Navigating fundamental tensions towards a decolonial relational vision of planetary health

Abstract

Planetary health has an important role to play in guiding humanity towards a healthy, equitable, and sustainable future. However, given planetary health's dominant colonial and capitalist underpinning ideologies, it risks reinscribing the same exploitative power dynamics that are fundamental drivers of global ecological collapse. In this Personal View, we reaffirm the need for a vision of planetary health grounded in Indigenous epistemologies, which centre relational ecocentric norms and values. We identify key tensions that planetary health scholars, practitioners, and advocates need to engage with to inform action. Finally, we offer suggestions for working progressively towards a decolonial vision of planetary health that recognises our obligations to all our (human and more-than-human) relations. The themes explored in this Personal View bring together our perspectives, strongly centring Indigenous understandings but also referencing ideas and positions emerging from a relational space between Indigenous and non-Indigenous scholars.