Biodiversity loss, ecosystem degradation and negative health outcomes share many common drivers, due to anthropogenic environmental and socioeconomic changes

Despite its important role, biodiversity is deteriorating worldwide at rates unprecedented in human history, and the impacts of environmental degradation and biodiversity loss caused by land-use change, habitat loss, overexploitation, pollution, invasive species and climate change are already leading to negative outcomes for health and well-being, as has been exemplified by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the negative consequences of biodiversity loss are not only linked to infectious diseases, but also to noncommunicable diseases.

Biodiversity loss, ecosystem degradation and negative health outcomes share many common drivers (e.g., climate change, land- and sea-use change, pollution).

These drivers can affect both biodiversity and the health of humans, animals and plants through individual ecosystem changes, collective ecosystem changes, and cumulative ecosystem degradation over time. For instance, land- and sea-use change and ecosystem degradation are drivers of both biodiversity loss and infectious disease emergence. Air and water pollution affect both human health and biodiversity (for example, through the bioaccumulation of toxins in the food chain). Climate change and ocean acidification have considerable impacts on biodiversity and human health. It can lead to shifts in species and pathogen range, contribute to the frequency, intensity and impacts associated with extreme weather disasters, and pose threats to agriculture, food and nutrition security. Prevailing consumption and production patterns are among the underlying causes of biodiversity loss and also compound the global health burden of non-communicable diseases. Therefore, addressing these drivers is imperative to secure co-benefits for the health of people and the environment.

Environmental determinants of health contribute to the overall global burden of disease and are interrelated with social determinants of health (e.g., poverty, gender, sex, age and rural versus urban areas) and health equity. Vulnerable people and groups (such as women and the poor) who tend to be more reliant on biodiversity and ecosystem services, suffer disproportionately from biodiversity loss and have less access to social protection mechanisms (for example, access to health care).

The current rate of biodiversity loss may have grave consequences and hamper efforts to meet a range of Sustainable Development Goals and Targets, including those related to poverty, hunger and health, as well as efforts to meet the goals and targets of the Kunming Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.