Planetary Health perspective, emphasizing interconnected human, ecological, and planetary well-being. Drawing from Jungian and post-Jungian psychology, ecopsychology, and educational theory, it redefines curiosity as a symbolic, ethical, and affective mode of engagement with the Other, both within the psyche and in the more-than-human world. Through boredom, dialogue, narrative, and embodied practices, curiosity creates space for inner movement, narrative reconfiguration, and a relational mode of knowing that can confront ecological crises with imagination, patience, and integrity. This article offers pedagogical strategies to cultivate this deeper form of curiosity as a foundation for lifelong ecological engagement.
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(This article belongs to the Section Planetary Health Education and Communication)
Open AccessViewpoint
The Earthrise Community: Transforming Planetary Consciousness for a Flourishing Future
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Susan L. Prescott, Aterah Nusrat, Richard Scott, David Nelson, Heidi Honegger Rogers, Mona S. El-Sherbini, Knellee Bisram, Yvonne Vizina, Sara L. Warber and David Webb
Challenges 2025, 16(2), 24; https://doi.org/10.3390/challe16020024 - 13 May 2025
Abstract
In the face of the growing challenges of the Anthropocene—marked by climate change, biodiversity loss, and increasing rates of disease and despair—this paper explores the need for holistic solutions that integrate cultural and spiritual transformation as essential dimensions of change. Recognizing that the
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In the face of the growing challenges of the Anthropocene—marked by climate change, biodiversity loss, and increasing rates of disease and despair—this paper explores the need for holistic solutions that integrate cultural and spiritual transformation as essential dimensions of change. Recognizing that the interconnected challenges to planetary health stem from destructive socio-political agendas and unhealthy economic structures, we underscore the importance of worldviews and value systems as root causes of social and ecological injustices. Solutions require an understanding of the complex interdependence of systems, fostering mutualistic mindsets, and healing the ‘relationship crisis’ between humans and the natural world by cultivating a deeper level of consciousness. In response to these urgent needs, we describe Earthrise—a community of engaged contemplative practice led by the Nova Institute for Health in collaboration with the Planetary Health Alliance—dedicated to spiritual and cultural transformation in the face of today’s complex crises. Through intentional spiritual relationships—with ourselves, each other, and the natural world—our community emphasizes the power of narrative co-creation in building social cohesion and collective action for environmental stewardship. Our work is not solely contemplative, but also relational and integrative—embodying values through lived practice, community, and ecological engagement. Our activities focus on developing cultural capacities and self-awareness as essential foundations for fair and sustainable social transformation. By integrating diverse perspectives, including ancestral wisdom and Indigenous knowledge systems, we enrich worldviews and deepen our connection to the planet. The Earthrise community seeks to cultivate a sense of belonging, nurturing the meaningful relationships that foster compassion and care. Central to our approach is the use of creative emergence, leveraging the arts to inspire change and catalyze new paradigms. Through this exploration of interconnected themes, we contend that spiritual and cultural transformation is vital to advancing a thriving future, where human flourishing and planetary health are understood as inseparable and interconnected goals.
Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nurturing Connected Consciousness in the Anthropocene: Addressing Calls for Cultural and Spiritual Transformation as a Path to Personal, Collective, and Planetary Health)
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Open AccessArticle
Fostering Community Ownership for Sustainable Social Innovations in Pastoral and Agro-Pastoral Regions
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Mulye Tadesse, Tafesse Matewos, Samuel Jilo Dira, Fekadu Israel Alambo and Tenaw Fentaw Dessie
Challenges 2025, 16(2), 23; https://doi.org/10.3390/challe16020023 - 23 Apr 2025
Abstract
Social innovation has emerged as a prominent strategy in development practice, attracting substantial scholarly attention. In Ethiopia’s pastoral and agro-pastoral areas, characterized by vulnerability and persistent development challenges, non-governmental organizations have begun implementing social innovations as alternatives to traditional interventions. However, the empirical
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Social innovation has emerged as a prominent strategy in development practice, attracting substantial scholarly attention. In Ethiopia’s pastoral and agro-pastoral areas, characterized by vulnerability and persistent development challenges, non-governmental organizations have begun implementing social innovations as alternatives to traditional interventions. However, the empirical understanding of the uptake of these innovations and the degree to which communities perceive ownership is limited. This study aims to investigate the adoption patterns of social innovations and evaluate community ownership of these innovations towards sustainability in specific Ethiopian contexts. Methods included partial participant observation, 12 case studies, 33 key informant interviews, and a sample survey of 392 respondents. The findings indicate that the average age of respondents is approximately 41 years old, with the youngest being 15 and the oldest being 94. Descriptive and inferential statistics showed that social innovations improved the management of the water system in Meda Wollabu and the enhanced goat market in Dasenech, with a developed sense of ownership benefitting and improving communities’ livelihood and sustainable development. The study concludes that developed sense of community ownership effective information dissemination, relative advantage and participation in training, highlighting the importance of tailored social innovation strategies that enhance community resilience and sustainability.
