4 Finding the Long-Lost Path: Developing …
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peace, partnerships and international cooperation, improvement in aquatic and
marine life, etc. [69].
It is very likely that once the world walks out of the pandemic, the previous
levels of pollution would bounce back, therefore, it becomes imperative to make
changes to our lives at a personal and political level to ensure that such effects do
not go to waste. How we make the best use of these unprecedented circumstances
that seem to have had a good impact on the environment still remains a question.
Rutz et al. [56] have provided certain recommendations for the same. First, the
biologists must continue to collect data even during the lockdown, while ensuring
appropriate caution [42, 57]. The exact data on the restrictions on human mobility and
its impact on the environment of the area is important to take account of. The leaders
of local projects must contact and communicate with the larger organisations that
are launching projects in order to enable data standardisation, as well as an exchange
of expertise and increased coordination. Lastly, increased funding must be allocated
to research in this area as it is the need for this hour. These projects can become a
critical source of data for the future of our environmental policies and developments.
A global crisis such as this has shown us that more focus on research related
to such disasters, greater political focus on climate change, as well as emphasis on
increased availability of ecosystem services must be made a priority. Stakeholders
must reconsider the strategies and development plans keeping such unlikely events in
their mind. Eventually, it is highly likely that the COVID-19 pandemic will result in
profound changes in both social and economic behaviour at a global scale. Furthermore, continued research on “anthropause” effects would lead to an elaborate understanding of the interactions between human and wildlife. We will not only be able
to identify the species that have been highly affected by human activity, but also
those species that could possibly respond to change, along with other species that
appear to be vulnerable. The research will also throw light on the critical thresholds
of human disturbance, going beyond which would have serious effects not only on
wildlife alone, but also on the dynamics of the ecosystem, thus eventually negatively
impacting human well-being.
4.3 The Relationship Between Ecosystem and Human
Well-Being
A sustainable society is able to fulfil several needs such as that of increased access to
fresh and clean water, control of greenhouse gas emissions (physical–environmental
needs); social justice, better living conditions, better access to education (social
needs); better infrastructure, increased participation of science (political/institutional
needs); lower levels of corruption, better income distribution, higher employment
rates (economic needs; [29, 31, 35]. Therefore, a sustainable society is able to fulfil
the basic needs of its citizens, is able to distribute natural and social resources in an
97
peace, partnerships and international cooperation, improvement in aquatic and
marine life, etc. [69].
It is very likely that once the world walks out of the pandemic, the previous
levels of pollution would bounce back, therefore, it becomes imperative to make
changes to our lives at a personal and political level to ensure that such effects do
not go to waste. How we make the best use of these unprecedented circumstances
that seem to have had a good impact on the environment still remains a question.
Rutz et al. [56] have provided certain recommendations for the same. First, the
biologists must continue to collect data even during the lockdown, while ensuring
appropriate caution [42, 57]. The exact data on the restrictions on human mobility and
its impact on the environment of the area is important to take account of. The leaders
of local projects must contact and communicate with the larger organisations that
are launching projects in order to enable data standardisation, as well as an exchange
of expertise and increased coordination. Lastly, increased funding must be allocated
to research in this area as it is the need for this hour. These projects can become a
critical source of data for the future of our environmental policies and developments.
A global crisis such as this has shown us that more focus on research related
to such disasters, greater political focus on climate change, as well as emphasis on
increased availability of ecosystem services must be made a priority. Stakeholders
must reconsider the strategies and development plans keeping such unlikely events in
their mind. Eventually, it is highly likely that the COVID-19 pandemic will result in
profound changes in both social and economic behaviour at a global scale. Furthermore, continued research on “anthropause” effects would lead to an elaborate understanding of the interactions between human and wildlife. We will not only be able
to identify the species that have been highly affected by human activity, but also
those species that could possibly respond to change, along with other species that
appear to be vulnerable. The research will also throw light on the critical thresholds
of human disturbance, going beyond which would have serious effects not only on
wildlife alone, but also on the dynamics of the ecosystem, thus eventually negatively
impacting human well-being.
4.3 The Relationship Between Ecosystem and Human
Well-Being
A sustainable society is able to fulfil several needs such as that of increased access to
fresh and clean water, control of greenhouse gas emissions (physical–environmental
needs); social justice, better living conditions, better access to education (social
needs); better infrastructure, increased participation of science (political/institutional
needs); lower levels of corruption, better income distribution, higher employment
rates (economic needs; [29, 31, 35]. Therefore, a sustainable society is able to fulfil
the basic needs of its citizens, is able to distribute natural and social resources in an