earticle

영어

According to the definition provided by the Constitution of the World Health Organization(1948), "Health" is defined as "A state of complete physical, social and mental wellbeing, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity" In this sense, health is seen as a resources as well as physical capabilities. This definition is broader than the way in which 'health' or 'human health' is interpreted by organizations and decision-makers in most sectors but its fits well within the full meaning of the sustainable development concept. It recognizes that a wide range of economic, political, social, psychological, and environmental factors affect people's health. These factors are interrelated and can affect groups of people within a population in different ways. People's health and wellbeing is recognized as the ultimate aim of social and economic development but the converse is also true, human health and wellbeing is fundamental to sustainable economic growth. Health lmpact Assessment(HIA) is a combination of procedures, methods and tools by which a policy, programme, projects or legislative procedure may be judged for its potential effects on the health of a population, and the distribution of these effects within it. The principle of health protection is, however, established as a primary concern in EIA processes, in practice health is scarcely mentioned or the discussion is limited to a description of effects through the biophysical environment. The whole range of possible effects on health, including those mediated by socio-economic factors is often ignored, and no effective mechanism are in place to successfully incorporating health criteria and expertise into environmental assessment. These are critical among the current issues facing EIA in Korea!