Research in Turbulent Environments: Slums in Chennai, India and the Impact of the December 2004 Tsunami on an Ecohealth Project

Abstract

On December 26, 2004, a tsunami struck coastal areas in the Bay of Bengal. Among the communities affected were Pallavan Nagar and Anju Kudasai slums in Chennai India. These communities have been collaborating, with some success, on a project to manage the urban environment for human health that employs an adaptive ecosystem approach framework, and is heavily influenced by participatory action research methodology. The tsunami resulted in loss of life, shelter, property and livelihoods in these communities. This profile presents an overview of the project, the two settlements, and the impact of the tsunami on the communities. This article also discusses the impact of the disaster on the direction and nature of the ecohealth project.

Ecosystem Approaches to Health and Well‐Being: Navigating Complexity, Promoting Health in Social–Ecological Systems

“…We worked with two 'worst case scenario' communities in Chennai in southern India. One of these was partially destroyed on 26 December 2004 by a Tsunami, and the population relocated to relief and rehabilitation camps, and finally to tenement structures (Bunch et al, 2005). We worked with the other, known as Anju Kudisai (or Anjukudusai) ('five huts' in Tamil), from 2004 to 2009.…”

Sustainability within the Academic EcoHealth Literature: Existing Engagement and Future Prospects

“…One simply stated that "the first years of this century have seen significant advances in integrating the many perspectives on what it will take to achieve a healthy and sustainable future" [93]. Another stated that there are "unique opportunities provided by the continuation of this project in these slum settlements with regard to post-tsunami community development and rebuilding towards a socially and ecologically sustainable future" [96]. One highlighted that "the founding Editorial of EcoHealth encouraged the emerging field to be seen in the context of parallel and complementary efforts", and described the collective endeavor as a "transdisciplinary imperative for a sustainable future" [97].…”

“…The term was used to look at the aspects that benefit ecosystem sustainability, such as the recognition of the interdependence between long-term human existence and the health of ecosystems, as well as the aspects needed for ecosystem sustainability including scientists and the interconnections between them [63,67,69]. The coverage of ecosystem sustainability also highlighted many applications and programs including the Adaptive Methodology for Ecosystem Sustainability and Health (AMESH) [59], The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment [65], and The Network for Ecosystem Sustainability and Health [96], which utilize or work towards ecosystem sustainability. The coverage of the term "ecosystem sustainability" in the 647 articles indicates that the field of EcoHealth attempts to address issues pertaining to ecosystem sustainability, in particular the interrelationship between conservation medicine, human health and ecosystem sustainability [80,105].…”

Towards integrated governance for water, health and social–ecological systems: The watershed governance prism

“…In addition to building a research agenda, application of these priorities and principles for ecohealth has shifted attention to governance challenges in contexts as varied as emerging infectious disease (Waltner-Toews, 2001;Parkes et al, 2005;Waltner-Toews, 2009), health and environment in low income slum communities (Bunch et al, 2005), the health implications of fishery and coastal zone management (Gilles et al, 2004;Morrison et al, 2008) and climate change (Neudoerffer, 2008).…”

“…We view the Prism as a practical conceptual tool to complement existing methodologies for ecosystem sustainability and health that are relevant to the study of water, social-ecological systems and health (for example, Parkes and Panelli, 2001;Bunch and Dudycha, 2004;Waltner-Toews, 2004;Bunch et al, 2005;Morrison et al, 2008).…”