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Biodiversity and Health. Prof. Richard Kock.

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The document discusses biodiversity and health, providing background context and identifying key issues. It notes that while wildlife is often described as a major source of emerging diseases, the evidence does not strongly support this. Biodiversity suffers from various anthropogenic stressors that can impact health. Maintaining biodiversity through urban greening can reduce disease vector risks if done appropriately. Transdisciplinary approaches are needed to understand the links between biodiversity, health, and sustainable development. Recent reviews find broad agreement on issues but some contradictions regarding wildlife and disease emergence.

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Views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Commission. Neither the EU nor the EC can be held responsible for them. Biodiversity and Health Training session on SBSTTA 26 substantive agenda items April 2nd 2024 Online Professor Dr Richard Kock (Retired) Royal Veterinary College London Vice-President Wildlife Disease Association
Background for the presentation ● Basic information to understand the history and context of biodiversity and health and issues, identified by COOP4CBD*, focused on technical aspects and with political context ● Gaps in knowledge on the topic ● Key targeted narratives to drive negotiations on mainstreaming biodiversity for the health sector ● Support to draft Global Action Plan to mainstream biodiversity and health linkages into national policies, strategies, programmes and accounts *CBD/COP/DEC/15/29 19 December 2022 using: the IPBES REPORT, narratives from COVID 19 (pandemic origin & risk), contemporary One Health developments (quadripartite), calls for sustainable consumption/production in human economy, humancentric view on natural resources and medicines value, and opportunity to use traditional knowledge to reexamine human development pathways in the context of environment.
Wildlife Disease Biodiversity & Health Evidence Your image here
Wildlife ● Strong narrative around emerging disease and wildlife sources. ● This is based on a general principle that novel organisms ultimately must arise from biodiversity (zoonotic). ● The rare events that do occur usually require intermediary (domestic or peridomestic) hosts/vectors and anthropogenic actions to drive events or emergence. ● Wildlife trade source – legal negligible and illegal unknown ● Absence of data CITES Legal trade species CITES Legal trade source
Wildlife is often described as the major source of emerging pathogens – is this true? Haider et al 2020 https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2020.596944 If you include non- animal source of emerging human pathogens – wildlife ultimate source <43%
Biodiversity suffers disease and ill health Natural disease ecological processes, arguably, sustain health in populations. Anthropogenic influences and stressors – starvation, disturbance, pollutants, climate change, disease exposure from humans and domestic animals – unbalanced threat. Mass Mortality Events greatest threat to biodiversity and populations – expression of populations exceeding thresholds of resilience.
Urban wildlife and disease vectors Creation of artificial habitats supporting anthropophillic mosquitos and infection e.g. A aegypti Dengue Fever Your image here •Getachew et al 2015 DOI: 10.1155/2015/706276
Greening Urban spaces – risk of vector or pathogen host increase? Evidence suggests: If biodiversity is principle of urban greening, risk is low – ecosystemic stabilities – e.g. insect predators and dilution effects. Increased rodent diversity, associated with natural forest, likely reduces risk of viral exposures e.g. lassa fever virus D.Simons 2023 PhD thesis If based on monocultures of vegetation + animals occupying sterile human domain, vector pathogen risk is higher + also higher incidence of allergic reactions through aerial pollen monocultures.
