Laura Michele Suppes, University of Arizona, College of Public Health, suppeslm@email.arizona.edu
Abstract:
Both global climate and landscapes have changed due to anthropogenic activity, which is having a profound effect on regional ecological and hydrological processes. The interdisciplinary study of both ecology and hydrology is termed ecohydrology. Precipitation pattern and land use changes, specifically, have altered natural vegetative states and runoff rates, increasing the likelihood of flooding. Flood waters provide a reservoir and a transport mechanism for pathogens, which can cause disease in exposed populations. The relationship between ecohydrological processes and waterborne disease is important to consider when assessing the health of populations that have experienced a flooding event. Research and information exist in ecology, hydrology and public health that emphasize each field’s contribution and relationship to flooding. However, no synthesis exists explaining the linkages between ecohydrology and public health. One important linkage between the two fields is flooding. The following synthesis recognizes; 1) the ecohydrological factors that increase and decrease the severity and likelihood of flooding; and 2) the public health implications of flooding. The objective of this synthesis is to recognize what ecohydrological factors influence flooding in order to identify and recommend effective management practices that can reduce the impact of flooding on global public health