Everyone is invited to a United Nations survey! The UN observer with specific expertise for biodiversity, nature conservation and sustainable use is IUCN, so do visit our Naturalliance site too. In each case choose your language at top right.

Please think carefully about the threats to you and nature from COVID-19. Use only advice from trustworthy organisations on how you and your community can recognise and avoid this disease. Consider the different needs of rural people elsewhere. The virus survives in moist air and infects us through mouth, nose and eyes. Soap kills it. Therefore, important advice is to:

• keep 2m from people - avoid air they breathe out;
• obey rules about travel and wear a mask if you can; 
• disinfect surfaces people touch and of things you buy;
• wash your hands often with soap for 20 seconds, especially before touching mouth, nose, eyes or food.

Measures against future pandemics must also be devised wisely, based on the best science. New laws should avoid harm to rural livelihoods and to nature conservation.