Biomonitoring for Sustainable Development

Over the years, urbanization and industrialization in the Global South have led to human-induced environmental destruction. The extent of this destruction may be assessed through various tools and approaches with each having distinct environmental sustainability in the Global South. This chapter explores the intricate relationship between development and rapid population growth in developing regions around the world, often referred to as the Global South by delving into the causes and consequences of population expansion, examining how it interacts with industrialization, human population growth, urbanization, resource consumption, and the escalating environmental and human health challenges in the regions. The chapter discusses the different types of pollutions and their consequences on development, ecosystems, and humans, while highlighting the all-encompassing holistic approaches for the evaluation of the environmental health of the Global South. The chapter further explores investigates the relationship between development, pollution, and environmental stewardship in the Global South, with respect to micro- and macroorganisms, utilizing biomonitoring as a critical assessment method. Biomonitoring being an essential component of epidemiological studies for investigating the negative impacts of chemical exposures on human health helps detect variations in population exposure over time as well as disparities in exposure across various groups within a community. It is a sustainable, low-cost way of assessing environmental quality, most especially in developing regions where scientific-based strategies are frequently inadequate. Techniques such as bioaccumulation, biochemical alterations, morphological and behavioral observation, population and community assessment, ecological indicator analysis, and modeling as well as the emergence of bioindicators, biodosimeters, spatial analysis, and geographic information system as sensitivity tools for biomonitoring of pollutants cannot be overemphasized. By taking a closer look at the concept, this chapter seeks to present and make available an in-depth understanding of the significant applications of biomonitoring to addressing environmental challenges leveraging on long-term environmental stewardship in the Global South, then highlighting metagenomics/environmental DNA (eDNA), nanotechnology, omics technologies, Internet of things and sensor networks, biosensors, and bioreporters as emerging technologies with future perspectives so as to offer insights into sustainable development practices that can safeguard the environment for future generations.