Restoring ecosystems, protecting health

Ecosystem loss and degradation are not just an environmental crisis; they are a profound threat to human health and well-being. Land transformation and biodiversity loss are among the major factors driving the emergence of infectious diseases. Annually, more than five new infectious diseases are estimated to emerge, most of them originating from wildlife, with some having the potential to spread within human populations and cause epidemics or pandemics. Restoration offers immense opportunities. Restoration is central not only to environmental sustainability but also to the broader vision of One Health. These guidelines are intended to respond to that need. They provide a foundation for systematically incorporating zoonotic and vector-borne disease risk into ecosystem restoration practice, bringing together perspectives from ecology, adaptive ecosystem management, epidemiology, conservation, public health, land-use planning, and social and behavioural sciences.