The Nature of Pandemics (Why Protecting Biodiversity is Key to Human Survival)

When will the next pandemic arrive? For wildlife, it’s already here.

The Nature of Pandemics explores an unspoken truth: how our actions are driving wildlife pandemics across the world. Highlighting the interconnectedness of human, (non-human) animal and environmental health, it examines historical and contemporary pandemics and considers the importance of conservation and restoration efforts, presenting a compelling case for rethinking how we approach pandemic prevention.

This timely book reframes pandemics as ecological crises that require ecological solutions, unravelling the relationship between biodiversity, ecosystem health and pandemic risk. It reveals how climate change and human activities such as habitat destruction and the wildlife trade contribute to the emergence of infectious diseases, taking the reader through likely candidates for the next pandemic. An in-depth analysis of historical pandemics links past outbreaks, such as the bubonic plague in Eyam, to modern epidemiological challenges. The book also investigates human–wildlife conflict and social equity issues, demonstrating how deforestation and land-use change drive spillovers and how poorer communities disproportionately bear the brunt of outbreaks.

Pandemics pose an escalating global threat, their frequency increasing due to human-induced environmental changes. Prevention is not just down to medical preparedness but also about restoring and protecting biodiversity. By offering solutions such as green prescriptions, ecosystem restoration and sustainable policies, this book sets out an exciting interdisciplinary perspective that merges microbiology, ecology, epidemiology and restoration science.