Rethinking our world: a perspective on a cleaner globe emerging from reduced anthropogenic activities

Abstract

Stringent measures, such as lockdowns, were implemented to curb the virus's spread, leading to reduced pollution levels and environmental improvements at various geographic scales, from cities to regions and nations. Such positive effects have been found and reported for regional scales, but not for a global scale till nowadays. This study aims to fill the gap by uncovering the modifications of global spatiotemporal eco-environmental vulnerability patterns between pre-pandemic (2016) and amid-pandemic (2020) periods. By analyzing various factors influencing the eco-environmental health or geo-health, such as human activities, climate change, and ecological dynamics, we seek to understand the intricate relationships and dynamics within these influential factors. We examined six categories of environmental vulnerability, which encompassed socioeconomics, land resources, natural hazards, hydrometeorology, and topography, using a five-dimensional stressor framework. Our analysis revealed a significant decrease in vulnerability levels across all categories, except for the very low level increased by 78.5% globally. These findings emphasize the detrimental impact of human activities on the global environment. They underscore the urgency of implementing spatial management strategies that prioritize sustainable geo-health development and foster a more resilient Earth.