Industrial use, the increased use of chemicals and poor environmental management during past decades have left an estimated 2.8 million sites with potential contamination across the European Union, according to a statement from the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Many of these sites are situated close to densely populated urban areas, with the potential health impacts including increased prevalence of cancer, low birth weights and higher mortality rates. Now, the WHO has launched a planning brief to help cities address environmental and health issues on these sites, while also securing opportunities for urban development.
The redevelopment of contaminated sites entails various challenges, according to the WHO. Its planning brief therefore shows how health and environmental impacts can be considered during redevelopment; the project stages that need to be coordinated; and useful planning practices for public authorities to support the healthy and sustainable redevelopment of contaminated sites.
“These key messages are of interest to national and local governments, decision-makers on environment and health, urban planners and practitioners, researchers, and civil society organizations working together for the remediation and redevelopment of contaminated sites across the Region, making our communities safer,” writes the WHO in the statement.
