The COVID-19 pandemic has stalled and rolled back progress on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Ecosystem services (ESs), defined as the contributions of ecosystems to human well-being, underpin the achievement of SDGs. To promote SDG achievement in post-pandemic era, we teased out the links between ESs and SDGs while examining the impact of COVID-19. We found that ESs benefited all SDGs, yet man-made pressures led to degradation of ecosystems and their services. There is broad consensus that the virus lurks in degraded ecosystems and generates spillover due to human interference.
Water yield services on the Qingzang Plateau (QP) have profound impacts on the social and economic development of China as well as other parts of Asia. This study analyzes spatiotemporal variations of water yield on the Qingzang Plateau over the past three decades (1982-2015) and driving factors, one of which is lake changes influenced by glacial meltwater caused by global warming. The findings provide scientific support for formulating regional water resources policy, social and economic development planning and other macro decisions for the QP.




