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COVID-19 has changed the permeability of borders in transboundary environmental governance regimes. While borders have always been selectively permeable, the pandemic has reconfigured the nature of cross-border flows of people, natural resources, finances and technologies. This has altered the availability of spaces for enacting sustainability initiatives within and between countries. In Southeast Asia, national governments and businesses seeking to expedite economic recovery from the pandemic-induced recession have selectively re-opened borders by accelerating production and revitalizing agro-export growth. Widening regional inequities have also contributed to increased cross-border flows of illicit commodities, such as trafficked wildlife. At the same time, border restrictions under the exigencies of controlling the pandemic have led to a rolling back and scaling down of transboundary environmental agreements, regulations and programs, with important implications for environmental democracy, socio-ecological justice and sustainability. Drawing on evidence from Southeast Asia, the article assesses the policy challenges and opportunities posed by the shifting permeability of borders for organising and operationalising environmental activities at different scales of transboundary governance.

Climate change, rapid urbanization, war, and economic recession are key drivers of the current food systems’ disruption, which has been exacerbated by the COVID pandemic. Local, regional, and global food systems are unable to provide consumers with nutritious and affordable diets. Suboptimal diets exacerbate the triple burden of malnutrition, with micronutrient deficiencies affecting more than two billion people, two billion people suffering from overweight, and more than 140 million children who are stunted. The unaffordability of nutritious diets represents an obstacle for many, especially in low- and middle-income countries where healthy diets are five times more expensive than starchy staple diets. Food system transformations are urgently required to provide consumers with more affordable and nutritious diets that are capable of meeting social and environmental challenges. In this review, we underline the critical role of innovation within the food system transformation discourse. We aim to define principles for implementing evidence-based and long-term food system innovations that are economically, socially, and environmentally sustainable and, above all, aimed at improving diets and public health. We begin by defining and describing the role of innovation in the transformation of food systems and uncover the major barriers to implementing these innovations. Lastly, we explore case studies that demonstrate successful innovations for healthier diets.

ABSTRACTBackgroundDuring a COVID-19 outbreak in the congregate shelter system in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, a multidisciplinary health care team provided an emergency “safe supply” of pharmaceutical-grade medications and beverage-grade alcohol to facilitate isolation in COVID-19 hotel shelters for residents who are dependent on these substances. We aimed to evaluate (a) substances and dosages provided, and (b) effectiveness and safety of the program.MethodsWe retrospectively reviewed medical records of all COVID-19 isolation hotel shelter residents during May 2021. We extracted data on medication and alcohol dosages provided each day. The primary outcome was residents prematurely leaving isolation against public health orders. Adverse events included (a) overdose; (b) intoxication; and (c) diversion, selling, or sharing of medications or alcohol.ResultsOver 25 days, 77 isolation hotel residents were assessed (mean age 42 ± 14 years; 24% women). Sixty-two (81%) residents were provided medications, alcohol, or cigarettes. Seventeen residents (22%) received opioid agonist treatment medications (methadone, buprenorphine, or slow-release oral morphine) and 27 (35%) received hydromorphone tablets. Thirty-one (40%) residents received stimulant tablets with methylphenidate (27; 35%), dextroamphetamine (8; 10%), or lisdexamfetamine (2; 3%). Six residents (8%) received benzodiazepines. Forty-two (55%) residents received alcohol, including 41 (53%) with strong beer, three (3%) with wine, and one (1%) with hard liquor. Over 14 days in isolation, mean daily dosages increased of hydromorphone (45 ± 32 to 57 ± 42mg), methylphenidate (51 ± 28 to 77 ± 37mg), dextroamphetamine (33 ± 16 to 46 ± 13mg), and alcohol (12.3 ± 7.6 to 13.0 ± 6.9 standard drinks). Six residents (8%) left isolation prematurely, but four of those residents returned. Over 1,059 person-days in isolation, there were zero overdoses. Documented concerns regarding intoxication occurred six times (0.005 events/person-day) and medication diversion or sharing three times (0.003 events/person-day).ConclusionsAn emergency safe supply and managed alcohol program, paired with housing, was associated with low rates of adverse events and high rates of successful completion of the 14-day isolation period in COVID-19 isolation hotel shelters. This supports the effectiveness and safety of emergency safe supply prescribing and managed alcohol in this setting.

This case study is part of the research project "Creating Indigenous Women's Green Jobs under Low-Carbon COVID-19 Response and Recovery in the Bolivian Quinoa Sector). I estimate the carbon footprint associated with the quinoa production in southern Bolivia based on primary information of 19 plots. Using a cradle-to-gate life cycle analysis approach, under the ISO 14067 standard, and analyzing various emission sources through the Cool Farm Tool, I determine that the carbon footprint generates an average of 741 .7 kg CO2e per plot; and an average of 267.4 kg CO2e per hectare. The main emission sources identified are the use of organic fertilizer (54%), the consumption of fossil fuels (35%) and the use of protection inputs (8%). Considering the declared unit of 1 kg of harvested quinoa, I obtain the carbon footprint results per product, with values ranging between 0.3 and 2.3 kg CO2e/kg of quinoa and an average of 0.98 kg CO2e/ kg of quinoa.

AbstractThis assessment by the Environmental Effects Assessment Panel (EEAP) of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) provides the latest scientific update since our most recent comprehensive assessment (Photochemical and Photobiological Sciences, 2019, 18, 595–828). The interactive effects between the stratospheric ozone layer, solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation, and climate change are presented within the framework of the Montreal Protocol and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. We address how these global environmental changes affect the atmosphere and air quality; human health; terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems; biogeochemical cycles; and materials used in outdoor construction, solar energy technologies, and fabrics. In many cases, there is a growing influence from changes in seasonality and extreme events due to climate change. Additionally, we assess the transmission and environmental effects of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which is responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic, in the context of linkages with solar UV radiation and the Montreal Protocol.

OBJECTIVE: There is a growing correlation between the rise in infectious diseases and climate change; however, little is known about the interactions and mixed effects of climate factors on infectious diseases. METHOD: We conducted a retrospective longitudinal study spanning 108 consecutive months from 2014 to 2022 in Can Tho, Vietnam to identify common infectious diseases (excluding tuberculosis, HIV, and COVID-19) and their associations with climate change and determine which common diseases presented concurrently with the COVID-19 period using multivariate linear regression, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) and orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis. RESULT: The five infectious diseases with the highest average incidence rates per 100,000 people were diarrhea; hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD); dengue fever; viral hepatitis; and influenza. Positive associations with humidity were observed for dengue fever and HFMD. Temperature was positively associated with malaria. Negative associations were found between humidity and both chickenpox and tetanus. Diarrhea (AUC = 0.79; 95 % CL = 0.70–0.87) and dengue fever (AUC = 0.74; 95 % CL = 0.62–0.83) emerged as the most influential diseases both before and during the COVID-19 period. In our BKMR analysis, we found a significant association between the combined influence of temperature and humidity and the occurrence of dengue fever and HFMD, especially when all climate factors were at or above their 60th percentile relative to their values at the 50th percentile. Temperature emerged as the primary driver associated with the occurrence of infectious diseases. CONCLUSION: These findings underscore the importance of implementing robust surveillance, prevention, and control measures by public health authorities in Can Tho. Initiatives like vaccination campaigns, vector control programs, public education on hygiene practices, and strengthening healthcare infrastructure are crucial for mitigating the spread of infectious diseases and safeguarding public health in the region.