Deforestation and forest degradation have played an important role in triggering the pandemic. According to a new study in Nature, the populations of animals hosting zoonotic diseases, like the coronavirus, are up to 2.5 times higher in degraded places, and the number of species carrying these pathogens has increased by up to 70 per cent, compared to undamaged ecosystems.  The world’s forests act as shields, protecting humans from emerging infectious diseases. But as we are now witnessing, their destruction can have devastating consequences for global public health.  On the eve of this week’s UN Biodiversity Summit, it is disheartening to note that the world has not met its targets to stem the destruction of wildlife and ecosystems in the last decade, according to a new report from the UN on the state of nature.