Environmental Burden of Disease Assessment

This publication characterizes the environmental burden of disease in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), measured by the excess number of deaths and illnesses in the population due to exposure to environmental hazards. The robust methods used in this risk analysis can be applied to any country or region. This publication documents the systematic, multi-step process used to identify environmental priorities and the detailed methods used to quantify the disease burden attributable to each risk. Based on the results of the burden of disease assessment, the publication summarizes the subsequent steps that are recommended to further reduce the burden of disease resulting from various environmental risk factors.​

Authors and Contributors

This book represents the synthesis of research carried out by a large, interdisciplinary team from several institutions and multiple nations between June 2008 and June 2011.The lead authors are responsible for weaving together the pieces prepared by the team.Nonetheless, this book would not have been possible without major contributions from each team member.The list below shows contributors to each chapter.Following this list are biographies of all of the authors and contributors. 

Lead Authors               

Jacqueline MacDonald Gibson, Frederic J. P. Launay, Jens T. W. Thomsen, Angela Brammer, Christopher Davidson

Additional Contributors (by Chapter)

Chapter 2: Prioritizing Environmental Risks to Health

Henry H. Willis, Aimee Curtright, Gary Cecchine, Zeinab S. Farah,Sandra A. Geschwind, Jianhui Hu, Ying Li, Melinda Moore, Sarah Olmstead, Hanine Salem, Regina A. Shih, J. Jason West

Chapter 3: Assessing the Environmental Burden of Disease:Method Overview

Tiina Folley, Elizabeth S. Harder, Mejs Hasan



Chapter 4: Burden of Disease from Outdoor Air Pollution

Ying Li, Gavino Puggioni,Prahlad Jat, Mejs Hasan, Marc Serre, Kenneth G. Sexton, J. Jason West, Saravanan Arunachalam, Uma Shankar, William Vizuete, Mohammed Zuber Farooqui

Chapter 5: Burden of Disease from Indoor Air Pollution

Chris B. Trent

Chapter 6: Burden of Disease from Occupational Exposures

Tiina Folley, Leena A. Nylander-French 

Chapter 7: Burden of Disease from Climate Change

Richard N. L. Andrews, Leslie Chinery, Elizabeth S. Harder, J. Jason West 

Chapter 8: Burden of Disease from Drinking Water Contamination

Gregory W. Characklis, Joseph N. LoBuglio 

Chapter 9: Burden of Disease from Coastal Water Pollution

Gregory W. Characklis, Leigh-Anne H. Krometis, Joseph N. LoBuglio

Chapter 10: Burden of Disease from Soil and Groundwater Contamination

Chidsanuphong Chart-asa, Stephanie Soucheray-Grell

Chapter 11: Burden of Disease from Produce and Seafood Contamination

Leigh-Anne H. Krometis, Leslie Chinery