Environmental Conditions in Miami, FL: Coastal Development and Saltwater Intrusion
The current agenda of Miami, FL features a range of environmental concerns, most of which are linked directly to global warming and tourism. With its numerous sights and the weather conditions that attract tourists regularly, Miami, FL remains one of the communities that are under a consistent environmental threat. Because of the increasingly high urbanization rates caused by the development of the tourism industry, the ecology of Miami, FL is endangered extensively by coastal development and saltwater intrusion.
Coastal development should be deemed as the effect of urbanization and, therefore, cannot be regarded as entirely negative. On the one hand, coastal development allows for the improvement of the Miami infrastructure. Consequently, faster and more efficient delivery of services, including healthcare, can be expected. However, the identified change also implies the destruction of local ecosystems. The following alteration in habitats and the possible extinction of numerous species will cause a profound and deplorable change in the quality of life in the Miami area (“Management of South Florida coastal environments,” 2014).
The increased pace of coastal development, in turn, has led to the phenomenon known as a saltwater intrusion. By definition, the specified issue implies the introduction of saline water into a drinking water area (Prinos, 2016). The results are bound to be beyond drastic since a massive drop in the amounts of drinking water can be expected as the key aftermath of the specified change (Prinos, 2016).
Thus, the changes listed above are bound to have a gradual yet huge impact on the residents of Miami, FL. With the alterations in local habitats, the exposure to threats such as area-specific infectious diseases, a drop in the efficacy of the residents’ immune system, etc., are expected to be observed. Thus, immediate measures need to be taken to address the specified hazards to public health.
Public Health Nursing: Knowledge and Examples (Miami, FL)
The concept of public health is both basic and complex at the same time. On the one hand, the range of activities and measures taken to address health concerns are mostly homogenous across the global community (Pelligrino, Zaitzow, Sothern, Scribner, & Phillippi, 2017). On the other hand, with the rise in diversity levels, as well as the emphasis on adopting a patient-centered multicultural approach, the necessity to take unique factors affecting patients’ health into consideration emerged (Pelligrino et al., 2014). Therefore, the phenomenon can be regarded as a delicate balance between the external factors affecting people’s health (i.e., legal regulations, local programs, propensity toward cross-cultural communication between patients and nurses, etc.) and internal ones (i.e., the levels of awareness among patients, they’re being genetically predisposed to particular health issues, etc.).
In Miami, FL, the issue of sexually transmitted diseases (STIs) remains a reason for concern (Pelligrino et al., 2014). Despite numerous campaigns aimed at building awareness among citizens of the area, the issue remains unresolved (Pelligrino et al., 2014). The endeavors to utilize the latest technological advances such as social media to encourage patient education can be defined as one of the possible management strategies (Pelligrino et al., 2014). Furthermore, one must give Miami healthcare authorities credit for encouraging people to test for STIs. For example, a recent “Get Tested” activity can be considered a prime example of an efficient means of inviting community members to learn more about a large health concern and the means of preventing and addressing it (Frett et al., 2016).
Like many other American communities, Miami, FL is facing a range of public health issues. Their origin ranges from global ones to the problems that are inflicted upon Miami residents by unique characteristics of the area, specific economic challenges, and cultural issues. However, by promoting unity and the use of technological advances, one will be able to address some of the most challenging concerns.
References
Frett, B., Aquino, M., Fatil, M., Seay, J., Trevil, D., Fièvre, M. J., & Kobetz, E. (2016). ‘Get vaccinated!’ and ‘Get tested!’: Developing primary and secondary cervical cancer prevention videos for a Haitian Kreyòl-Speaking audience. Journal of Health Communication, 21(5), 512-516. Web.
Management of South Florida coastal environments. (2014). Web.
Pelligrino, N., Zaitzow, B. H., Sothern, M., Scribner, R., & Phillippi, S. (2017). Incarcerated black women in the Southern USA: A narrative review of STI and HIV risk and implications for future public health research, practice, and policy. Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities, 4(1), 9-18. Web.
Prinos, S. T. (2016). Saltwater intrusion monitoring in Florida. Web.