Deforestation Causes Diseases Like Covid-19 to Spread

Scientific research has found that loss of biodiversity makes diseases spread much faster from animals to humans. Scientists will speak at the UN in October 2020, warning world leaders that more deadly pandemics will happen if we don’t control the rate at which animals’ natural habitats are being destroyed.

The UN summit on biodiversity will take place in New York next month. During the summit, conservationists and biologists will prove that there is evidence of a strong link between environmental destruction and deadly diseases like Covid-19.

Deforestation, expansion of farming, as well as the use of wild animals as food sources, medicine and exotic pets has created a situation where we are now exposed to lots of new diseases. Because of this, scientists say that five or six new epidemics a year could affect the Earth’s population.

Stuart Pimm, the professor of conservation at Duke University had this to say: “In the case of Covid-19, it has cost the world trillions of dollars and already killed almost a million people, so clearly urgent action is needed.”