Effects of COVID-19 Pandemic on the Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture

Over the past few months, the COVID-19 epidemic has had significant impacts on the environment, natural resources, economy, and food security, so, it requires a comprehensive assessment. In this regard, the present study reviews the effects of COVID-19 on various aspects of the environment, natural resources and agriculture through reviewing studies conducted since the outbreak of this epidemic. First, all the studies performed on the target aspects were collected, then categorized and analyzed. To date, the infection of this disease has infected millions and killed thousands of people. More than 80 countries have closed their boundaries, forced people to quarantine, and closed the businesses, and about 1.5 billion schools. Increased human infections and deaths, consumption of water, electricity, gas, materials of food, healthiness, and medicine, billions of dollars in economic losses and challenges related to household and medical waste disposal, reduced environmental diplomacy, reduced accuracy of air forecasting and infection of wildlife are some of the negative consequences for the viral disease of COVID-19. However, positive effects such as reducing the pressure on natural resources, reducing air pollution and climate change, and a deeper understanding of the ecosystems and the environment reserves were also observed. Despite the existence of few health and environmental protocols, it is necessary to develop more comprehensive guidelines on the environment and ecology contexts on the agenda of the organizations in charge of this issue in order to be more resilient against this disease.