Environmental health of communities in the Lake Atitlán watershed, Guatemala: creating a global model for community­ based solutions

Abstract

The Lake Atitlán watershed exemplifies many of the environmental health problems in Guatemala, as well as the potential for community-based solutions. The most important of these problems are poor air and water quality, which impose a substantial public health burden. Several paradigms are useful to contextualize the environmental health of Lake Atitlán, including "developmental origins of health and disease" - DOHaD - (many diseases throughout the lifespan are caused by environmental stressors during development), "endocrine disruption" (alteration of hormone systems due to chemical exposure), and "planetary boundary threats" (anthropogenic impacts that imperil the integrity of life on Earth). Similarly, paradigms for public health solutions provide a way forward. One such paradigm is "One Health" (the concept of simultaneously addressing health al the interface of human, animal, and environmental health), which can facilitate powerful alliances with broadly overlapping goals.