Planetary Health Action

The climate crisis is making headlines more than ever, with growing evidence of its impact on livelihoods, economies, and ecosystems. Understanding and acting upon the complex forces driving and impacted by climate change - and the most effective responses - requires a systems-thinking approach.

This course applies Planetary Health and One Health frameworks to explore the interconnected relationships between human health, animal health, ecosystems, and climate change. Participants of this course will gain a better understanding of feedback loops and unintended consequences that shape climate-related challenges. A key feature of this course is the use of causal loop diagrams (CLDs), a powerful tool in systems thinking to develop systems diagrams. These diagrams will help visualize how different parts of the social ecological system, including climate, interact, thus revealing critical leverage points for actionable interventions. Participants will identify key actions at the individual, community, and government levels, equipping them with practical strategies for climate resilience and policy advocacy.

In this course we will cover:

• Foundation of systems thinking, One Health and Planetary Health;
• Causal loop diagrams;
• Analysis of systems maps;
• Identification of systems leverage points for action.

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By the end of the course participants will:

• Conceptualize planetary and one health challenges in social ecological systems;
• Experience participatory modelling with causal loop diagrams;
• Identify leverage points and interventions in social ecological systems;
• Reflect on personal and societal challenges when implementing complex social interventions.

• Computer literacy

Class sessions combine short input lectures, multidisciplinary systems mapping workshops, games, plenary presentations of the group work and discussions. We will cover different practical applications and encourage interactive discussions.

To get the Certificate of completion and the 1 ECTS participants MUST:

• Attend at least 80%of the course;
• Attend the plenary offered on the first day of the course;
• Contribute to the group work;
• Present the final group system diagram.

The facilitators plan to be present in Lugano, and the course will be held entirely on-site. If face-to-face meeting was problematic for unforeseen reasons, the course could be held online or using a hybrid format. The course will take place at Università della Svizzera italiana (USI).

For course pricing information, see here. Discounts are available for participants from LMICs, PhD and Master Students, and Students and Employees from the LSS Partner Universities (SSPH+, USI, SUPSI, and SWISS TPH).