Payments for ecosystem services programs: A global review of contributions towards sustainability.

Payments for ecosystem services programs (PESPs) are increasingly being adopted globally to enhance sustainability outcomes. There are also hundreds of studies yearly on various aspects of PESPs, but research on their contributions to sustainability of communities and the ecosystems they depend upon at the global scale are rare. Our global review explores twelve key characteristics of PESPs at three different phases (inputs - implementation - outputs and outcomes) and their relationship types of these characteristics to sustainability outcomes. To do so, we review 376 peer-review journal articles on PESPs, and test three hypotheses related to these relationships. Our findings confirm that the relationships between each of these characteristics and sustainability outcomes are bidirectional and/or multidirectional to some extent and can be positive, negative or both, depending on specific cases and research methods used to study these relationships. The findings also disclose that separating one characteristic as the primary causal factor in any relationship or outcome is not easy as relevant characteristics are linked in a complex network. Thereby, determining key characteristics of PESPs that drive relationships for the sake of sustainability is important. Through analyzing relationships between PESP characteristics, this study offers a series of suggestions to further aid the contributions of PESPs' contributions to sustainability in the future.

Policy Responses to the COVID-19 Pandemic in Vietnam.

The COVID-19 pandemic has become one of the most serious health crises in human history, spreading rapidly across the globe from January 2020 to the present. With prompt and drastic measures, Vietnam is one of the few countries that has largely succeeded in controlling the outbreak. This result is derived from a harmonious combination of many factors, with the policy system playing a key role. This study assessed the policy responses to the COVID-19 pandemic in Vietnam from the early days of the outbreak in January 2020 to 24 July 2020 (with a total of 413 cases confirmed and 99 days of no new cases infected from the local community) by synthesizing and evaluating 959 relevant policy documents in different classifications. The findings show that the Vietnamese policy system responded promptly, proactively, and effectively at multiple authority levels (33 different agencies from the national to provincial governments), using a range of policy tools and measures. Parallel to the daily occurrence of 2.24 new cases, 5.13 new policy documents were issued on average per day over the study period. The pandemic policy response over the first six months in Vietnam were divided into four periods, I (23 January-5 March), II (6-19 March), III (20 March-21 April), and IV (22 April-24 July). This paper synthesizes eight solution groups for these four anti-pandemic phases, including outbreak announcements and steering documents, medical measures, blockade of the schools, emergency responses, border and entry control measures, social isolation and nationwide social isolation measures, financial supports, and other measures. By emphasizing diversification of the policy responses, from the agencies to the tools and measures, the case study reviews and shares lessons from the successful COVID-19 prevention and control in Vietnam that could be useful for other nations.

At-a-glance - Climate change impacts on health and wellbeing in rural and remote regions across Canada: a synthesis of the literature. / Aperçu - Les effets des changements climatiques sur la santé et le bien-être dans les régions rurales et éloignées au Canada : synthèse documentaire.

This article provides a synthesis of the forthcoming first order draft of the Canadian Government's National Assessment on Climate Change 'Rural and Remote' chapter, highlighting key health concerns from the literature associated with climate change in rural and remote regions, as well as existing and future adaptation strategies. To support the health and wellbeing of those experiencing the negative effects of climate change, and utilizing systematic search processes, this synthesis article highlights the importance of considering the specific socio-cultural, economic, and geographic elements and existing expertise of individuals and communities in rural and remote regions.

Climate change negatively impacts the health and wellbeing of individuals and communities in rural and remote regions in Canada. Key health concerns from the National Assessment on Climate Change 'Rural and Remote' include the exacerbation of issues associated with food and water security, chronic illness, infectious disease, unintentional injury and death, and mental health. Although specific characteristics increase climate change vulnerability of rural and remote regions, many strengths within these regions support resilience to climate change. Focusing on climate change adaptation, as well as realizing co-benefits from climate change mitigation, presents important opportunities for the health sector.

Les changements climatiques ont des effets nocifs sur la santé et le bien-être des habitants et des collectivités des régions rurales et éloignées du Canada. Les principales préoccupations en matière de santé mises en évidence dans le chapitre « Collectivités rurales et éloignées ¼ de l'Évaluation nationale des changements climatiques incluent l'exacerbation de problèmes liés à la sécurité des aliments et de l'eau, aux maladies chroniques, aux maladies infectieuses, aux blessures et décès accidentels et à la santé mentale. Bien que diverses caractéristiques spécifiques des collectivités rurales et éloignées soient à l'origine de leur vulnérabilité aux changements climatiques, ces régions disposent aussi de nombreux atouts soutenant leur résilience vis-à-vis de ces changements. Se centrer sur l'adaptation aux changements climatiques et prendre la mesure des avantages connexes résultant de l'atténuation de ces changements offre des opportunités au secteur de la santé.