Biodiversity and Health Transdisciplinarity Your image here
Sustainable Development Goals and One Health (historically) Humancentric ● One Health is an integrated, unifying approach that aims to sustainably balance and optimize the health of people, animals and ecosystems. It recognizes the health of humans, domestic and wild animals, plants, and the wider environment (including ecosystems) are closely linked and inter-dependent. The approach mobilizes multiple sectors, disciplines and communities at varying levels of society to work together to foster well-being and tackle threats to health and ecosystems, while addressing the collective need for clean water, energy and air, safe and nutritious food, taking action on climate change, and contributing to sustainable development (Quadripartite Advisory Panel)
Global trends in human health Category A communicable maternal, perinatal, and nutritional disorders Category B non-communicable disease Category C injury Millions of people Murray and Lopez 1997 Burdenof Disease Heart Mental RTA Cardiovascular Pulmonary Respiratory Infection TB War Diarrhoea HIV Mortality
●Animal Mortality 1. Deliberate killing 2. Starvation 3. Accidental death 4. Parasites 5. Microbial infection 6. Heat or cold 7. Plant toxins 8. Poisons, pollution 9. Thirst 10. Metabolic disease Global trends in animal health
Global trends in ecosystems health
Scientific Reviews Databases Biodiversity and Health The 7 anthropogenic drivers of disease emergence described in the UNEP report (UNEP & ILRI, 2020) are: • (1)* Increasing demand for animal protein; • (2)* Unsustainable agricultural intensification; • (3)** Increased use and exploitation of wildlife; • (4)** Unsustainable utilization of natural resources accelerated by urbanization, land use change and extractive industries; • (5)* Travel and transportation; • (6)* Changes in food supply chains; • (7)*** Climate change. Evidence base: * significant in endemic and emergent zoonoses **weak with indirect evidence to suggest their role in this process (facilitating drivers). ***moderate with climate change, with a general impact on distribution of hosts, vectors, and pathogens, with associated new emergences and spreading of diseases across geographies. These are often not novel pathogens themselves (yet still described as EIDs), for which there is little direct evidence for a climate effect on their evolution, so far…..
Recent in-depth reviews on Biodiversity and Health issues Wildlife and Human Disease Emergence Expert opinion* Semi-systematic review* Major reports around disease issues from wildlife show broad agreement but some contradictions*, mainly the fact that there is little evidence to support direct wildlife human infection as a regular cause of human disease. https://portals.iucn.org/library/node/49880 Kock 2014 https:doi:10.4102/ojvr.v81i2.739
Science or Narrative, arising from COVID-19? Biodiversity and Health WOAH WAHIS database Wildlife disease reports voluntary Highly deficient FAO Risk assessment - negligible Opportunism agenda driven
Views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Commission. Neither the EU nor the EC can be held responsible for them. Main conclusions: PHC in NCH not fully recognized Most clearly defined in “nature-based care” / disease prevention green prescriptions & “medicinal plants” / traditional medicine Lack of specific tools to support PHC practices Importance of “context” to integrate NCH and PHC: patient’s history and background & context of the PHC professional and of the health issue Overall, knowledge on NCH in PHC in its infancy in both science and practice One Health approach: strengthen collaboration environmental, human, and animal health care sectors for disease control and prevention One Health seminar CliMigHealth - 20211018
The results show strong evidence benefit on e.g. cardiovascular health and reduced heat stress related disease
Cardinale et al 2013
Monetary benefits Biodiversity and Health To biodiversity (EEA report circular economy 2023) From biodiversity in reducing health costs….. through NATURE BASED SOLUTIONS
Nature Based Solutions to economy ● Mental health problems cost UK economy at least £118 billion a year (LSE 2022) ○ Human–nature interaction throughout the life-course have generally demonstrated potential beneficial associations with mental health and well-being. However, inconsistencies exist in the evidence available in terms of their applied methodologies and reported findings. Spano et al 2021 ● Exposure to biodiversity general positive physical and immunomodulatory effect and developmental (microbiome) effect vital to health ○ Improved general health reduces primary health costs and economic losses through inactivity
UN systems Biodiversity and Health ● Health of humans, ecosystems (environment), and agriculture “covered”….but not biodiversity and health
Healthy Planet Healthy People
MEAs Biodiversity and Health ● Numerous MEAs with some linkage to health outcomes, whether biodiversity, reducing trade risks to health, migration health concerns, pollution and microbial systems decomposers, chemicalisation, genetic resources and manipulations, heritage and culture etc.
