Synergy Between Biodiversity Conservation, Climate Change, and Health: Pathways for Implementing a Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework in China.

Although biodiversity conservation and development are often regarded as having a trade-off relationship, there are regions where they have co-benefits, where conservation through expanding protection and reducing deforestation can not only benefit biodiversity but also reduce climate change's impacts on human society, including health risks. Dr. Binbin Li will introduce her work on how the high overlap between areas with biodiversity challenges, those experiencing increasing natural disasters under climate change, and those with high spill-over risks of zoonosis diseases indicate a more sustainable path of development for these regions. This is the key to implementing a post-2020 global biodiversity framework and mainstreaming biodiversity conservation. China is one of the most biodiverse countries and faces great challenges in balancing biodiversity conservation and development. Dr. Li will introduce how recent environmental policies have developed in China to protect biodiversity and their consequences for local livelihoods and endangered species conservation. An interdisciplinary approach has been used to promote sustainable livelihoods around protected areas to reduce human disturbances, such as livestock grazing, while engaging local communities in conservation through incentives. Learn more about the event and read Dr. Li's bio at bit.ly/jan31talk.