Social work and sustainable development: An overview

Environmental change, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2013), is a “physical or material change to the economic, social, or physical environment” (para. 2). The environment, defined as the conditions in which any person lives or develops, can be altered by myriad phenomena; climate change and rapid urbanization, however, are two of the most fundamental causes of current changes to our natural environment. Pollution, drought, food and water insecurity, environmental degradation, poor urban sanitation and human health, increased occurrence of natural disasters, and economic and social inequality are all threats stemming from environmental change. These environmental changes have a profound effect on societies due to the close relationship between social and ecological systems, and can present significant challenges, affecting daily life and forcing societies and individuals to confront the reality of adapting to and mitigating the effects of environmental change.