Experts warn that the coronavirus pandemic is a direct consequence of the rapid destruction of nature. Without consciously diverting from this practice, we stand to face more health risks in the future. Tanzia Haq reports.
Since the outbreak was first reported, biodiversity experts, wildlife experts and WHO researchers have all pointed out that the destruction of ecological habitats and excessive wildlife consumption created the conditions for the transmission of the coronavirus from animal to human. Most of the diseases that have recently broken out have resulted from animal to human transmission, scientifically known as a ‘zoonotic’ disease.
Globalization has both exacerbated the destruction of the environment and how fast a disease can spread given the ever-connected world we live in. By destroying the natural ecosystem wild animals normally inhabit, we have increased our own exposure to deadly diseases.
In 2016, the UNEP released a report which placed the cost of emerging diseases on the economy and healthcare at more than US$100 billion over the last two decades. The report further stated that this figure could go into trillions if the outbreaks had reached pandemic levels. We can only guess what the coronavirus pandemic costs will be once things return to normal.
Scientists have published research that warned about the rise of animal-borne diseases from long before the current pandemic struck. The Center for Disease Control in the US estimates that 75 per cent of emerging diseases among humans come from transmission from other animals.
Leading disease ecology expert Dr. Peter Daszak said “Business as usual will not work. Business as usual right now for pandemics is waiting for them to emerge and hoping for a vaccine. That’s not a good strategy. We need to deal with the underlying drivers,” joining the voices of other infectious disease authorities demanding that countries must invest more time and resources to research to find a balance between the health of the planet and its inhabitants. Making an investment of billions now can help governments and corporations avoid losses in trillions in the long run, according to Daszak.
Our response to the world once this pandemic dies down will determine our resiliency should another attack like this happen. The number of global infection cases still continues to rise, months after the initial outbreak and thousands continue to die each day. By choosing to protect the environment, we can prevent this much human suffering in the long run.
