When nature speaks we have to listen: COVID-19 and environmental values

A statement by Natural Justice arguing that the COVID-19 pandemic and the locust invasion in Kenya demonstrate the interconnectedness of environmental health, socio-economic well-being, and security, calling for a shift toward sustainable development models and participatory governance.

• The author asserts that environmental, socio-economic, mental health, political, and security factors are interconnected rather than mutually exclusive, citing the locust invasion in Kenya and the COVID-19 pandemic as evidence that nature can bring global activity to a standstill.
• Marginalized communities are expected to suffer more severely from these catastrophes due to existing pressures from biodiversity loss, the climate change crisis, food insecurity, lack of water access, and development projects.
• To prevent the recurrence of such crises, the document advocates for mainstreaming sustainable development in decision-making. This includes updating failed policies, evaluating the long-term impacts of administrative decisions, improving inter-departmental government collaboration, and implementing participatory governance that includes women, youth, local communities, and indigenous people.

APA

Henderson, I. (2020). When nature speaks we have to listen: COVID-19 and environmental values. Natural Justice. https://naturaljustice.org/when-nature-speaks-we-have-to-listen-covid-19-and-environmental-values/

Chicago

Henderson, Ian. When nature speaks we have to listen: COVID-19 and environmental values. Natural Justice, 2020. https://naturaljustice.org/when-nature-speaks-we-have-to-listen-covid-19-and-environmental-values/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Henderson |first1=Ian |title=When nature speaks we have to listen: COVID-19 and environmental values |publisher=Natural Justice |date=17 April 2020 |url=https://naturaljustice.org/when-nature-speaks-we-have-to-listen-covid-19-and-environmental-values/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{henderson2020when, author = {Henderson, Ian}, title = {{When nature speaks we have to listen: COVID-19 and environmental values}}, publisher = {Natural Justice}, year = {2020}, month = apr, url = {https://naturaljustice.org/when-nature-speaks-we-have-to-listen-covid-19-and-environmental-values/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }