Building back better in a post COVID-19 World
Occurrences of pandemics in history have most times been associated with the ways humans interact with nature. Whereas the need to utilize natural resources and deriving the associated ecosystem services is a basic requirement and need of mankind, a deviation from normal use would always result into adverse impacts on the global economic systems. Natural systems provide resources to sustain over 75% of the global economy.
Approximately 70 percent of emerging infectious diseases today, and almost all recent pandemics trace their origin to wild animals and particularly wildlife. Emerging evidence indicates that such outbreaks of animal-borne diseases are highly on the rise, owing most significantly to environmental degradation and the intensification of both wildlife and livestock production systems coupled with extensive and illegal trade in livestock and wildlife. Human-wildlife-livestock interactions are eminently increasing as human populations expand; and urbanization and economic activities (such as wildlife trade, husbandry, agriculture, fishing, infrastructure development, mining and logging); mounting enormous loads of pressure onto these wild lands and the natural resources entailed; thereby encroachment into wildlife habitats. This greater proximity enhances the probability of disease spillover from wildlife to humans, or wildlife to livestock to humans.
The COVID-19 pandemic presents a unique opportunity and a step back stone to rethink the approaches we often use in our various engagements with nature. Consequently, the need to save the World from the resultant economic crisis is an overwhelming urgency. Whilst building back into a green economy; one which encompasses nature and its components, it is crucial to focus more on investments and approaches that aim at sustainable utilisation and building up the value our natural ecosystems bring along.
