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Ecosystem Services and Sustainable Development of Human Health
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Ecosystem Services and Sustainable Development of Human Health

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Health, Well-Being and Sustainability".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 1 September 2025 | Viewed by 1929

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Michael J. Ahrens

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Guest Editor
Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e Ingenieria, Universidad de Bogota Jorge Tadeo Lozano, Bogotá, Colombia
Interests: ecosystem services; human development; sustainability development; hydrological systems; aquatic ecology
Prof. Dr. César Augusto Ruiz Agudelo

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e Ingenieria, Universidad de Bogota Jorge Tadeo Lozano, Bogotá, Colombia
Interests: ecosystem services; ecosystem services valuation; human development; sustainability development
Dr. Angela María Cortes-Gómez

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Facultad de Estudios Ambientales y Rurales, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, Colombia
Interests: ecosystem services; ecosystem services valuation; human development; sustainability development
Prof. Dr. Francisco De Paula Gutierrez Bonilla

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e Ingenieria, Universidad de Bogota Jorge Tadeo Lozano, Bogotá, Colombia
Interests: ecosystem services; ecosystem services valuation; human development; sustainability development

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Ecosystem services, the benefits that nature and ecosystems provide human societies, have become a central research topic and a conceptual and methodological bridge to link ecosystem processes with human well-being. Understanding the contribution of ecosystem services to human well-being constitutes a pertinent and promising research task for formulating policies oriented towards sustainable development. Despite the immense research efforts on the relationship between ecosystem services and human well-being, there are still work topics with little evidence and lessons for socio-environmental management. One of these topics is the relationship between ecosystem services and the sustainable development of human health.

This Special Issue, entitled “Ecosystem Services and Sustainable Development of Human Health”, aims to bring together research and contributions demonstrating the relationships between ecosystem services, human health, and sustainable human development. Delving deeper into this facet of ecosystem services management will undoubtedly provide essential lessons for academia and sustainable development policies.

Original research articles and reviews are welcome in this Special Issue. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following: characterization, valuation, modeling, mapping, and management of ecosystem services and their links with human health and sustainable human development. These general themes are crucial to understanding these relationships in greater depth. It is essential to mention that sustainable human health development is a multidimensional topic, where approaches from social, environmental,  and transdisciplinary sciences are welcome.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Michael J. Ahrens
Prof. Dr. César Augusto Ruiz Agudelo
Dr. Angela María Cortes-Gómez
Prof. Dr. Francisco De Paula Gutierrez Bonilla
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • ecosystem services
  • human health
  • human development
  • human well-being
  • sustainable development

