Biophysical security

There is also little doubt that we are now living in a time of unprecedented human movement and migration where not only more people are visiting remote rural locations but also when exposed to an infection can carry it across the world without exhibiting any symptoms only to ultimately become the focus of a new outbreak.

Add to this the impact of natural disasters, including floods, droughts, water shortages, temperature extremes, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions all of which can, and do, affect natural reservoirs of disease aiding the spread of infection and making all of us more vulnerable. While there have been a number of calls for us to recognise the significance of the biophysical environment in outbreaks of infectious disease so far it has played a very small part in Australia’s National Security.

As Coronavirus has demonstrated, pandemics of infectious disease can substantially undermine our confidence, threaten law and order, severely undermine our country’s social, economic and political viability, and become an important agent of social and political change.  So where does that leave us?

Well regrettably biosecurity currently plays little part in our national security and our approach to confronting epidemics and pandemics.

The sooner we come to recognise and fully understand the significant role played by the biophysical environment in the emergence and continuing appearance of infectious diseases the sooner we will be able to come to full grips with our future.