Conserving Africa’s wildlife and wildlands through the COVID-19 crisis and beyond

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Authors

Lindsey, Peter Andrew
Allan, James
Brehony, Peadar
Dickman, Amy
Robson, Ashley
Begg, Colleen
Bhammar, Hasita
Blanken, Lisa
Breuer, Thomas
Fitzgerald, Kathleen

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

Nature Research

Abstract

The SARS-CoV-2 virus and COVID-19 illness are driving a global crisis. Governments have responded by restricting human movement, which has reduced economic activity. These changes may benefit biodiversity conservation in some ways, but in Africa, we contend that the net conservation impacts of COVID-19 will be strongly negative. Here, we describe how the crisis creates a perfect storm of reduced funding, restrictions on the operations of conservation agencies, and elevated human threats to nature. We identify the immediate steps necessary to address these challenges and support ongoing conservation efforts. We then highlight systemic flaws in contemporary conservation and identify opportunities to restructure for greater resilience. Finally, we emphasize the critical importance of conserving habitat and regulating unsafe wildlife trade practices to reduce the risk of future pandemics.

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Keywords

Global crisis, Africa, COVID-19 pandemic, Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), Conservation biology, Environmental studies

Sustainable Development Goals

Citation

Lindsey, P., Allan, J., Brehony, P. et al. Conserving Africa’s wildlife and wildlands through the COVID-19 crisis and beyond. Nature Ecology and Evolution 4, 1300–1310 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-020-1275-6.