COVID-19 Report - 4

WWF'S CALL FOR GLOBAL ACTION TO REDUCE
THE RISK OF FUTURE PANDEMICS AND HEAL
OUR BROKEN RELATIONSHIP
WITH NATURE

CALL
FOR
GLOBAL
ACTION

WWF INTERNATIONAL 2020

Humanity's broken relationship with nature comes
at a cost. That cost is revealing itself in terrible ways during
the current COVID-19 pandemic: from the mounting loss of
life and untold suffering of families to the global economic
shock that's destroying jobs and livelihoods. The longer the
crisis continues, the greater the threat will be to global peace,
security and stability. Yet, there is a real opportunity in the
midst of this tragedy to heal our relationship with nature and
mitigate the risk of future pandemics.
New zoonotic diseases are emerging at an alarming
rate. The COVID-19 health crisis reconfirms how people and
nature are interlinked, and how our negative impact on the
natural world increases the risk of future pandemics. As highrisk wildlife continues to be exploited and the natural world
encroached upon, the risk is growing. In our increasingly
globalized world, the probability is higher than ever that
a new disease becomes a global pandemic, with serious
consequences for our health, economies and ecosystems.
This is a pivotal moment to build a safer future
for people and the planet. COVID-19: Urgent Call to
Protect People and Nature shows that the key drivers for
the emergence of zoonotic diseases are land-use change,
expansion and the intensification of agriculture and animal
production, and the consumption of high-risk wildlife. WWF
urges governments, companies and individuals to tackle
these key drivers and so create a healthier world for people
and our planet.
Although we cannot always foresee and prevent
these diseases, we can act to heal our relationship
with nature and reduce the risk of future pandemics.

COVID-19 Report

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of COVID-19 Report