Co-designing information interventions in global environmental health and engineering with marginalized communities

Abstract

Improving access to environmental health and engineering related information among marginalized communities via traditional and advanced methods of collection, analysis, and dissemination is imperative to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. While infrastructure and equipment are important for achieving equity in global environmental health-e.g., improving water access or reducing malnutrition-these resources are only part of the larger complex system that enables optimal use and accountability for all stakeholders. In this perspective, we synthesize various areas of work on information interventions in global environmental health, providing examples from the water, sanitation, and hygiene and food system sectors. First, we propose a typology for the "goals of the information" and the "process of delivery". Second, we discuss the actual and perceived value of information and how this varies over time for the end-user. Finally, we provide an overview of the primary steps for co-developing an information intervention along with available tools. Given the continued democratization of digital platforms, we hypothesize a substantial need for decentralized support and guidelines for marginalized communities to build their own hyper-local platforms to solve local problems. We close by providing recommendations for focusing on underutilized information interventions and specific needs within global environmental health and engineering.