Could the next pandemic come from Brazil?

As farms expand into the Amazon rainforest, felled trees and fires have forest animals on the move, and expanding pastures are providing habitat for new arrivals, such as rodents that can carry hantaviruses.

As the animals mix, and people come into contact with them, the chances of a virulent virus, bacteria or fungus jumping species are rising, Brazilian researchers warn.

But better protecting forests - and other natural systems from wetlands to grasslands - could help curb global warming, protect plants and animals, reduce poverty and keep us safer, scientists say.

"If we're smarter about where we restore nature, we can tick the climate, biodiversity and budget boxes on the world's urgent to-do list," explains Bernardo Strassburg, the lead author of a study in the journal Nature.

One place where an effort to do that is underway is on the northeast coast of Indonesia's Sumatra island where former illegal logger Setiono Ono is on a mission to keep local peatlands intact and free of fire.

“The bottom line is that I used to destroy nature," he told Harry Jacques, who went to see how community fire brigades are making a difference even with little funding.

Nature may also be the inspiration for more sustainable fashion, from clothes sculpted from mushroom tendrils to algae coatings on garments that absorb carbon dioxide.

With the fashion industry responsible for 10% of global carbon emissions - more than flights and shipping combined - being able to produce polyester from captured carbon or create biodegradable clothing could play a huge role in fighting climate change, fashion innovators say.

"What is the ecological role of fashion?" designer Dian-Jen Lin asked our reporter Thin Lei Win. "If we don't have the environment, where essentially we all live, there's nothing. There's no society, no happy communities to build on. And … the clock is ticking."

See you next week!

Laurie

Illegal logger turns firefighter to defend Indonesia's peatlands
Setiono Ono used to destroy the forest. Now he leads community efforts to protect nature and create sustainable livelihoods

Pandemic casts shadow on off-grid solar sales in poorer nations
Sales of off-grid solar products fell sharply in the first half of the year, even as many poorer households relied on them during lockdowns

Polyester from pollution? Fashion's next generation goes green
From clothes sculpted from mushroom tendrils to algae coatings on garments that absorb carbon dioxide, fashion is getting a remake

Next pandemic? Amazon deforestation may spark new diseases
The risks of a "spillover" of deadly pathogens into people is growing as deforestation and fires put animals on the move, researchers warn

In a thirsty world, information gaps dog a push to tap groundwater
Using more underground water could ease water shortages - but coordination of an "invisible" resource remains a challenge

Forests overlooked as allies in global poverty fight, scientists say
Designing policies so that local communities can benefit fairly from forest resources is an under-used strategy for tackling poverty

Look beyond forests for cost-effective nature restoration, governments urged
Safeguarding other ecosystems, such as wetlands, in tropical regions could deliver major benefits for the climate and biodiversity, researchers say

OPINION: Drowning in debt - Island states like mine are banking on an international lifeline
The COVID-19 crisis has compounded challenges like climate change, leaving many island nations facing crippling debt, with the future of aid financing unclear

OPINION: COVID-19 is a wake-up call to invest in resilience
Failing to plan for climate change will be similarly damaging and costly