Tropical peatlands and their conservation are important in the context of COVID-19 and potential future (zoonotic) disease pandemics.

Mark E Harrison,Suspense A Ifo,Greta C Dargie,Liana Chua,Trilianty Lestarisa,Susan Page,Muhammad Ali Imron,Johannes Refisch,Jito Sugardjito,Dianna Kopansky,Lahiru S Wijedasa,Susan M Cheyne,Julie Van Offelen,Shofwan Al Banna Choiruzzad,Caroline Upton,Corneille E N Ewango ,Sara Thornton ,Eurídice N Honorio Coronado ,Lydia Cole ,Katherine H Roucoux ,Patrick O’reilly

doi:10.7717/peerj.10283

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused global disruption, with the emergence of this and other pandemics having been linked to habitat encroachment and/or wildlife exploitation. High impacts of COVID-19 are apparent in some countries with large tropical peatland areas, some of which are relatively poorly resourced to tackle disease pandemics. Despite this, no previous investigation has considered tropical peatlands in the context of emerging infectious diseases (EIDs). Here, we review: (i) the potential for future EIDs arising from tropical peatlands; (ii) potential threats to tropical peatland conservation and local communities from COVID-19; and (iii) potential steps to help mitigate these risks. We find that high biodiversity in tropical peat-swamp forests, including presence of many potential vertebrate and invertebrate vectors, combined, in places, with high levels of habitat disruption and wildlife harvesting represent suitable conditions for potential zoonotic EID (re-)emergence. Although impossible to predict precisely, we identify numerous potential threats to tropical peatland conservation and local communities from the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes impacts on public health, with the potential for haze pollution from peatland fires to increase COVID-19 susceptibility a noted concern; and on local economies, livelihoods and food security, where impacts will likely be greater in remote communities with limited/no medical facilities that depend heavily on external trade. Research, training, education, conservation and restoration activities are also being affected, particularly those involving physical groupings and international travel, some of which may result in increased habitat encroachment, wildlife harvesting or fire, and may therefore precipitate longer-term negative impacts, including those relating to disease pandemics. We conclude that sustainable management of tropical peatlands and their wildlife is important for mitigating impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, and reducing the potential for future zoonotic EID emergence and severity, thus strengthening arguments for their conservation and restoration. To support this, we list seven specific recommendations relating to sustainable management of tropical peatlands in the context of COVID-19/disease pandemics, plus mitigating the current impacts of COVID-19 and reducing potential future zoonotic EID risk in these localities. Our discussion and many of the issues raised should also be relevant for non-tropical peatland areas and in relation to other (pandemic-related) sudden socio-economic shocks that may occur in future.

Highlights

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused unprecedented global disruption, at the time of writing infecting over 50 million and killing over a million people across the globe (Dong, Du & Gardner, 2020)
We find that high biodiversity in tropical peat-swamp forests, including presence of many potential vertebrate and invertebrate vectors, combined, in places, with high levels of habitat disruption and wildlife harvesting represent suitable conditions for potential zoonotic emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) emergence
Because many of the potential impacts identified in relation to COVID-19 arise through socio-economic disruptions relating to our response to the pandemic, rather than unique characteristics of the Severe Acute Respiratory virus (SARS)-CoV-2 virus itself, this conclusion should be applicable more widely to pandemic situations and similar sudden socio-economic shocks

Summary

INTRODUCTION

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused unprecedented global disruption, at the time of writing infecting over 50 million and killing over a million people across the globe (Dong, Du & Gardner, 2020). The importance of healthy tropical peatlands for carbon storage and emission mitigation, conserving biodiversity and providing ecosystem services for local communities is increasingly recognised (Baker et al, 2020; Crump, 2017; Dargie et al, 2017; Dommain et al, 2016; Hooijer et al, 2009; Husson et al, 2018; Page, Rieley & Banks, 2011; Posa, Wijedasa & Corlett, 2011), but to our knowledge no published study has considered tropical peatlands and their inhabitants in the context of emerging infectious disease (EID), some infectious disease studies have been conducted in tropical peatland areas (Vittor et al, 2006) Addressing this gap is important because ongoing land-use change is reducing tropical peat-swamp forest (TPSF) coverage, while bringing an increasing number of human communities in close contact with peatlands (Field, Van der Werf & Shen, 2009; Parish et al, 2008) and their biodiversity, to date this has occurred far less in South American and African peatlands, compared to South-east Asia (Dargie et al, 2019; Roucoux et al, 2017). Context of COVID-19, it is pertinent to note that our discussion and many of the issues raised are in reality not uniquely linked to COVID-19, but rather relate more generally to (pandemic-related) sudden socio-economic shocks (e.g. economic recessions, border closures due to other causes, or extreme events related to climate change) that may occur in future

SURVEY METHODOLOGY

Findings

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS