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Review
. 2023 Jun 13;195(7):836.
doi: 10.1007/s10661-023-11403-6.

Ecosystem degradation and the spread of Covid-19

Chiara Castelli  1 , Marta Castellini  2   3 , Nicola Comincioli  3   4 , Maria Laura Parisi  4 , Nicola Pontarollo  5 , Sergio Vergalli  3   4
Affiliations
Review

Ecosystem degradation and the spread of Covid-19

Chiara Castelli et al. Environ Monit Assess. .

Abstract

The linkages between the emergence of zoonotic diseases and ecosystem degradation have been widely acknowledged by the scientific community and policy makers. In this paper we investigate the relationship between human overexploitation of natural resources, represented by the Human Appropriation of Net Primary Production Index (HANPP) and the spread of Covid-19 cases during the first pandemic wave in 730 regions of 63 countries worldwide. Using a Bayesian estimation technique, we highlight the significant role of HANPP as a driver of Covid-19 diffusion, besides confirming the well-known impact of population size and the effects of other socio-economic variables. We believe that these findings could be relevant for policy makers in their effort towards a more sustainable intensive agriculture and responsible urbanisation.

Keywords: Bayesian estimation; Early spread of SARS-CoV-2; Human appropriation of net primary production (HANPP); Regression analysis; Spatial random effects; World regions.

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Conflict of interest statement

On behalf of all authors, the corresponding author states that there is no conflict of interest, no external fundings, that the paper satisfies Ethical Standards conditions, no human participants, or animals are involved in the research.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Global Map of the log of HANPP in 2000 (log of grams of carbon per grid cell). Note: regions in the map represent the sample used in the study. Source: own elaboration based on Imhoff et al. (2004)
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Covid-19 cumulative cases registered in the following 14 days from the date when cases are > 10. Note: regions in the map represent the sample used in the study. Source: own elaboration based on Solimini et al. (2021)
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Estimated coefficients of the log of HANPP (mean and 95% confidence intervals). Note: Results are based on estimates that include country random effects
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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