Our findings suggest the need for new methods that better account for interconnectedness of system components One Health contexts. A proposed framework based on systems thinking shows how multiple hazards and drivers interact with each other and how they not only affect exposure risk but also host health status and host susceptibility.
The microbiological experiments reveal new insights into the fate of bacterial pathogens at the freshwater – coastal transition zone, with quantifications of survival as a function of temperature, pH, UV, salinity ranges. The experimental work also highlights the effect of strain variability as the conditions the bacteria have experienced before being subjected to the stressors. Experimental methods for the detection of viable viruses in wastewater have been developed for adenovirus, enterovirus, hepatitis-A, influenza A virus, respiratory syncytial virus and rotavirus and dependency on climate stressors have been experimentally assessed resulting in specific survival functions. The project has showcased how the survival functions can be integrated into how high-resolution coastal zone transport and water quality models that can then be exploited to: i) simulate scenarios under modified weather patterns, ii) conduct impact assessment of how diffuse and point sources can lead to contamination of bathing waters, iii) predict real-time pathogenic risk in coastal zones.
The case studies are creating significant impacts through active engagement with diverse stakeholders, including national authorities, water boards, municipalities, local communities, and citizens. These multi-disciplinary collaborations have facilitated the integration of various perspectives and expertise, enhancing the relevance and applicability of the tools being tested. The One Health Living Lab setting is itself being perceived as a climate adaptation intervention, that in a very flexible manner, can brings the many local stakeholders together to establish a common space for understanding the multiple pressures the local community is facing and the devising of climate actions that show the most co-benefits across all involved sectors and minimise mal-adaptation.
