Advancing an environmentally responsible physiotherapy

 

The world faces complex and interrelated crises… Climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution, rapid urbanization, geopolitical conflict and militarization, demographic change, population displacement, poverty, and widespread inequity create risks of future crises even more severe than those experienced today. Responses require investments that integrate planetary, societal, community and individual health and well-being (WHO 2021 Geneva Charter for Wellbeing)

 

 The impact of human activities on our planet’s natural systems has been intensifying rapidly in the past several decades, leading to disruption and transformation of most natural systems. These disruptions in the atmosphere, oceans, and across the terrestrial land surface are not only driving species to extinction, they pose serious threats to human health and wellbeing. Characterising and addressing these threats requires a paradigm shift (Myers, 2017)

Action at the level of direct drivers of nature decline, although necessary, is not sufficient … a sustainable global future’ is ‘only possible with urgent transformative change that tackles the root causes: the interconnected economic, socio-cultural, demographic, political, institutional, and technological indirect drivers behind the direct drivers (Diaz et al., 2019)

About

An international community of academics, clinicians, practitioners and students interested in exploring and advancing the field of environmental physiotherapy. 

Blog

Follow our latest musings on environmental physiotherapy. Ideas, inspiration, news, publications, events, and more. 

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Become part of the first international community of physiotherapists with an interest in researching, developing, and practising physiotherapy at a planetary scale. 

Resources

A growing selection of resources carefully selected by members of the EPA to inspire your thinking and practice of environmental physiotherapy. 

From Soil to Soul – Nature-based learning at Qatar University

In the spring 2025 semester, Qatar University (QU) Department of Rehabilitation Sciences (DRS) Physiotherapy students (class of 2026) engaged in a series of nature-based mindfulness activities, which we designed and delivered in order to deepen our connection with...

Planetare Gesundheit in ErgoLogoPhysio – Welche Rolle spielen wir in der Klimakrise?

Die Health for Future Arbeitsgruppe ErgoLogoPhysio (ELP) lädt zusammen mit der Planetary Health Academy der Deutschen Allianz Klimawandel und Gesundheit e.V. (KLUG) zu einer kostenlosen, interaktiven Online-Veranstaltungsreihe zum Thema „Planetare Gesundheit in...

You Are Going to Provide PT Services in a Wilderness Area-What’s in Your Backpack?

Over the last few years, there have been several reports describing the role of PTs in wilderness environments (Beattie P, 2021 & 2022; Young B, 2022; Young SW, 2023). These publications describe how PTs are increasing their involvement in the prehospital care of...

Avantouinti: Incorporating traditional Finnish Winter Swimming into Physiotherapy for treating Chronic Pain

Diving into the world of science for the first time did not feel much more different than jumping into ice-cold water for the first time. Both experiences are somewhat challenging and at the same time can be life changing for patients and physiotherapists. With this...

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