Land use stewardship interventions to prevent the emergence of pandemics

Drawing on previous modelling of human-induced land use change, climate change and pandemics, this report focuses on the relationship between human activities and rises in novel disease cases at the community level. The ‘DPSIR’ model (Driving Forces, Pressures, State, Impacts and Responses) is used to understand society-environment interactions, and how alternative behaviours or decision-making by citizens, industry and governments across the globe might reduce disease emergence risk. We produce a conceptual model, and highlight how local consumer and producer decisions in one locale of the globe influence land use changes elsewhere. We offer five land stewardship interventions as call to action points to minimise the risk of emerging infectious diseases in a globally connected world.