About the Cohab Initiative
Cohab is an international programme of work addressing the gaps in awareness, policy and action on issues linking biodiversity and human health and well-being. The Initiative provides an international, inter-disciplinary collaborative framework to support existing activities on health and biodiversity conservation, and to support the implementation of the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The Secretariat of the Cohab Initiative is a non-profit organisation based in Dublin and Galway, Ireland. Cohab operates through partnerships with governmental, non-governmental and intergovernmental organisations, businesses and individuals around the world to identify key areas in scientific research and communication, global and national policy, and on-the-ground interventions where we can help ensure that connections between nature and well-being are appropriately addressed.
Our Vision
The Cohab Initiative works towards a future:
...where human health and well-being is enhanced and made more secure by the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, not threatened by its loss;
...where the goal of providing universal, accessible and equitable health care and the goal of ensuring ecosystem sustainability are integrated in principle, policy and practice;
...where plans, programmes and policies on health, environment and development take appropriate account of the health risks and impacts of biodiversity loss and ecosystem change, and recognise the critical importance of biodiversity conservation to achieving their objectives;
...where governments, civil society, the private sector and the wider public have a shared sense of stewardship over biodiversity and the benefits it provides, and work together to address the issues linking health and biodiversity in a spirit of partnership;
...where local and indigenous communities are empowered to protect, promote and provide for their own well-being and health care needs through the conservation of local biodiversity resources and associated traditional knowledge systems;
...where the world’s biocultural heritage – the intimate connection between nature and culture - is respected, protected and enhanced, and that its relevance to health and well-being is addressed through policy;
...and where an understanding of our shared dependence upon and responsibilities towards the natural world provides a framework for greater co-operation and partnership across cultures, borders, disciplines and traditions.