Without nature, human being is nothing. In spite of this,humans are destroying the environment and the livingcreatures that call our planet home at unprecedented ratesat our own peril. From increasing the threat of disease todisrupting our global food chain, biodiversity loss acrossthe globe is threatening the very foundation of our futureand the well-being of everyone, everywhere. Thecatastrophic effects of climate change on human health arealready on display like famines triggered by once-in-a-century droughts or flooding; death and suffering wroughtby some of the strongest hurricanes and heat waves in modern history.

Because habitat destruction brings humans and wildlifeinto closer contact, it dramatically increases our risk ofexposure to “zoonotic spillover,” which occurs whenpathogens- bacteria or viruses that cause disease jump fromanimals to humans. In fact, more than 75% of emerginginfectious diseases in humans are caused by pathogens thatoriginally circulated in animals, leading to millions ofdeaths each year. According to some estimates, as many as1.6 million viruses are contained within mammals andbirds across the globe, some of which could be deadly if or when they become transmissible to humans.