Digital ecologies: A review study on the integration of technology, and environmental data for sustainability and public health
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Abstract
Planetary crises such as climate change and biodiversity loss threaten both ecosystem stability and human health, prompting the emergence of "Digital Ecologies"—integrated networks of sensors, communication technologies, and data analytics—as critical infrastructures for monitoring and mitigation. This systematic review synthesizes knowledge on how such systems integrate environmental data to advance sustainability and public health goals simultaneously. Following PRISMA guidelines, we analyzed 92 studies that met strict inclusion criteria, revealing that integrated frameworks span domains from urban air quality to public health surveillance. These are operationalized through dominant paradigms including Geospatial Intelligence Systems, Ambient Sensing Networks, and Participatory & Citizen Science Platforms, which enable a bidirectional flow of data where environmental information guides health interventions and health data validates environmental models. While case studies demonstrate efficacy in specific use-cases, quantitative evidence of impact remains limited beyond metrics like pollutant reduction. Significant implementation challenges persist, including data siloing, interoperability issues, and equitable barriers like the digital divide and data sovereignty concerns. The findings conclude that while Digital Ecologies offer a transformative evidence base for proactive interventions, future progress hinges on generating more robust outcome data and prioritizing community-centered design and ethical governance to ensure equitable sustainability and public health.
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