Systemic Foresight for Planetary Health and Human Wellbeing: Insights from Education and Research

How can people from different backgrounds—like communities, problem solvers, policymakers, designers, and scholars—work together to tackle the complex challenges that will affect our planet's future? In this lecture by Dr. Jairo da Costa, we will explore how systems design approaches can help us address planetary health challenges and foster systemic solutions for sustainability transitions. As we face the challenges of climate change, loss of biodiversity, and other environmental issues, it is important to understand how our actions impact both our health and the health of the Earth’s systems. Knowing more about how human activities and environmental changes affect planetary health and our well-being now and in the future can help us make better choices. Planetary Health is an emerging field that takes a holistic view, looking at the connections between our natural world and all living beings. Drawing on the wisdom of ancient Indigenous knowledge systems and cultures, this approach tackles the problems caused by human actions and how they affect our health, other species, and nature. In this presentation, we will explore how systems design approaches can help us understand these complex connections and build resilience for a sustainable future. We will share insights and experiences from ongoing education and research collaborations and suggest ways to weave systems thinking into design practices that support the health of our planet.