Add to CalendarThe COVID pandemic has brought new attention to the importance of landscape health for human health in addition to economic resilience. The transfer of zoonotic diseases from animals to humans makes clear the interdependence of human and animal health on terrestrial ecosystems, and the risks of ecosystem degradation due to human activity. Healthy landscapes are also critical for healthy economies, providing essential ecosystem services such as water, fertile soil, and erosion prevention. In many places, nature and wildlife provide the basis for nature-based tourism (NBT) that provides important income for protected area management and for jobs for local communities.
This session will look at pathways for spillover of zoonotic diseases such as COVID-19 from animals to humans, what actions can manage or stop spill over and how a One Health approach that looks at human, animal and environmental health together can make a difference. The session will also explore tools that can help bring back NBT as the world recovers from COVID-19, how restoration is important to human health, and how approaches to landscape management are evolving to encompass health considerations.
