One Health at COP30: Integrating climate, nature, and health for a sustainable future

As the world faces the twin crises of climate change and global health threats, the importance of the One Health approach has never been clearer. This integrated framework – linking the health of humans, animals, plants, and ecosystems – offers a transformative path to address the cascading risks intensified by climate change.

At COP30 in Belém, Brazil, the heart of the Amazon, the One Health agenda provides a timely opportunity to align global climate action with health and sustainability objectives, emphasizing the interdependence between healthy people, thriving ecosystems, and a stable climate.

Climate change and the health crisis

Climate change continues to drive biodiversity loss, ecosystem degradation, and the spread of zoonotic and vector-borne diseases, amplifying the risks of pandemics, antimicrobial resistance (AMR), and food insecurity. Rising temperatures and shifting rainfall patterns are altering the habitats of disease vectors such as mosquitoes and ticks, expanding the range of malaria, dengue, and other infectious diseases.

Deforestation, land-use change, and wildlife exploitation – especially in biodiversity hotspots like the Amazon – further disrupt ecosystems and heighten the risk of zoonotic spillovers. These interconnected threats make it clear that safeguarding planetary health demands an integrated, cross-sectoral approach.

A herd of sheep and goats approaching the only water pond in Luqman village, Afghanistan, after a long journey.

Local communities rely on these ponds to collect rainwater, which they use to water their livestock throughout the year. As water grows scarcer, livestock keepers must go on these long searches more often to keep the animals that sustain their families alive and healthy.

One Health at COP30

At COP30, the One Health approach has emerged as a central pillar in discussions linking climate, biodiversity, and health. FAO and others are set to highlight the critical role of One Health in building resilience to climate-related health risks.

Discussions at COP30 should focus on:

• Raising awareness among policymakers on how One Health can address interconnected challenges such as zoonotic diseases, food insecurity, and biodiversity loss.
• Strengthening cross-sectoral partnerships that unite health, agriculture, environment, and climate strategies.
• Embedding One Health in Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and other climate and biodiversity frameworks under the Paris Agreement.
• Leveraging local and Indigenous knowledge, particularly from Amazonian communities, to support ecosystem stewardship and community health.
  

Brazil and the Amazon: Leading the way

Hosting COP30 in the Amazon underscores the region’s vital role as both a global climate regulator and a biodiversity reservoir. Brazil has been advancing One Health principles through initiatives that link deforestation control, public health, and sustainable development. 

Key priorities include improving laboratory and surveillance systems, promoting sustainable agricultural practices, conserving ecosystems, and integrating Indigenous and local community participation in health and environmental governance.

Recommendations for action

To ensure the success of One Health integration at COP30 and beyond, the following actions are essential:

• Mainstream One Health into climate and biodiversity agreements – ensuring that global policies explicitly link ecosystem health, climate resilience, and public health outcomes.
• Increase financing for implementation – mobilizing climate and health funds to strengthen veterinary services, AMR prevention, and integrated surveillance systems.
• Build national capacity – expanding the use of tools like the FAO One Health Assessment Tool and the One Health Knowledge Nexus to guide policy and practice.
• Advance the Quadripartite’s Joint Plan of Action – focusing on policy coherence, intersectoral collaboration, and data-driven decision-making.
• Empower local and Indigenous communities – recognizing their role as stewards of ecosystems and essential partners in disease prevention and climate adaptation.
  

Why One Health is essential for climate action

One Health goes beyond managing disease risks – it underpins climate mitigation, adaptation, and biodiversity protection. By promoting sustainable agriculture, reducing deforestation, and ensuring responsible antimicrobial use, One Health contributes to emission reductions, ecosystem restoration, and food security.

Protecting forests mitigates climate change while reducing zoonotic risks; integrating One Health principles into agriculture enhances resilience to droughts and floods; and preserving biodiversity supports both ecosystem balance and human wellbeing.

As leaders gather in Belém for COP30, the message is clear: achieving climate and health security requires a unified, One Health approach that bridges science, policy, and society – for people, animals, plants and the planet.