The Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) held a workshop inviting experts from all regions around the world to make recommendations on the importance of biodiversity conservation for controlling and preventing future pandemics.

An executive summary of the workshop stated that pandemics have their origins in diverse microbes carried by animal reservoirs, but their emergence is entirely driven by human activities. The report also pointed out that the root cause of a pandemic is the same as the global environmental changes that cause biodiversity loss and climate change, such as land-use change, agricultural expansion and intensification, and wildlife trade and consumption. 

The executive summary of the Workshop on Biodiversity and Pandemics is available here:

IPBES Workshop on Biodiversity and Pandemics Executive Summary. 

JIRCAS will hold an international symposium on November 10th (Tue) in a webinar format, and will also address the issue of land use changes due to agriculture as one of the factors behind the COVID-19 pandemic.

https://www.jircas.go.jp/ja/symposium/2020/e20201110

Registration is now closed. Thank you for your participation. We will contact all registered participants by e-mail before the symposium. 

For inquiries, please contact the following:

Information and Public Relations Office　URL: https://www.jircas.go.jp/ja/form/inquiry

Contributor: IIYAMA Miyuki (Research Strategy Office)