More than one in three outbreaks of new and emerging disease are linked to…

Land-use change is a significant driver of emerging diseases.

Deforestation is the permanent destruction of forests in order to make the land available for other uses such as agricultural and farm expansion, urban planning and extractive industries. An estimated 18 million acres of forest, which is roughly the size of Panama, are lost each year, according to the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).