Photo: AFP
A major UN report has found that the biodiversity crisis is leading us into a 'pandemic era', with on average, five new diseases transferred from animals to humans every year - all with pandemic potential. The report, by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services says to avoid future pandemics, we must urgently transform our relationship with the planet. The report warns that without preventative strategies, pandemics will emerge more often, spread more rapidly, kill more people, and affect the global economy with more devastating impact than ever before. Massey University's Professor David Hayman is a IPBES lead co-author and the only New Zealander involved in the report.
