Can nature based solutions mitigate disease risk? A case study with Aedes infestation in urban areas

• Grant number: 23/07920-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Post-doctor
• Start date: November 30, 2023
• End date: July 29, 2024
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Ecology - Applied Ecology
• Principal Investigator: Jean Paul Walter Metzger
• Grantee: Raquel Luiza de Carvalho
• Supervisor: Daniel Streicker
• Host Institution: Instituto de Estudos Avançados (IEA). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: University of Glasgow, Scotland
• Associated to the scholarship: 22/07381-9 - How human action affects the risk of zoonosis transmission in urban and rural landscapes: an one health approach, BP.PD

Abstract

Socioeconomic changes, driven by trade and human mobility, have exerted a significant influence on the global distribution of vector-borne diseases. Among these vectors, the Aedes mosquito has expanded its distribution due to various anthropogenic factors. In urban areas, Aedes mosquitoes have found favorable conditions for their proliferation, posing a significant risk of arbovirus infections to billions of people. This association is attributed to the mosquitoes' ability to utilize a variety of artificial containers for breeding. Nature-based solutions (NBSs) could mitigate these effects and make cities more resilient to anthropogenic changes. However research findings on the effects of NBSs have been contradictory and further investigation is necessary to comprehend the context-dependent relationships between Aedes mosquitoes and the environment in urban areas. To address this research gap, our project proposal is aligned with challenge 4 within the Biota Synthesis project (FAPESP #2020/06694-80). Our aim is to analyze the distribution of Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes in São Paulo city, from 2012 to 2022 and to investigate possible relationships between their presence and weather, socioeconomic, land cover and landscape variables. By conducting a fine-scale spatiotemporal analysis at the census sector level (~30,000 sectors), utilizing data from the Health Surveillance Coordination (COVISA) database, we aim to capture local relationships across space and understand how weather and the presence and configuration of urban green areas are affecting mosquito presence. Our results will provide valuable information to aid decision-making processes for public health agencies and will help delineate nature based solutions with positive outcomes for human health. (AU)