Bridging Worlds: Environmental Health as the Keystone of Our Shared Future
A Letter from Teresa Lloro, Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences
August 12, 2025
Contents
The Interconnected Crisis
Imagine a child in Mogadishu learning to grow nutritious food in a drought-stricken urban garden. Picture a clinician in Fiji redesigning health systems to withstand cyclones. Envision Indigenous communities in South Asia leading forest conservation through ancestral wisdom. These seemingly disconnected stories share a common thread: environmental health is human health. As the new Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences (JESS), I see our mission crystallizing at this critical juncture—where climate collapse, pollution, and biodiversity loss converge into a planetary emergency demanding radical interdisciplinary solutions 1 .
Urban gardening initiatives in food deserts
Indigenous-led forest conservation efforts
My journey—from studying coastal ecology to co-creating seed sovereignty projects in Los Angeles food deserts—has taught me that environmental health transcends laboratories and policy documents. It lives in the soil, waterways, and the daily choices of communities. In this inaugural letter, I'll explore how cutting-edge research, Indigenous knowledge, and community-centered science are forging pathways to planetary resilience.
I. The New Foundations: Key Concepts Redefining Our Field
Health Literacy as Empowerment
Recent research from Somalia reveals a transformative insight: health literacy isn't just about access to information—it's about agency. When university students in Mogadishu were trained to interpret environmental health risks, their healthy lifestyle behaviors (nutrition, exercise, stress management) surged by 13.1%. Crucially, each year of education amplified this effect, proving that knowledge catalyzes action 1 .
The Rights of Nature Revolution
Legal frameworks are shifting from viewing nature as "property" to recognizing rivers, forests, and ecosystems as living entities with inherent rights. As noted in JESS's upcoming special issue, Indigenous communities in South Asia offer models:
"Indigenous ecological knowledge throws a challenge to conventional environmental policy [...] offering a completely different framework for the future" .
Resilience Through Integration
When cyclones ravage Pacific islands, health systems often collapse. But a groundbreaking analysis shows how Fiji and Tanzania are bridging the gap:
- Decentralizing clinics to avoid flood zones
- Integrating traditional healers into disaster response
- Prioritizing "systems thinking" over siloed interventions 1
Health Literacy's Impact on Student Behaviors (Somalia Study)
| Behavior Metric | Low Literacy Group | High Literacy Group | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physical Activity | 18% compliance | 42% compliance | +133% |
| Nutrition Choices | 23% optimal | 51% optimal | +122% |
| Preventive Care Use | 29% utilization | 67% utilization | +131% |
Source: Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2025, 22(8), 1259 1
II. Spotlight: The Mogadishu Health Literacy Experiment
Why This Study Matters
Amid Somalia's humanitarian crises, researchers asked: Can education rebuild health from the ground up? Their work provides a blueprint for empowering vulnerable communities.
Methodology: Step-by-Step
- Cohort Design: 219 health sciences students (86.3% female, avg. age 20.9) across academic years.
- Assessment Tools:
- Healthy Lifestyle Behaviors Scale II (HLBS-II): Measures 6 domains (health responsibility, exercise, nutrition).
- European Health Literacy Scale (HLS-EU-TR): Evaluates ability to access/apply health information.
- Intervention: Year-long curriculum linking environmental science (e.g., air/water quality) to clinical practice.
- Analysis: Correlation models between literacy scores and behavioral shifts 1 .
Results That Resonate
- Direct Correlation: For every 10-point increase in health literacy, physical activity rose by 7.2% (r = 0.284, p < 0.001).
- The Education Multiplier: Seniors outperformed freshmen by 31% in preventive health actions—proving that sustained learning rewires behaviors.
- Gender Insight: Women (despite systemic barriers) showed 18% faster knowledge-to-action translation than men.
How Literacy Transforms Choices
| HLS-EU-TR Dimension | Key Behavioral Impact | Significance (p-value) |
|---|---|---|
| Healthcare Access | 24% rise in clinic utilization | p = 0.001 |
| Disease Prevention | 19% increase in vaccination rates | p = 0.004 |
| Environmental Context | 37% boost in sustainable food choices | p < 0.001 |
Source: Adapted from Somalia study data 1
III. The Scientist's Toolkit: Essential Reagents for Change
Environmental health research thrives at the intersection of precision and context. Here's what's powering today's breakthroughs:
| Reagent/Method | Primary Function | Field Application Example |
|---|---|---|
| ELISA Microarrays | Detect inflammatory biomarkers (IL-6, TNF-α) | Tracking pollution's impact in cirrhosis patients 1 |
| Community Seed Banks | Preserve agrobiodiversity | Creating climate-resilient urban farms (e.g., L.A. food justice projects) |
| Resilience Indexing | Quantify health system adaptability | Comparing Fiji/Tanzania cyclone responses 1 |
| Legal Ethnography | Document Indigenous land norms | Supporting "Rights of Nature" court cases in South Asia |
Precision Tools
Advanced laboratory methods enable precise measurement of environmental health impacts at molecular levels.
Community Methods
Participatory approaches ensure research remains grounded in local realities and needs.
Policy Instruments
Innovative legal and governance frameworks translate research into systemic change.
Conclusion: The Path Ahead
As I assume leadership of JESS, three principles will guide us:
- Center the Margins: Elevate knowledge from Somali students, Indigenous custodians, and Los Angeles food activists—not as subjects, but as co-authors.
- Democratize Tools: Make reagents like environmental DNA analyzers accessible to community scientists.
- Braid Knowledge Systems: Pair genomic studies with oral histories to reveal how deforestation triggers disease.
The Somalia study's most profound lesson wasn't in its statistics—it was in students evolving from recipients of care to designers of community health programs. This is environmental health's next frontier: a science of resilience, by and for the planet's communities.
"I work closely with grassroots organizations to change local food systems [...] embedding research and activism into teaching."
—Teresa Lloro, PhD
Teresa Lloro, PhD
Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences
Associate Professor, Cal Poly Pomona
@TeresaLloro_JESS
This letter reflects Dr. Lloro's vision for interdisciplinary environmental health scholarship. Submit your work on Indigenous ecological knowledge, health resilience, or rights of nature to JESS by May 31, 2025 (special issue: pcullet@nlumeg.ac.in) .