Green Space and Health Biodiversity and Health
Indicators on interlinkages Biodiversity and Health Your image here
Biodiversity & Human Health indicators/linkages ● Natural animal and plant resource historically sustained nutrition of human populations directly, now more indirectly. ● Natural resource provided majority of medicinal products historically, subsequently chemically analysed and synthesised. ● Contribution of natural resource to livelihoods, infrastructure, housing and economical wealth of humans. ● Contribution of nature to human mental health and well-being through exposure to a biodiverse environment, animals and plants. ● Developmental and microbiome benefits from exposure to natural environment ● Contribution of biodiversity to agriculture (e.g. pollinators) and sustained nutrition ● Contribution of microbial biodiversity to decomposition, nutrient and energy recycling. ● Contribution of nature to clean air and water, atmosphere and climate stability.
co-benefits of conservation & ecological restoration Biodiversity and Health Ecosystem services ➢ Ecosystemic stabilities restored ➢ Biodiversity conserved Clean air and water Climate buffer Natural waste processing (decomposers) Pathogen dilution effect (someX countered by amplification) Pathogen buffering (reduced environmental load) Opportunity for diverse quality nutrition (fish and terrestrial animal harvest)
Conclusive narrative Biodiversity and health have a nexus, expressed mostly in human terms (impact, benefit), and less so in health of animals and plants but the natural ecologies are fundamental to population health. Microbial community is a neglected element, vital with positive and negative interactions with higher animals, and where ecosystemic stabilities are dependent on biodiversity and ecosystems integrity and function. Current global systems do not address biodiversity and health in any meaningful way, and no UN institution has the mandate for this. International and even less so National health agencies are not focused on wildlife or biodiversity in any significant way. Interactions are complex and poorly researched or understood with strong narratives, created from a vacuum. Methodologies are lacking and capacities highly deficient. Rather like environment, generally, biodiversity and health are casualties to human development and activity not dissimilar to climate and health, and perhaps should be tackled in a similar manner. Fundamental to existence of life, requiring global implementable policies and regulatory mechanisms that are enforceable. Achieving circular economies, post humanist in outlook, supportive of biodiversity and ecosystems, rather than subsumed to circuits of capital in decline along with natural resources.
Thank you for your attention! Richard Kock richardakock@icloud.com Coming soon www.coop4cbd.eu Follow COOP4CBD

More Related Content

Biodiversity and Health. Prof. Richard Kock.

  • 1. Views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Commission. Neither the EU nor the EC can be held responsible for them. Biodiversity and Health Training session on SBSTTA 26 substantive agenda items April 2nd 2024 Online Professor Dr Richard Kock (Retired) Royal Veterinary College London Vice-President Wildlife Disease Association
  • 2. Background for the presentation ● Basic information to understand the history and context of biodiversity and health and issues, identified by COOP4CBD*, focused on technical aspects and with political context ● Gaps in knowledge on the topic ● Key targeted narratives to drive negotiations on mainstreaming biodiversity for the health sector ● Support to draft Global Action Plan to mainstream biodiversity and health linkages into national policies, strategies, programmes and accounts *CBD/COP/DEC/15/29 19 December 2022 using: the IPBES REPORT, narratives from COVID 19 (pandemic origin & risk), contemporary One Health developments (quadripartite), calls for sustainable consumption/production in human economy, humancentric view on natural resources and medicines value, and opportunity to use traditional knowledge to reexamine human development pathways in the context of environment.
  • 3. Wildlife Disease Biodiversity & Health Evidence Your image here
  • 4. Wildlife ● Strong narrative around emerging disease and wildlife sources. ● This is based on a general principle that novel organisms ultimately must arise from biodiversity (zoonotic). ● The rare events that do occur usually require intermediary (domestic or peridomestic) hosts/vectors and anthropogenic actions to drive events or emergence. ● Wildlife trade source – legal negligible and illegal unknown ● Absence of data CITES Legal trade species CITES Legal trade source
  • 5. Wildlife is often described as the major source of emerging pathogens – is this true? Haider et al 2020 https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2020.596944 If you include non- animal source of emerging human pathogens – wildlife ultimate source <43%
  • 6. Biodiversity suffers disease and ill health Natural disease ecological processes, arguably, sustain health in populations. Anthropogenic influences and stressors – starvation, disturbance, pollutants, climate change, disease exposure from humans and domestic animals – unbalanced threat. Mass Mortality Events greatest threat to biodiversity and populations – expression of populations exceeding thresholds of resilience.
