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June 4, 2021 @ 4:30 pm - 6:30 pm IST
Biodiversity Means Health: From Virus to Vultures
Friday 4th June | Virtual Event | 16:30 – 18:30 pm (IST)
Typically, we look at health in a human-only context. However, there is increasing recognition of the broader health concept that encompasses other species, our ecosystems and the integral ecological underpinnings of many drivers or protectors of health risks: At a planetary scale, ecosystems regulate the Earth system, making it and keeping liveable, while at the most intimate level, symbiotic microbial communities present in our gut and skin contribute to our nutrition, can help regulate our immune system, and prevent infections.
Biodiversity and health management are closely intertwined. Zoonoses and pandemics, of course, medicinal plants and new molecules to be discovered, but also Malaria, snakebites, stubble burnings and respiratory problems or micro-plastics poisoning underwater habitats and the whole food-chain: examples abound: Healthy nature has many preventive and restorative effects on human health, including our mood, concentration and healthier lifestyles. Ecosystems health and diversity can be looked at as fundamental pillar of cost-effective healthcare and prevention.
Event Focus and Objectives
The event will be in the form of a moderated discussion between a group of experts and the audience. The panel of experts will be invited to share lessons and recommendations from their own experiences (successful or not) on biodiversity and health-related issues, identifying successful models for closer collaboration between medical and ecological sectors, and the extent to which improved approaches can be adopted to:
- Find solutions that address health and biodiversity;
- Better control the release of pollutants or exposure/vulnerabilities from most critical sectors, based on direct and indirect impacts on human health and ecosystems;
- Better quantify the health advantages of maintaining healthier (biodiverse) ecosystems and landscapes, and ensure this quantification better informs relevant decisions;
- Improve monitoring of potential sources of new zoonoses;
- Better involve local communities to appreciate and maintain their environment.
The audience will also be invited to ask and up-vote additional questions via sli.do Please already download the sli.do App or bookmark sli.do if you want to take part in the discussion, thanks.