The big environmental stories in the Chinese media this week (24-30 July)
A new paper published in Nature finds that investing in curbing forest loss and the illegal wildlife trade could prevent future pandemics.
Written by scientists, economists and conservationists from 14 institutions, including one from China, the research notes that the major epidemics of the past 100 years, including MERS, SARS, Ebola, Nipah, HIV/AIDS and Covid-19, have all depended on close contact between animal hosts and humans. Deforestation has played an important role in making such contact possible, as animals that lose their habitats are often forced closer to humans. Bushmeat consumption and the wildlife trade are further causes.
The researchers estimate US$22-31 billion would need to be invested each year to put the situation right. This includes $19.4 billion for ending wildlife meat trade in China and $9.6 billion to achieve a 40% reduction in areas at very high risk of virus spillover. Relatively minor investments would also need to be made in early detection and control, and reducing virus spillover via livestock. The costs represent a fraction of the economic damage of a pandemic like Covid-19, say the authors.
Current international efforts to control the wildlife trade are severely underfunded, it points out. As an example, CITES, the UN convention on endangered species, has an annual budget of only $6 million.
The findings echo a recent China Dialogue article on the lack of funding for zoonotic disease research – which can reveal the relative risks of hunting, live wildlife markets and agricultural encroachment into wilderness.
Written by scientists, economists and conservationists from 14 institutions, including one from China, the research notes that the major epidemics of the past 100 years, including MERS, SARS, Ebola, Nipah, HIV/AIDS and Covid-19, have all depended on close contact between animal hosts and humans. Deforestation has played an important role in making such contact possible, as animals that lose their habitats are often forced closer to humans. Bushmeat consumption and the wildlife trade are further causes.
The researchers estimate US$22-31 billion would need to be invested each year to put the situation right. This includes $19.4 billion for ending wildlife meat trade in China and $9.6 billion to achieve a 40% reduction in areas at very high risk of virus spillover. Relatively minor investments would also need to be made in early detection and control, and reducing virus spillover via livestock. The costs represent a fraction of the economic damage of a pandemic like Covid-19, say the authors.
Current international efforts to control the wildlife trade are severely underfunded, it points out. As an example, CITES, the UN convention on endangered species, has an annual budget of only $6 million.
The findings echo a recent China Dialogue article on the lack of funding for zoonotic disease research – which can reveal the relative risks of hunting, live wildlife markets and agricultural encroachment into wilderness.
Đăng nhận xét