International, Transdisciplinary, and Ecohealth Action for Sustainable Agriculture in Asia

Knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of farmers towards urban agroecology in Malaysia

Adopting agroecological approaches to build resilient urban food systems has recently gained traction around the world, but there is little to no reliable literature on the knowledge, attitudes, and perspectives of urban farmers towards these nature-based solutions in many developing nations, including Malaysia. The present study conducted an online survey to determine the extent to which local urban farmers understand and employ agroecology, as well as to assess their awareness and views on using agroecological practices and sustainable farm management. We found that the majority of respondents are unfamiliar with agroecological principles, with 79 % agreeing or strongly agreeing that implementing sustainable agricultural practices is challenging. However, more than 90 % of respondents are aware of the environmental consequences of excessive input utilisation. Our findings highlight the need for improved initiatives to promote agroecological approaches among farmers by sharing knowledge and best practices. In light of the growing threat posed by urban heat islands and the rapid urbanisation, this study offers novel insights into the knowledge gaps and perceptions about agroecological approaches among urban farmers, challenges that must be addressed to promote sustainable agriculture, and the potential role of farmers in achieving the three fundamental pillars of sustainability-planet, people, and prosperity.

How can climate change and its interaction with other compounding risks be considered in evaluation? Experiences from Vietnam

While evaluations play a critical role in accounting for and learning from context, it is unclear how evaluations can take account of climate change. Our objective was to explore how climate change and its interaction with other contextual factors influenced One Health food safety programs. To do so, we integrated questions about climate change into a qualitative evaluation study of an ongoing, multi-sectoral program aiming to improve pork safety in Vietnam called SafePORK. We conducted remote interviews with program researchers (n = 7) and program participants (n = 23). Based on our analysis, researchers believed climate change had potential impacts on the program but noted evidence was lacking, while program participants (slaughterhouse workers and retailers) shared how they were experiencing and adapting to the impacts of climate change. Climate change also interacted with other contextual factors to introduce additional complexities. Our study underscored the importance of assessing climate factors in evaluation and building adaptive capacity in programming.

Community public health safety emergency management and nursing insurance service optimization for digital healthy urban environment construction

The purpose of this paper is to promote the construction of digital healthy cities and improve the living standards of urban residents. Based on this, this paper analyzes the development of healthy cities, and studies community public health safety emergency management and nursing insurance service optimization methods for healthy urban environment construction. First, the concept of digital healthy urban environment construction is discussed. Then, the role of environmental health is discussed. Finally, two methods are designed to study the emergency management of public health safety and nursing insurance services in urban communities under the condition of environmental health. The results show that in the environmental health score of the city, the scores of X1 (the urban air quality excellent rate) and X6 (citizens' satisfaction with the environmental quality) were relatively low between 2016 and 2018, below 0.5 points. The scores for the remaining 3 years were relatively high, above 0.5. The scores of X2 (green coverage rate of built-up area), X3 (average grade sound effect of environmental noise in urban area), X4 (harmless treatment rate of domestic waste) and X5 (centralized treatment rate of domestic sewage) were relatively high from 2016 to 2018, above 0.5 points, and relatively low in the remaining 3 years, below 0.5 points. Meanwhile, residents are very satisfied with information collection and information management in public health and safety emergency management, and the number of very satisfied people is basically more than 40%. Satisfaction with resource allocation and privacy management is high, and the number of very satisfied people is basically above 30%. However, the satisfaction with risk perception and management measures is very low, and the number of very satisfied people is basically below 20%. It shows that the current construction of the community's public health and safety emergency management system is relatively poor in terms of X2-X5, while the development of X1 and X6 is relatively mature. The research not only provides a reference for the construction and improvement of a digital healthy city, but also contributes to the improvement of the healthy life of urban residents.

Decades of emerging infectious disease, food safety, and antimicrobial resistance response in Vietnam: The role of One Health

Since facing outbreaks of severe acute respiratory syndrome and avian influenza A in 2003, Vietnam has increasingly applied a One Health approach to address emerging infectious diseases of animal origin. Here, we reflect on the challenges and opportunities of One Health in the context of zoonoses, food safety, and antimicrobial resistance, drawing on a stocktake of One Health training, policy, and research in Vietnam. We also report on the results of a virtual consultation workshop held on July 2021 with representatives from 32 institutions in Vietnam to explore future One Health directions. As Vietnam approaches nearly two decades of disease preparedness and response, we hope our experiences can provide practical insights to support countries in developing coordination mechanisms and moving the One Health agenda forward toward better public health outcomes.