ZEF Researchers' Blog

Scientists are warning that the Amazon is approaching a tipping point that could transform the rainforest into a savannah. A recent study using participatory, systems-based methods in neighboring areas of Bolivia, Brazil and Peru reveals that, although these countries share a similar landscape, the ways in which they are losing resilience vary. These factors range from volatile nut markets in Brazil to the expansion of cattle ranching and illegal mining. Preventing the loss of resilience requires tailored solutions.

Where and how do arbovirus-transmitted diseases emerge, and how are they related to biodiversity loss, climate change, and changes in land use? This is a question that the ArboEmerge research project has been exploring and attempting to answer. ArboEmerge stands for 'Consequences of biodiversity loss and land use change on infectious disease emergence', and comprises a research consortium of ZEF, Charité – Berlin, the Uganda Virus Research Institute and Makerere University. In February 2026, the project organized its final dissemination workshops in the locations where data had been collected. The workshops were attended by high-level representatives of ministries, research facilities and non-governmental organizations. 

During a three-day workshop from January 21-23, 2026, held in Ouagadougou, capital of Burkina Faso, ZEF HEALTH presented and discussed three large-scale collaborative research programs on climate change, nutrition and health. Over 30 researchers and 40 stakeholders from Burkina Faso, Kenya, Ghana, Germany, France, Sweden and the United States discussed implementation insights, result interpretations, published conclusions, and knowledge transfer into practice.  The high-level event was hosted by Dr. Ali Sie, Director of Centre de Recherche en Santé de Nouna (CRSN) and Prof. Dr. Abdramane Soura, Principal Scientist at Institut Supérieur des Sciences de la Population (ISSP). It was organized by Prof. Dr. Ina Danquah, Hertz-Chair Innovation for Planetary Health and Director at ZEF, University of Bonn (UoB).