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Open AccessReview
Unseen Drivers of Antimicrobial Resistance: The Role of Industrial Agriculture and Climate Change in This Global Health Crisis
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Madeline E. Graham, Brenda A. Wilson, Davendra Ramkumar, Holly Rosencranz and Japhia Ramkumar
Challenges 2025, 16(2), 22; https://doi.org/10.3390/challe16020022 - 21 Apr 2025
Abstract
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is an urgent global health threat with many anthropogenic drivers outside of healthcare. The impacts of modern agriculture on human health are manifold, from the food systems and dietary patterns they support to the less apparent effects of environmental stresses
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Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is an urgent global health threat with many anthropogenic drivers outside of healthcare. The impacts of modern agriculture on human health are manifold, from the food systems and dietary patterns they support to the less apparent effects of environmental stresses and biodiversity loss in ecosystems. Intensive practices, such as chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides, induce abiotic stresses that deplete biodiversity and drive AMR in soil and aquatic microbiomes. The overuse of antibiotics in livestock production is another major driver of AMR. Changes in weather patterns due to climate change have the potential to exacerbate these issues as warmer and wetter weather increases the potential for bacterial infection. While practices exist to address healthcare-associated drivers, the impact of agriculture and environmental destruction are not widely appreciated in healthcare and biomedical sciences. It is imperative that healthcare professionals and public health experts understand these connections to properly address the emergent issue of AMR. This review aims to summarize the current data on important agricultural and environmental drivers of AMR for educational purposes, to fill gaps in knowledge, and to improve current practices and stimulate further research.
Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Planetary Health: From Evidence to Action–Confronting Reality (Including Submissions Associated with the 2024 Planetary Health Summit (PHAM2024))
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Open AccessViewpoint
Eco-Systemic Flourishing: Expanding the Meta-Framework for 21st-Century Education
by
Wendy Ellyatt
Challenges 2025, 16(2), 21; https://doi.org/10.3390/challe16020021 - 19 Apr 2025
Cited by 1
Abstract
This paper expands on the anthropocentric focus of the Self-Directed Flourishing (SDF) framework by introducing the Eco-Systemic Flourishing (ESF) framework. The primary contribution of the ESF is the integration of ecological systems thinking, place-based education, and regenerative learning into existing flourishing frameworks. Methodologically,
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This paper expands on the anthropocentric focus of the Self-Directed Flourishing (SDF) framework by introducing the Eco-Systemic Flourishing (ESF) framework. The primary contribution of the ESF is the integration of ecological systems thinking, place-based education, and regenerative learning into existing flourishing frameworks. Methodologically, the paper synthesizes interdisciplinary perspectives from developmental psychology, systems theory and sustainability education and to propose a transformative educational approach. The results outline how the ESF framework positions education as a crucial driver for fostering relational awareness and ecological literacy, thus promoting both human and planetary flourishing. The framework’s implications are significant, offering a scalable model for sustainability integration in educational systems, curriculum design, and policy development. Future empirical validation, through longitudinal studies, is recommended to evaluate ESF’s effectiveness in enhancing educational outcomes and ecological stewardship.
Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nurturing Connected Consciousness in the Anthropocene: Addressing Calls for Cultural and Spiritual Transformation as a Path to Personal, Collective, and Planetary Health)
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Open AccessArticle
Climate Change Impacts on Household Food Security in Sri Lanka’s Dry Zones: A Qualitative Analysis
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Sisira Kumara Naradda Gamage, Solanga Arachchige U. Niranjala, Jayasooriya Mudiyanselage Harshana M. Upulwehera, Allayarov Piratdin, Kumara Bandage Thilini Udesha K. Bandara, Hatharakorale Gedara Kolitha N. Bandara, Hetti Arachchige Buddhika W. Hettiarachchi, Adikari Mudiyanselage P. Adikari, Sumanapalage D. Amasha Sumanapala, Manamendra K. Nilakshi Pabasara and Ran Pathige Indika R. Prasanna
Challenges 2025, 16(2), 20; https://doi.org/10.3390/challe16020020 - 10 Apr 2025
Cited by 2
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Climate change is a substantial threat to worldwide food security, affecting the supply, stability, accessibility, and quality of food. This study aimed to explore the impact of climate change on household food security of farming communities in dry zones in Sri Lanka, focusing
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Climate change is a substantial threat to worldwide food security, affecting the supply, stability, accessibility, and quality of food. This study aimed to explore the impact of climate change on household food security of farming communities in dry zones in Sri Lanka, focusing on water resource limitations and agricultural productivity, using a qualitative case study method with 13 cases. The impact of climate change on farming and food security was identified under the key themes of food production and yield, income and economic stability, water resources and management, food availability and access, nutrition quality, and dietary diversity. The findings revealed that climate change can indirectly affect food security by impacting household and personal incomes. It also influences health, access to clean water, and the ability to utilize food effectively. Such climatic changes significantly impact household food security and distinctly affect nutrition quality and dietary diversity, which are identifiable as the primary food security elements. This study suggests moving other income sources to enhance the economic stability of farming households, adopting new farming techniques, organizing government assistance programs, and establishing social safety nets such as food aid programs and financial support for affected households. Such activities will help to address the decline of yield production that is caused by climate change, and will mitigate the effect that climate change has on household food security. It further emphasizes the need to combine modern policy interventions and the existing domestic adaptation framework. This investigation employs a qualitative research method to explore how communities experience actual climate change effects, including water issues and farm failures. It effectively captures and contributes detailed knowledge to the current research on this subject.
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Open AccessPerspective
Environmental Humanities South: Decolonizing Nature in Highland Asia
by
Dan Smyer Yü, Ambika Aiyadurai, Mamang Dai, Razzeko Delley, Rashila Deshar, Iftekhar Iqbal, Chi Huyen Truong, Bhargabi Das, Mongfing Lepcha, Thinley Dema, Madan Koirala, Zainab Khalid and Zhen Ma
Challenges 2025, 16(2), 19; https://doi.org/10.3390/challe16020019 - 26 Mar 2025
Abstract
We, a group of native scholars based in the Himalayan region, co-author this article to propose an environmental humanities South—concurrently as an Asia-specific interdisciplinary field and a planetary human–nature epistemology of the Global South inextricably entwined with that of the Global North. Framed
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We, a group of native scholars based in the Himalayan region, co-author this article to propose an environmental humanities South—concurrently as an Asia-specific interdisciplinary field and a planetary human–nature epistemology of the Global South inextricably entwined with that of the Global North. Framed in the broader field of planetary health, this article begins with a perspectival shift by reconceptualizing the Global South and the Global North as the Planetary South and the Planetary North for the purpose of laying the epistemological groundwork for two interconnected arguments and subsequent discussions. First, the Planetary South is not merely epistemological, but is at once geographically epistemological and epistemologically geographical. Our debates with the currently dominant epistemologies of the South open up a decolonial conversation with what we call the Australian School of the environmental humanities, the initial seed bank of our interdisciplinary environmental work in Asia’s Planetary South. These multilayered epistemological debates and conversations lead to the second argument that the South and the North relate to one another simultaneously in symbiotic and paradoxical terms. Through these two arguments, the article addresses the conundrum of what we call the “postcolonial continuation of the colonial environmentality” and attempts to interweave the meaningful return of the eroding Himalayan native knowledges of nature with modern scientific findings in a way that appreciates the livingness of the earth and is inclusive of nonwestern environmental worldviews.
