Agricultural Science Digest
SCOPUS
  • Year: 2024
  • Volume: 44
  • Issue: 1

Environmental protection policy and the emergence of new diseases: A global empirical analysis of the pre- and postindustrial era

  • Author:
  • D. Chen1, M. Ibrahim1,2,*, S.S. Ibrahim3, Y. Yang4, H.A. Danjaji5, T. Muazu6
  • Total Page Count: 7
  • Page Number: 139 to 145

1Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resource Development on Shallow Lakes, Ministry of Education, College of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing, 210098, PR China

2Department of Environmental Management and Toxicology, Federal University Dutse, Dutse, 720101, Nigeria

3Galtima Maikyari College of Health Sciences and Technology Nguru, Nguru, 630101, Nigeria

4International School, Hohai University, Nanjing, 210098, PR China

5Department of Biological Sciences, Yobe State University Damaturu, Damaturu, 630101, Nigeria

6College of Computer and Information, Hohai University, Nanjing, 210098, PR China

*Corresponding Author: M. Ibrahim, Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resource Development on Shallow Lakes, Ministry of Education, College of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing, 210098, PR China, Email: muhdibrahimnguru@gmail.com

Online published on 29 July, 2024.

Abstract

Proper biodiversity conservation and strategies for sustainability in environmental and public health are essential measures for addressing the problems of water-related and zoonotic-caused pandemics. It is generally assumed that a resurgence in an epidemic disease is directly linked to negligence in environmental protection policies, but there are sparse scientific publications supporting the claim.

To address this issue, we collected data on the global pre- and post-industrialization scenarios and subjected it to multivariate analyses to investigate the relationship between the lack of proper environmental protection and the emergence of new diseases.

Our investigations found a statistically significant association between the loss of wildlife habitat and the emergence of novel diseases. The study also revealed that wildlife-related zoonotic disorders caused more than 220 million deaths amongst global pandemics. More than 30 million deaths were attributed to waterborne diseases due to improper waste management and wastewater treatment. Thus, it is recommended that other environmental parameters (e.g., pollution phase) need to be investigated to fully understand the complex relationship between environmental protection and emergence of new zoonotic diseases.

Keywords

Emerging disease, Environment protection, Pandemic, Waste management, Wildlife habitat