All publications and documents

The outbreak of COVID-19 is a rude awakening to many who believed the era of infectious disease was over. In this post, Bernard Bett, Delia Randolph and John McDermott argue that not only are pandemics not over, they may be increasing in frequency; and while most originated in Asia in the past, Africa may be poised to become an important source of so-called “zoonotic pathogens”—with its…

What do people lose when they have to stay at home? Social connections, leisure activities? A sense of accomplishment, purpose, mental well-being? Livelihoods, jobs, the security of a regular income? Losing any combination of these things is deeply personal experience, varying from individual to individual, but also reflect a larger picture of…

The COVID-19 pandemic is a stark reminder of our dysfunctional relationship with nature. Studies show deforestation and loss of wildlife cause increases in infectious diseases. Half of the world’s GDP is highly or moderately dependent on nature. For every dollar spent on nature restoration, at least $9 of economic benefits can be expected. Many people are…

A strong connection exists between human health and the health of our planet’s ecosystems. As human pressures on the climate and biosphere accelerate, patterns of disease outbreak and channels of human exposure expand. More than ever, our ability to prevent disease and mitigate its impacts depends on our ability to scale up action on the environment and avoid breaches of ecological boundaries.

As the COVID-19 pandemic spreads around the world, China has outlawed the hunting and consumption of all terrestrial wild animals. The ban is based on the theory that the virus spread from an animal species – most likely a pangolin or bat – to people in a market in Wuhan. If a wildlife hunting ban were adopted worldwide, millions of people, often Indigenous or rural, who depend on wild meat for…

Land degradation creates serious challenges for over 3 billion people around the world, especially small farmers and herders. It reduces crop yields and food production, threatens water supply, erodes land, and makes communities more vulnerable to floods, landslides and other natural disasters that climate change is intensifying. That damage can be reversed by restoring forests,…