Those who weighed development only in terms of the economy at the cost of unprecedented environmental damage like the case of building a car shed by fragmenting the only surviving urban forest of Aarey, the coronavirus pandemic that is estimated to cause the global economy more than $1tn in lost output can provide some food for thought!
COVID 19 exposes the animal cruelty, excessive abuse of antibiotics, loss of forest cover and complete disrespect of the environment in pursuit of development that the world is racing towards. Some of the most developed and developing economies have been audaciously and ruthlessly jeopardising the natural ecosystems like the secretive Chinese wildlife trade industry that serves the wild meat market, Chinese medicines, and live animal trade.
Wildlife poaching and opening up forests for development exposes those wildlife species in human interaction who carry certain microbes, bacteria and viruses harmful for human. The human immune system is not prepared to fight these strains of microbes that jump the species barrier and enter the human body. These are called zoonotic infections that are animal-borne and spread when these animals are forced out of their natural habitats for human consumption. Experts feel that bat soup, one of the widely consumed Chinese delicacies can be one of the reasons exposing coronavirus to human interaction.
A thriving old forest guards humans against zoonotic diseases by forming a barrier between wild animals and humans. The ever-expanding human encroachment into natural habitats triggered by our over consumerism, disposable culture and greed is exposing us to more fatal and newer strains of microbes. For example, bats play a critical role in the food chain and human health. Bats devour pests which are harmful to human health like West Nile virus (infecting humans and songbirds), Nipa virus (claimed 17 lives in Kerala in 2018) and more recently COVID 19. A WHO report on Nipah Virus Infection states that “there is strong evidence that emergence of bat-related viral infections communicable to humans and animals has been attributed to the loss of natural habitats of bats.” It further adds, “As the flying fox habitat is destroyed by human activity the bats get stressed and hungry, their immune system gets weaker, their virus load goes up and a lot of virus spills out in their urine and saliva.”
Fortunately, there is a solution to fight the deadly zoonotic diseases which is cheap and carbon negative compared to the expensive healthcare infrastructure which is yet not capable to fight these diseases. This simple and age-old wisdom of “Conservation of Old Forests” is the best prophylaxis to prevent the outbreak of pandemic of zoonotic diseases. Aarey forest is home to nearly 290 species of wildlife including 5 such species of animals which feature in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). These vulnerable animals include leopards, Rusty-spotted cat, Sambar deer, Alexandrine Parakeet and Red-wattled Lapwing. There is a slew of development projects planned inside the forest like the construction of Metro car shed, slum rehabilitation project, zoo, RTO office, and 32 storeyed Metro Bhavan. If the loss of biodiversity and ecosystem cannot affect the greed laden bureaucracy who wants to concretise the forest, at least the loss of life due to zoonotic diseases like coronavirus can trigger some fear if not their conscience.
The world that is witnessing one of its worst economic pandemics continues to overshadow environmental impacts under the pursuit of GDP and doesn’t learn, restrategize, continue its conceit and complacency while its old forests are being lost, cannot blame a pandemic but its greed for the huge losses.
https://edition.cnn.com/2020/02/24/business/coronavirus-global-economy/index.html