Destroying the Wilderness: Increasing of Zoonotic Pandemics.

The current environmental crisis can be viewed as one of the main drivers of infectious diseases such as Covid-19. This phenomenon coincides with destruction of wild animal habitat in the process of deforestation, emitting pollution and land degradation. Mammal’s-bats in particular, are known carriers of diseases such as Ebola, Nipah and Coronavirus( more evidence required).

These zoonotic pandemics are increased by the rapid transformation of forest, grasslands and desert into agriculture and urban land. This create an environment for species that do not carry the viruses to decline or become extinct and an exponential growth in animals with the ability to host deadly diseases. This event is thought to be linked to the animal kingdom resilience against the destruction of their habitation.

An article by Nature on 5 August 2020, revealed that obliteration of habitats will increase the occurrences between humans and wildlife and this will escalate the spread of zoonotic viruses. A growing number of studies has linked environmental degradation to the spread of viruses. Furthermore, pollutants are also found to be a significant contributor to the spread of viruses, a study by Lancet Planetary Health 1 July 2020, found the use of pesticides and other agrochemicals correlates to the speed and transmission of schistosomiasis and other diseases.

Schistosomiasis is a disease caused by parasites that live in certain types of freshwater snails, it affects over 200 million people every year. Pesticides and other agrochemical pollutants kills the aquatic predators that feed on the snails. The pollutants also sustain the growth of algae which is a major food source for the snail, thus increasing the population of the snails and the transmission of schistosomiasis.  

Earlier this year, the Bolsonaro government approved 96 new pesticides that are classed as seriously hazardous to the environment.

Deforestation, pollution and land degradation has continued at an alarming rate causing the destruction of nature that will subsequently risk further pandemic diseases. 

Agribusinesses are responsible for deforestation and the displacement of small farmers who are forced into a decreasing wilderness. Deforestation in the Amazon has increased by 50% in 2020 compared to 2019 and this is linked to agriculture production. A journal in Science reports 20% of soy exports and 17% of beef exports to the EU are produced by companies complicit in illegal deforestation.

The exploitation of Agribusinesses in other countries such as Africa is reported to be intensifying and on 20 May 2020, Okomu Oil Palm owned by Socfin, a Luxemburg-based company burnt down villager’s homes in the Okumu Kingdom to expand their plantation leaving 80 people homeless and displaced. In addition to Agribusinesses, commercial logging and mining are advancing into protected areas in search for profit and these companies are accelerating the ecological crisis that generates conditions for pandemics diseases to thrive.

The drivers of environmental degradation are multifaceted and the willingness for leaders to acknowledge the crisis and implement strategies are complex. Responses need to take on the cognisance of the complexity of society, economies and management. It is difficult to understand the reasons behind our governments and company’s worldwide, willingness to destroy habitats, spread diseases and pollute the planet as a mode of economic improvement. 

The current bio-medical and climate crisis compounds the need to campaign for the implementation of laws to protect nature and halt the climate and ecological emergency; as the current economic system that determines the course of our lives is leading to biodiversity extinction.

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