Year 2020 – a Curse, a Blessing, or a Learning?

2020, COVID-19, Curse, Nature

Coronavirus, Cyclones, Locusts, – 2020 has served as a learning, walking us through chapters of unfortunate events.

We had barely got done greeting each other with a happy new year, when COVID-19 engulfed the world. Cyclone Amphan left a huge pile of devastation in its tracks. The desert locusts swarming the northern part of India left acres of crops destroyed. And now, we are wishing that the asteroids do not hit us. It is but natural to say that the year is a cursed one, and half the year is not yet over.

The side effects also do not look good at all. The downward slide of the economy is a problem faced globally due to the pandemic coupled with the loss of jobs in India and other parts of the world. The increasing tension is bringing out the worst among people too; The National Center for Biotechnology Information (National Institutes of Health) reports a significant increase in domestic violence around the globe. Animal abuse is also on the rise everywhere. Mental health is a cause of concern too.

Is 2020 a blessing in disguise for Nature?
Wait, do not be too sure about this. The beautiful stories about dolphins bringing corals to the shore, animals walking freely on deserted roads which were otherwise busy, and cleaner air over Delhi, Los Angeles and Seoul might make us feel that Mother Nature had her revenge, but the situation is very different in reality.

According to a report on World Economic Forum, with loss of jobs more people from cities are returning to their rural homes causing stress to the natural resources. Illegal mining, land-grabbing, deforestation, and even wildlife poaching are on the rise globally now since policing is difficult with the attention being on COVID-19.

Since majority of the world’s biodiversity is found in the low-income nations, the adverse impact of the pandemic on the economy is highly likely to be devastating for the natural world.

2020 is a lesson
I think the year made for an invaluable lesson.

A UN report points out that reduced traffic on the seas has helped the oceans recover from overfishing and climate change effects. We learned that working remotely is possible without affecting productivity. According to a survey by Gartner, 74% CFOs plan to permanently shift to work from home.

The year forced us to understand the difference between need and luxury. In a state of lockdown, the world spent more time with family. Being stuck at home, people thought of ways to keep their sanity intact and thus creativity boomed – old hobbies turned into new passions. Old guitars were dusted and tuned, and paintings started years ago were finally completed.

Crippled with the pandemic, this year has taught us how much we depend on one another. Our health systems, food systems and supply chains are all connected. We can truly come out of this crisis when we have the right plan for a global economic reset; the focus for this reset should be humans and nature, making regeneration, restoration, and redistribution possible. A recent study, based on data from finance ministries and central bankers prioritizes protection of tropical forests, mangroves and peatlands. This investment in protecting carbon-rich ecosystems will decrease the risk of zoonotic disease outbreaks in future.

This is a lesson the world will remember and spread to the future generations through stories. It should act as a learning for the unborn too.

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  Jacqueline Gomes

  Jacqueline Gomes is currently a Case Writer at CTL, IIMB. She has 9 years of experience working as a writer and editor in different organizations.