  • 7. Urban wildlife and disease vectors Creation of artificial habitats supporting anthropophillic mosquitos and infection e.g. A aegypti Dengue Fever Your image here •Getachew et al 2015 DOI: 10.1155/2015/706276
  • 8. Greening Urban spaces – risk of vector or pathogen host increase? Evidence suggests: If biodiversity is principle of urban greening, risk is low – ecosystemic stabilities – e.g. insect predators and dilution effects. Increased rodent diversity, associated with natural forest, likely reduces risk of viral exposures e.g. lassa fever virus D.Simons 2023 PhD thesis If based on monocultures of vegetation + animals occupying sterile human domain, vector pathogen risk is higher + also higher incidence of allergic reactions through aerial pollen monocultures.
  • 10. Sustainable Development Goals and One Health (historically) Humancentric ● One Health is an integrated, unifying approach that aims to sustainably balance and optimize the health of people, animals and ecosystems. It recognizes the health of humans, domestic and wild animals, plants, and the wider environment (including ecosystems) are closely linked and inter-dependent. The approach mobilizes multiple sectors, disciplines and communities at varying levels of society to work together to foster well-being and tackle threats to health and ecosystems, while addressing the collective need for clean water, energy and air, safe and nutritious food, taking action on climate change, and contributing to sustainable development (Quadripartite Advisory Panel)
  • 11. Global trends in human health Category A communicable maternal, perinatal, and nutritional disorders Category B non-communicable disease Category C injury Millions of people Murray and Lopez 1997 Burdenof Disease Heart Mental RTA Cardiovascular Pulmonary Respiratory Infection TB War Diarrhoea HIV Mortality
  • 12. ●Animal Mortality 1. Deliberate killing 2. Starvation 3. Accidental death 4. Parasites 5. Microbial infection 6. Heat or cold 7. Plant toxins 8. Poisons, pollution 9. Thirst 10. Metabolic disease Global trends in animal health
  • 13. Global trends in ecosystems health
  • 14. Scientific Reviews Databases Biodiversity and Health The 7 anthropogenic drivers of disease emergence described in the UNEP report (UNEP & ILRI, 2020) are: • (1)* Increasing demand for animal protein; • (2)* Unsustainable agricultural intensification; • (3)** Increased use and exploitation of wildlife; • (4)** Unsustainable utilization of natural resources accelerated by urbanization, land use change and extractive industries; • (5)* Travel and transportation; • (6)* Changes in food supply chains; • (7)*** Climate change. Evidence base: * significant in endemic and emergent zoonoses **weak with indirect evidence to suggest their role in this process (facilitating drivers). ***moderate with climate change, with a general impact on distribution of hosts, vectors, and pathogens, with associated new emergences and spreading of diseases across geographies. These are often not novel pathogens themselves (yet still described as EIDs), for which there is little direct evidence for a climate effect on their evolution, so far…..
