Intact forests for a healthier planet

The further humans encroach upon the rainforests of our planet, the more the natural barriers that protect us from wild animal diseases disappear. Up to 75 percent of new human infectious diseases originate from animals, and as human activities push deeper into biodiverse ecosystems, the likelihood of pathogen spillover increases.

To combat this growing threat, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in collaboration with the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and other partners, has launched the INFORBIO (INtact and effectively managed FORests and BIOdiversity) project. This multi-year initiative supported by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection under the International Climate Initiative (IKI), aims to strengthen natural barriers against infectious diseases and mitigate climate change by improving forest management, protecting biodiversity, and implementing an early warning system to detect and prevent infectious disease outbreaks.

In the heart of Central Africa, the Congo Basin, the world’s second largest contiguous rainforest, is home to forest elephants, lowland gorillas, leopards, hippos, rare rodents and hundreds of species of monkeys and bats. At the same time, it supports the livelihoods of millions of people through natural resources and ecosystem services that mitigate climate. However, the demand for natural resources is increasing pressures on these critical ecosystems. Deforestation and degradation from agriculture, logging, mining, palm oil, rubber and other agricultural commodities are leading to habitat destruction and escalating the risk of zoonoses disease outbreaks.

According to the Global Biodiversity Framework, 30 percent of the Earth should be under effective protection by 2030. Sustainable use and local conservation measures in ecologically important areas such as the Congo Basin can help achieve this goal. By 2030, INFORBIO aims to protect a 100,000-hectare network of forests in the Congo Basin through improved management, restoration and other effective conservation measures (OECMs). OECMs offer new management approaches to achieve conservation objectives outside of traditional protected areas or strict protection zones. These efforts can protect wildlife habitats and strengthen natural disease barriers while including and benefitting local communities most at risk from spillover. In combination with improved agricultural and agroforestry practices, these measures can help reduce direct forests threats.

Establishing an early warning system for zoonoses

“If we uncover the causes of animal deaths at the source, we can prevent diseases around the world” says Frédéric Stéphane Singa, a wildlife vet, currently the only one in the country. He works for WWF in Dzanga-Sangha, a large, protected area and UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Central Africa Republic and one of the INFORBIO project sites.  

“There is a possibility that a previously unknown germ is hidden in the forests, which could be the start of the next pandemic,” he warns. To understand and prevent the spread of new dangerous infections, INFORBIO partner Helmholz Institute for One Health (HIOH) will support new data collection efforts, establish field laboratories, and build the capacity of local rangers to help detect pathogens present in wildlife.

At the same time, the project will use innovative technology to collect information on animal presence and movements in the forest. AI-powered bioacoustics  and camera traps will help identify potential disease hosts, while local residents will carry out forest and wildlife observations through specially designed mobile applications.

A comprehensive data portal being developed by FAO will integrate information from multiple sources, including laboratory analyses; biomonitoring; community forest observation, and satellite remote sensing data from the SEPAL platform to monitor deforestation and human activity in near real-time.

By overlaying various health and land use data, project partners will be able to assess zoonotic risk and identify priority areas for improved conservation management or interventions and establish the region’s first early warning system for zoonotic outbreaks.

With the establishment of OECMs, comprehensive monitoring, an early warning system, and community engagement, the INFORBIO represents a critical step toward safeguarding the health of people, forests and the planet.