Environmental crises such as COVID-19 are systemic crises. Not only natural environment disturbances but also public policies, poverty, nutrition or movement of people reduce or increase COVID-19 impacts human societies. Through the IFP’s multidisciplinary research involving ecology, botany, social sciences, spatial analysis with remote sensing satellite observations, the Institute is highlighting critical points, as shown by this special newsletter edition providing a better understanding of the present coronavirus tragedy.
This is my last newsletter as director of the IFP. On September 1st, I will hand over to Blandine Ripert, who I am sure will be a wonderful director. As for me, it's a bit hard to end these last few months in such a climate of uncertainty and slowdown. I would have liked the year 2019-20 to end in a fireworks display of activity, and now it ends in masks and curfew. The exhibition on the French settlements in India remains frozen like Sleeping Beauty's castle. But the IFP has not stopped. Its researchers are still working, at home or in the laboratory, supported by an efficient support team. We recently signed agreements with the Indian Centre for Forest Research and Education, with the EFEO, for a research action project with Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie, and we are going to launch an ambitious policy of conservation and promotion of our collections.
Thanks to the whole IFP staff for these four wonderful years I have spent with them. The Covid will not get us!
Take care.
Frédéric Landy