  • 15. Recent in-depth reviews on Biodiversity and Health issues Wildlife and Human Disease Emergence Expert opinion* Semi-systematic review* Major reports around disease issues from wildlife show broad agreement but some contradictions*, mainly the fact that there is little evidence to support direct wildlife human infection as a regular cause of human disease. https://portals.iucn.org/library/node/49880 Kock 2014 https:doi:10.4102/ojvr.v81i2.739
  • 16. Science or Narrative, arising from COVID-19? Biodiversity and Health WOAH WAHIS database Wildlife disease reports voluntary Highly deficient FAO Risk assessment - negligible Opportunism agenda driven
  • 17. Views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Commission. Neither the EU nor the EC can be held responsible for them. Main conclusions: PHC in NCH not fully recognized Most clearly defined in “nature-based care” / disease prevention green prescriptions & “medicinal plants” / traditional medicine Lack of specific tools to support PHC practices Importance of “context” to integrate NCH and PHC: patient’s history and background & context of the PHC professional and of the health issue Overall, knowledge on NCH in PHC in its infancy in both science and practice One Health approach: strengthen collaboration environmental, human, and animal health care sectors for disease control and prevention One Health seminar CliMigHealth - 20211018
  • 18. The results show strong evidence benefit on e.g. cardiovascular health and reduced heat stress related disease
  • 20. Monetary benefits Biodiversity and Health To biodiversity (EEA report circular economy 2023) From biodiversity in reducing health costs….. through NATURE BASED SOLUTIONS
  • 21. Nature Based Solutions to economy ● Mental health problems cost UK economy at least £118 billion a year (LSE 2022) ○ Human–nature interaction throughout the life-course have generally demonstrated potential beneficial associations with mental health and well-being. However, inconsistencies exist in the evidence available in terms of their applied methodologies and reported findings. Spano et al 2021 ● Exposure to biodiversity general positive physical and immunomodulatory effect and developmental (microbiome) effect vital to health ○ Improved general health reduces primary health costs and economic losses through inactivity
  • 22. UN systems Biodiversity and Health ● Health of humans, ecosystems (environment), and agriculture “covered”….but not biodiversity and health
  • 24. MEAs Biodiversity and Health ● Numerous MEAs with some linkage to health outcomes, whether biodiversity, reducing trade risks to health, migration health concerns, pollution and microbial systems decomposers, chemicalisation, genetic resources and manipulations, heritage and culture etc.
  • 27. Biodiversity & Human Health indicators/linkages ● Natural animal and plant resource historically sustained nutrition of human populations directly, now more indirectly. ● Natural resource provided majority of medicinal products historically, subsequently chemically analysed and synthesised. ● Contribution of natural resource to livelihoods, infrastructure, housing and economical wealth of humans. ● Contribution of nature to human mental health and well-being through exposure to a biodiverse environment, animals and plants. ● Developmental and microbiome benefits from exposure to natural environment ● Contribution of biodiversity to agriculture (e.g. pollinators) and sustained nutrition ● Contribution of microbial biodiversity to decomposition, nutrient and energy recycling. ● Contribution of nature to clean air and water, atmosphere and climate stability.
  • 28. co-benefits of conservation & ecological restoration Biodiversity and Health Ecosystem services ➢ Ecosystemic stabilities restored ➢ Biodiversity conserved Clean air and water Climate buffer Natural waste processing (decomposers) Pathogen dilution effect (someX countered by amplification) Pathogen buffering (reduced environmental load) Opportunity for diverse quality nutrition (fish and terrestrial animal harvest)
  • 29. Conclusive narrative Biodiversity and health have a nexus, expressed mostly in human terms (impact, benefit), and less so in health of animals and plants but the natural ecologies are fundamental to population health. Microbial community is a neglected element, vital with positive and negative interactions with higher animals, and where ecosystemic stabilities are dependent on biodiversity and ecosystems integrity and function. Current global systems do not address biodiversity and health in any meaningful way, and no UN institution has the mandate for this. International and even less so National health agencies are not focused on wildlife or biodiversity in any significant way. Interactions are complex and poorly researched or understood with strong narratives, created from a vacuum. Methodologies are lacking and capacities highly deficient. Rather like environment, generally, biodiversity and health are casualties to human development and activity not dissimilar to climate and health, and perhaps should be tackled in a similar manner. Fundamental to existence of life, requiring global implementable policies and regulatory mechanisms that are enforceable. Achieving circular economies, post humanist in outlook, supportive of biodiversity and ecosystems, rather than subsumed to circuits of capital in decline along with natural resources.
  • 30. Thank you for your attention! Richard Kock richardakock@icloud.com Coming soon www.coop4cbd.eu Follow COOP4CBD