Advancing the One Health Paradigm Through Integrated Biomonitoring

Abstract

People, animals, and the environment are part of the One Health paradigm, which adds how humans and other animals interact with one another and their environment, thereby providing a holistic model for understanding the challenges posed by anthropogenic pressures and ecological changes. Biomonitoring – the systematic observation of biological response to environmental stressors – becomes a vital instrument in operationalizing the One Health concept, especially in the identification of early indicators of ecological damage and exposure to contaminants. This chapter looks at how integrated biomonitoring frameworks can create disciplinary boundaries and improve environmental surveillance and information on holistic risk assessments. By using bioindicators from across trophic levels as well as sentinel species in terrestrial and aquatic systems, biomonitoring offers a strong determination of contaminant mechanisms, ecosystem health, and zoonotic disease threats. The chapter discusses recent methodological progress, such as molecular biomarkers, integration of remote sensing, and community-based participatory monitoring, all of which enhance the predictive capability and spatial extent of biomonitoring networks. Case studies demonstrate how integrated biomonitoring has guided One Health interventions in areas including the following: antimicrobial resistance, pesticide exposure, and climate sensitive vector-borne diseases. The chapter also discusses issues concerning data harmonization, ethical governance and crosssectoral partnerships. In the long term, the advancement of the One Health agenda needs stretching biomonitoring into the policy frameworks, public health approaches, and ecosystem management to build resilience through timely evidence-informed decision-making at the human–animal–environment interface.