The UNCCD places “humans at the centre of concerns to combat desertification and to mitigate the effects of drought” (UNGA, 1994); and the second and third objectives of the UNCCD Strategic Framework for 2018-2030 aim, respectively, to “improve the living conditions of affected populations”, and to “mitigate, adapt to, and manage the effects of drought in order to enhance resilience of vulnerable populations and ecosystems” (UNCCD, 2017a)

The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) all interconnect. SDG 15 is ambitious: it involves protecting, restoring and promoting all land-based ecosystems, and biodiversity. Sustainable ecosystems are essential for human health, whether through safe water supplies, sustainable food systems, crops, pollinators, soil and medicines, or climate change mitigation. SDG3 is to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages, but it can only be achieved if
SDG15 is achieved too.

At the time of writing, the world is in the grips of a global pandemic the like of which has never been seen before. The COVID-19 that has swept through countries and continents has caused untold human suffering, social upheaval and economic damage. But while the spread of the current crisis is unprecedented, the new coronavirus follows a number of diseases that have emerged in recent decades, such as Ebola, AIDS, SARS, avian influenza and swine flu. All originated in animals – and there is increasing evidence that humanity’s overexploitation of nature is one of the factors behind the spread of new diseases.

Human activities have significantly altered three-quarters of the land and two-thirds of the ocean, changing the planet to such an extent as to determine the birth of a new era: the “Anthropocene”. Changes in land use that bring wildlife, livestock and humans into closer contact with each other facilitate the spread of diseases, including new strains of bacteria and viruses. Meanwhile, illegal and uncontrolled trade of live wild animals creates dangerous opportunities for contact between humans and the diseases these creatures carry.
Exploring the linkages between health and biodiversity, climate change and desertification The World Health Organization (WHO) has published a discussion paper on the linkages between health and biodiversity, climate change and desertification, the representation of health in the three Rio Conventions, and the opportunities for more integrated and effective policy.