Health and Environment: Challenges, Impacts, Outlook

This book examines the links between the environment and human health through six key areas: the fundamentals of environmental health, climate change, governance, the textile industry, unconventional water resources, and data systems. It draws on the most recent institutional reports (WHO, UNEP, WMO, FAO, Plan Bleu) and the scientific literature to analyze the environmental determinants of morbidity-air pollution, water contamination, chemical exposure, heat stress, and occupational hazards-as well as the vulnerability mechanisms that amplify their effects on populations. Particular attention is paid to the Mediterranean basin and arid regions, where the water-energy-food-health nexus makes trade-offs particularly critical. The textile industry is examined as a case study linking chemistry, water, labor, and circularity. Wastewater reuse and desalination are evaluated from health, energy, and environmental perspectives. The book concludes by discussing the role of integrated observatories, artificial intelligence, and data governance in enabling effective monitoring and decision support.