Tropical forests are being destroyed at alarming rates around the world, driving climate change and biodiversity loss, and intensifying poverty. The habitat loss from tropical deforestation is also leading to increased contact between humans and wildlife.This exposure increases incidence of zoonotic diseases, infectious diseases that are transmitted from animals to humans. As the loss of tropical forests accelerates, the public health danger from deforestation is growing worse.
The COVID-19 pandemic has laid bare a broken relationship with nature. Our global economy, consumption patterns, and production systems not only endanger nature, but our own well-being. The pandemic is a warning sign: failing to care for the planet, for forests and for biodiversity, means not taking care of ourselves.