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(This article belongs to the Special Issue Planetary Health: From Evidence to Action–Confronting Reality (Including Submissions Associated with the 2024 Planetary Health Summit (PHAM2024))
Open AccessConference Report
Outcomes of the Fifth International Conference on Bioscience and Biotechnology, 2024 (ICBB-2024): Planetary Health—A Local Discourse
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Suvechhya Bastola, Maria Alba Abad, Anurag Adhikari, Gaurav Adhikari, Aagat Awasthi, Ashim Dhakal, Rijan Maharjan, Rojlina Manandhar, Rukumesh Paudyal, Sunil Pokhrel, Amina Singh, Neha Shrestha, Lekhendra Tripathee, Remco Kort and Prajwal Rajbhandari
Challenges 2025, 16(1), 18; https://doi.org/10.3390/challe16010018 - 17 Mar 2025
Abstract
The Fifth International Conference on Bioscience and Biotechnology, 2024 (ICBB-2024), held in Godawari, Nepal, from 21 to 24 April 2024, aimed to address planetary health challenges within the local context of Nepal while fostering global dialogue. Bringing together 240 participants from 10 countries,
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The Fifth International Conference on Bioscience and Biotechnology, 2024 (ICBB-2024), held in Godawari, Nepal, from 21 to 24 April 2024, aimed to address planetary health challenges within the local context of Nepal while fostering global dialogue. Bringing together 240 participants from 10 countries, including 20 international invited speakers, the conference sought to explore the intersections of human health, environmental sustainability, and societal well-being. Jointly organized by the Research Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology (RIBB), the University of Nepal Development Board (UoN-DB), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VUA), and the Himalayan Environment Research Institute (HERI) and co-organized by Phutung Research Institute (PRI), Kathmandu Research Institute for Biological Sciences (KRIBS), Engage Nepal with Science (ENwS), and Kathmandu Center for Research and Education (KCRE), the conference represented a collaboration of 15 institutions and companies. With attendees from diverse backgrounds—academia, research institutes, private companies, NGOs, and government organizations—the conference featured a robust program of keynotes, workshops, panel discussions, focus group discussions, and oral and poster presentations. Thematic focuses included sessions on Air and Water, Climate Change, Ecology, Evolutionary and Environmental Sciences, and Global Health. A major highlight was the recognition of Nepal’s rich biodiversity and its vulnerability to the impacts of climate change. The event drew inspiration from the European Planetary Health Hub, convening and exploring sustainable, locally relevant solutions to global planetary health issues. Outcomes of the conference included new research collaborations, an enhanced focus on interdisciplinary approaches to biodiversity conservation, and a deeper understanding of how indigenous knowledge can play a crucial role in environmental sustainability. Additionally, ICBB-2024 set a precedent for eco-friendly conferencing practices by emphasizing sustainability throughout the event. In conclusion, ICBB-2024 succeeded in fostering meaningful dialogue and collaboration, inspiring both local and global actions to address pressing planetary health challenges. The event underscored the importance of integrating science, policy, and traditional knowledge in the pursuit of sustainable solutions for planetary health.
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(This article belongs to the Section Climate Change, Air, Water, and Planetary Systems)
Open AccessArticle
Fostering Social Participation and Inclusion in Rural Communities: The Case of the TAIKAN Group in Chile
by
Cristian Armijo Castillo and Rodolfo Morrison
Challenges 2025, 16(1), 17; https://doi.org/10.3390/challe16010017 - 12 Mar 2025
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This study examines the collective experience of the TAIKAN group, a social organization located in the municipality of Canela, Coquimbo Region, Chile. Through a systematization of experience methodology, this research analyzes how the group’s inclusive grassroots practices contribute to social participation, community resilience,
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This study examines the collective experience of the TAIKAN group, a social organization located in the municipality of Canela, Coquimbo Region, Chile. Through a systematization of experience methodology, this research analyzes how the group’s inclusive grassroots practices contribute to social participation, community resilience, and sustainable development in rural contexts. The study employs qualitative methods, including document review, semi-structured interviews, participant observation, and discussion groups, to capture the lived experiences of its members and assess the impact of their initiatives. The findings highlight that TAIKAN fosters a cultural shift towards inclusion by positioning people with disabilities as active agents in their community, promoting autonomy through productive workshops, and engaging in collaborative efforts to reduce structural inequalities. Furthermore, the study situates the TAIKAN experience within the framework of planetary health, demonstrating how local initiatives can align with global efforts to advance social and environmental justice. These insights provide a replicable framework for strengthening marginalized communities in similar rural settings.
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