This volume investigates the critical correlation between global environmental degradation and the resulting impact on human health outcomes. The World Bank, in collaboration with the United Nations Environment Program and the World Resources Institute, synthesizes extensive scientific data to evaluate the state of the planet's natural resources. The text argues that environmental quality is a primary determinant of public health, providing a framework for understanding how ecological shifts influence mortality and morbidity rates on a global scale.

Experts recognize this publication as a foundational reference for environmental policy and public health research during the late 1990s. Readers frequently note the dense, data-heavy nature of the prose, which serves as a standard resource for academic and institutional analysis.