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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25 pages, 23420 KiB  
Article
Proposal of a Socio-Ecological Resilience Integrated Index (SERII) for Colombia, South America (1985–2022)
by Cesar Augusto Ruiz-Agudelo
Sustainability 2025, 17(14), 6461; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17146461 (registering DOI) - 15 Jul 2025
Abstract
Colombia is a megadiverse, multiethnic, and multicultural country with a tremendous socio-ecological systems (SESs) diversity, which faces essential challenges arising from human activities, low levels of sustainable economic development, poverty, and social inequality rates, and the persistence of multiple forms of military, political, [...] Read more.
Colombia is a megadiverse, multiethnic, and multicultural country with a tremendous socio-ecological systems (SESs) diversity, which faces essential challenges arising from human activities, low levels of sustainable economic development, poverty, and social inequality rates, and the persistence of multiple forms of military, political, and social violence. Understanding the resilience of this complex system is both fundamental and challenging due to the contradictory effects of economic development and regional ecosystem degradation. This research proposes the Socio-Ecological Resilience Integrated Index (SERII) to assess historical changes in socio-ecological resilience in Colombia’s departments (political-administrative units) between 1985–2022. The SERII considers the trade-offs between ecosystems, social systems, and production systems, providing a complete perspective of integrated management with a geographic resolution at the level of general political-administrative units. The results reveal a spatial variation in the SERII, with worse conditions in the Caribbean, the Pacific, and the Colombian Amazon (on the country periphery) and better conditions in departments of the country center. From 1985 to 2022, the SERII experienced a decrease (51.5%), driven by ecosystem degradation, increased extractive activities (illegal and illegal), and the persistence of military, political, and social violence. While the limitations of the proposed indicator are described, the SERII effectively replicates the overall resilience of Colombia’s departments to external shocks and allows for suggesting regional management priorities for the targeted promotion of sustainable development. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecosystem Services and Sustainable Development of Human Health)
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23 pages, 2278 KiB  
Article
The Evolution of Ecological Well-Being Performance and Its Effects on Population Longevity: A County-Level Spatiotemporal Analysis of Hubei Province, China
by Jinbo Yan, Rongjun Ao, Xiaoqi Zhou and Jing Jiang
Sustainability 2025, 17(13), 5669; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17135669 - 20 Jun 2025
Viewed by 381
Abstract
Building an ecological civilization and promoting national health are crucial for high-quality development. These goals are linked to ecological well-being performance (EWP). This study aimed to evaluate EWP based on county-scale input–output relationships, analyze its spatiotemporal evolution, and explore how EWP changes affect [...] Read more.
Building an ecological civilization and promoting national health are crucial for high-quality development. These goals are linked to ecological well-being performance (EWP). This study aimed to evaluate EWP based on county-scale input–output relationships, analyze its spatiotemporal evolution, and explore how EWP changes affect longevity through spatial spillover and interaction mechanisms. We first used the super-SBM model to assess county-level EWP from 2000 to 2020. Then, spatial econometric models and geographical detectors were applied to analyze the impact of EWP on longevity. The results show a persistent uptrend in overall EWP, indicating that Hubei Province has enhanced its sustainable development capacity. Regions with high EWP values have distinct characteristics. There is polarization in the east, expansive connectivity in the west, and fragmentation in the center, forming a clear “core–edge” structure. The improvement in EWP directly promotes male, female, and overall population longevity and has spatial spillover effects. EWP also interacts with the natural environment and socioeconomic development, serving as a key factor promoting population longevity within Hubei Province. These findings provide a reference for regions in China or other developing countries to understand the relationships between the extension of population lifespan and regional sustainable development. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecosystem Services and Sustainable Development of Human Health)
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Review

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29 pages, 5426 KiB  
Review
Environmental and Health Benefits: A Bibliometric and Knowledge Mapping Analysis of Research Progress
by Siruo Qu, Hongyi Li, Jing Wu and Bing Zhao
Sustainability 2025, 17(5), 2269; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17052269 - 5 Mar 2025
Viewed by 982
Abstract
Urbanisation poses significant challenges to urban ecosystems and public health. Urban blue–green spaces are integral to urban ecosystems and play a crucial role in enhancing public health through ecological and social pathways. This paper systematically reviewed research progress on the health benefits of [...] Read more.
Urbanisation poses significant challenges to urban ecosystems and public health. Urban blue–green spaces are integral to urban ecosystems and play a crucial role in enhancing public health through ecological and social pathways. This paper systematically reviewed research progress on the health benefits of urban blue–green infrastructure from 2014 to 2024, using CiteSpace. By analysing 2346 publications, it revealed the development history and emerging trends in the field. Over the past decade, relevant publications have increased, with two major research groups dominated by China and Western countries but with less cooperation. This lack of collaboration may restrict diverse population inclusion, reduce research generalizability, and hinder bridging policy and cultural gaps. Findings focused on “Ecosystem services”, “physical activity”, and “residential green areas” and also highlighted a shift in research focus from foundational theories to investigating the health mechanisms of blue–green spaces, issues of environmental justice, and the impact of exposure levels on well-being. However, the synergistic effects of blue–green spaces and environmental justice issues require further investigation. Future research should prioritise interdisciplinary and international collaboration, advancing policies and applications to integrate blue–green spaces into health promotion and sustainable urban planning. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecosystem Services and Sustainable Development of Human Health)
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