Abstract
We undertook a scoping study to map the relevant evidence, summarise the findings, and to help identify gaps in the knowledge base on the relationship between land use/land-use change and human health in Australia. Our systematic search of the scientific literature for relevant articles up to August 2020 identified 37 articles. All 37 articles meeting our inclusion criteria were published after 2003. Zoonotic or vector-borne disease constituted the most common health outcome type studied. Agriculture/grazing was the land use/land-use change type most frequently represented in the literature, followed by coal seam gas extraction and open cut coal mining. The relationship between land use/land use change and human health in Australia, is not conclusive from the existing evidence. This is because of (1) a lack of comprehensive coverage of the topic, (2) a lack of coverage of the geography, (3) a lack of coverage of study types, and (4) conflicting results in the research already undertaken. If we are to protect human health and the ecosystems which support life, more high-quality, specific, end-user driven research is needed to support land management decisions in Australia. Until the health effects of further land use change are better known and understood, caution ought to be practiced in land management and land conversion.
Highlights
The planet’s natural systems are being transformed through human activity in ways that are profound, extraordinary, and accelerating [1,2,3,4]
This is supported by findings that suggest that land-use change increases the transmission of henipaviruses in Australia [11,12]
This scoping study answered the following question: What is the current state of evidence on the relationship between land use/land-use change and human health in Australia?
Summary
The planet’s natural systems are being transformed through human activity in ways that are profound, extraordinary, and accelerating [1,2,3,4]. McFarlane et al (2013) in an extensive examination of the association between infectious disease emergence and land-use and native vegetation change in Australia, reported that 22% of the infectious diseases they reviewed were associated with land conversion [10] They found that the historical clustering observed in terms of incidence of environmental, vector-borne, and zoonotic disease followed periods of substantial land clearing in Australia [10]. This is supported by findings that suggest that land-use change increases the transmission of henipaviruses (like Hendra virus) in Australia [11,12].
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