Loss of Biodiversity and Pandemics/Epidemics
Intro
CI
Loss of biodiversity
conservation challenges
MB
BP/GE/IS
Human Induced Envir changes
clear land for agri and devel, forest habitats
reduced biodiversity
Wildlife markets & illegal trade of wildlife
estd monocultures
habitats and ecosystems
being damaged
fragmented or destroyed
IPBES
Global Assessment Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services
shows- people encroach natural habitats
hence biodiversity is declining sig
Disturbed delicate balance of nature
spread of virus
Created ideal condition for spread of virus
from ANI-HUM
Hypothesis
The virus jumped from bats directly to humans
from bats to pangolins and then to humans
BP
Rebuild and revisit our relationship
to envir responsible world
Con
GI
Nations work towards 2050 vision for biodiversity
Key concept is "Living in Harmony with Nature"
Strictly regulate high-risk wildlife markets
Follow one health approach
consider health of people
wild and domesticated animals
environment
Promote green jobs
work towards achieve carbon-neutral economies
WPAct of 1972
Prohibits the trade of 1800 species
wild animals/plants and their derivatives
Biological Diversity Act, 2002
strategy and action plans
national biodiversity targets
national biodiversity mission
Ecosystem integrity will regulate diseases
restrict transmission of pathogens from species to another
Disposal of Cattle and other Animals
BP/GE/IS
25 million
head of cattle
died of natural causes
no organised system
of disposal and
become major
environmental hazard
Carcasses
from the animal slaughter
causes
environmental hazard
bird-hit
hazards at airports
left to decay in the open and
attracted vultures
and dogs polluting the environment
open dumping
attracted birds
which can cause
air accidents
CPCB Draft Guidelines
Requires
carcasses of livestock
to disposed off in incinerators and
and municipal authorities
must ensure
such facilities are set up
and made available
other method
disposal incineration and
deep burial
Pandemic reflects
fundamental ecological disequilibrium
human incursions
into the natural world
contributed heavily
to outbreak
and spread of epidemic diseases
COVID-19 and Environment
Envir problems
air pollution, water pollution,
chemical contamination, deforestation
waste generation and accumulation
land degradation and
excessive use of pesicides
all have profound
public health consequences
both in terms
morbidity and mortality
demand urgent actions
Learnings/Observations
Understanding 3 "E"
Evolution, Ecology and the Environment
key to identifying
potential pandemics
COVID-19 reinforces
need to pay attention
to biosciences
underpin
agri, health, enviro
profoundly impacted
by current pandemic
Need for Making
our future science and tech strategy
in different areas
understanding impacts of climate chage
caused by
continued emission of GHG
Scientific Understanding essential
may be a solution at one point of time
become problem at another point
and even become a threat in different context
COVID-19 and Environment
Post COVID-19 world
Radical Departure
from the past
to make economic growth
ecologically sustainable
should make efforts
to ensure
G in GDP is not gross but Green
India
Should show to the world
how measurement of economic growth
take place while taking
into account both
ecological pluses
and minuses
Climate Change & Human Animal Conflict
Namibia
put wild elephants up for sale
due to drought and
increase in elephant numbers
Tiger tourism
expanded
beyond govt-managed
wildlife reserves
to adjacent agricultural
areas outside
implemented successfully
in countries like
Kenya and Brazil
local populations
economically benefit
from the growth of tourism sector
managing existing wildlife reserves,
human-wildlife conflict,
land-use change,
impacts
from infrastructure growth
and development,
emergence of zoonotic diseases
wildlife trade and poaching,
risk of extinction
due to poaching and ecological factors