The 1st National Seminar on Biodiversity, Health and Environment: Sustainable Development Issues

Abstract

Everything the world has achieved in terms of progress is being called into question on sustainable development. That is to say, development which, in addition to the factors of economic growth, equity and social cohesion, takes into account the ecological factor of preservation and enhancement of the environment. Thus, beyond the emergence of infectious diseases, the degradation of ecosystems and the destruction of biodiversity, combined with global climate change, can have direct and indirect effects on human health and the environment. Thus, land degradation and loss of biodiversity affect food security by reducing the productivity of agricultural land.
Human beings are at the center of concerns relating to sustainable development. They have the right to a healthy and productive life, in harmony with nature.
Biodiversity is at the origin of life on earth. It provides services to Man who bring him health and well-being. It is the basis of traditional medicine and contributes to the balance of ecosystems. In fact, the conservation of biodiversity and the sustainable use of biological resources are essential to achieve sustainable development.
As such, the environment is a major determinant of human health and biodiversity; environmental factors also affect, to varying degrees, the health of animals or plants and the functioning of ecosystems. Environmental health deals with the dangers associated with chemical, biological and physical agents present in the environment, as well as their effects on the health of the population. Conversely, protecting the natural environment provides benefits for human societies, and makes it possible to reduce exposure to pollution, and thus conserve biodiversity. Currently, environmental pollution has reached such an alarming level that it represents a serious threat to humans and the environment, the survival of other living organisms, disruptions in ecosystems, loss of natural resources and the biodiversity.
Indeed, the concepts of biodiversity, health, and environment have emerged as major concerns of sustainable development, following the increasingly blatant observation of Man's responsibility in their degradation through destruction and/or increasing fragmentation. natural ecosystems. Through its industrial, agricultural, economic or urban activities, but also through the global warming it causes, Man contributes to the disappearance of many living species and thus the degradation of the quality of the environment. More broadly, the degradation of nature also has economic, health and even social repercussions.
The Covid-19 pandemic was a brutal opportunity to become aware of the health consequences of environmental disturbances (atmospheric pollution) and their global dimension, which would favor the spread of the virus). Before long, the destruction of ecosystems, climate change, loss of biodiversity and reduction in air and water quality could be among the leading causes of morbidity in the world.
It is therefore essential to now understand public health issues through the prism of environmental issues. The management of these risks is no longer based solely on the fear of a pathology but on the anxiety that the future of humanity can arouse on a planet endangered by overly technical and inequitable management. These are indeed the principles of sustainable development which are thus invoked.
And in order to respond to this problem, we will try to bring together the major causes degrading biodiversity and the environment and the spread of diseases. Therefore, the study of the relationship between biodiversity, the environment and our health actually deserves the greatest rigor. It is the merit of this event to make people think correctly and find solutions to these problems.