Mangrove ecotourism is gaining immense popularity in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries as a neoliberal conservation tool, and it has contributed significantly to the growth of the tourism sector in the region over the past two decades. However, there is no comprehensive review on the full extent of mangrove ecotourism activities and the contribution to mangrove conservation/restoration and economic growth in the region. A systematic literature review approach was used to examine the evolution of mangrove ecotourism in the GCC countries from 2010 to 2023. A total of 55 articles were retrieved from the Google and Google Scholar search engines, and the Scopus and Web of Science databases were incorporated. We synthesized the results and provided perspectives on the following: (1) the geographical and temporal distribution of studies in relation to mangrove extent, (2) key sites, attractions, and values for mangrove ecotourism activities, (3) the positive and negative impacts of mangrove ecotourism, and (4) existing mangrove conservation and restoration initiatives for the growth of mangrove ecotourism in the GCC countries. The findings underscore the significance of mangrove ecotourism in supporting economic development, protecting coastal ecosystems, and sustaining local livelihoods in the GCC countries. However, this study highlights the crucial need for sustainable coastal environmental management through integrated land use planning and zoning to address the negative impacts of anthropogenic pressures on mangrove ecosystems and ecotourism attractions. The use of remote sensing tools is invaluable in the monitoring of mangrove ecosystems and associated ecotourism impacts for informing evidence-based conservation and restoration management approaches. Thus, harnessing mangrove ecotourism opportunities can help the GCC countries with balancing economic growth, coastal environmental sustainability, and community well-being.

The One Health (OH) approach emphasises the relationship between human, animal, and environmental health, underscoring the necessity of cross-sectoral collaboration to address global health challenges. This paper explores the integration of oral health within the OH framework, mainly focusing on its relationship to antimicrobial resistance, zoonotic and vector-borne diseases, and climate change. Furthermore, this paper highlights how dental practices impact environmental sustainability and discusses the role of sustainable dentistry in reducing plastic waste, managing mercury disposal, and minimising pesticide exposure. Lastly, the paper offers actionable recommendations to support oral health professionals in adopting environmentally friendly practices, ultimately promoting a comprehensive OH approach to improve population health and resilience against future health threats.

The frequency and intensity of flood events are increasing year by year as a result of climate change. This poses significant threats to human settlements and adversely affects biodiversity, agriculture, and infrastructure. One of the most prominent and traditional flood evacuation approaches is through the use of boats. Nonetheless, serious challenges exist with respect to determining the optimal deployment locations, routes, and timing. Given research advances in the Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) sector—and their ability to offer real-time data and aerial monitoring services—we argue that their applications could help enhance boat-supported flood evacuation operations. In this opinion piece, we explore new opportunities for disaster management and underscore the advantages of integrating UAVs into flood evacuation methodologies, including areas of rapid field assessment, optimal route planning, and improved coordination between rescue boats. Notwithstanding the potential of UAVs, we emphasize several gaps to be explored in terms of large-scale data management/processing, regulatory limitations, and technological know-how. Furthermore, we provide recommendations for bolstering boat deployment protocols, disaster preparedness training programs, policy frameworks, and emergency response systems, which could maximize their efficacy in flood evacuation scenarios.

Background Environmentally persistent zoonoses (EPZs), such as leptospirosis and melioidosis, are caused by pathogens that can survive outside of a host for over 48 hours. Their transmission is sensitive to climate hazards such as flooding, which can disperse pathogens and increase opportunities for spillover. Risk of exposure to EPZs during flooding is influenced by the vulnerability of exposed populations, which is shaped by social, economic, infrastructural, and environmental conditions. Understanding vulnerability to EPZs is therefore important for identifying populations most at risk during flooding and informing targeted disease control and equitable climate adaptation. We aimed to map how vulnerability is defined and measured in studies of flood-sensitive EPZs, characterise the vulnerability and flooding-related hazard indicators used, and assess how vulnerability and hazard were studied together. Methods This scoping review followed PRISMA-ScR guidance. Eleven bibliographic databases were searched (May 2025, updated January 2026) for epidemiological studies quantifying associations between vulnerability or hazard indicators and human health outcomes for eight EPZs. Data on study characteristics, definitions of vulnerability, vulnerability and hazard indicators, and methods used to study vulnerability and hazard together were extracted and synthesised. Results Seventy-eight studies were included. Only 16 explicitly used the terms "vulnerability" or "vulnerable," with heterogeneous usage. Vulnerability indicators (n=444) clustered into six domains but were dominated by sociodemographic characteristics (n=215), particularly sex/gender and age, while housing, environmental, infrastructural and health-service domains were less frequently represented. Hazard indicators (n=138) were dominated by broad meteorological (n=52) and seasonal (n=38) proxies. Most studies were cross-sectional, ecological or case-control, with relatively few time-series or cohort studies. Evidence was heavily concentrated on leptospirosis (41/78 studies). Vulnerability and hazard were generally treated as separate determinants of risk, with limited conceptual or analytical integration; only four studies formally tested interactions between them. Conclusion Vulnerability in EPZ research is inconsistently conceptualised and narrowly measured, with limited consideration of the environmental, infrastructural and service-level conditions that are particularly important for diseases transmitted at the human–animal–environment interface. Overall, the literature remains largely focused on identifying separate environmental and population risk factors rather than explaining how flooding produces unequal risks across populations. Flooding-related hazards are often characterised using broad proxies, while study designs and limited consideration of vulnerability and hazard together constrain understanding of who is most at-risk during flooding and why. Future research should use clearer vulnerability frameworks, measure relevant domains more comprehensively, improve characterisation of flooding-related hazards, and use interdisciplinary study designs capable of examining vulnerability and hazard together. This will strengthen evidence for targeted disease control and equitable climate adaptation.