HOW TO CONSERVE THE CHIMPANZEES AND THEIR ENVIRONMENT? MAKE THE PEOPLE HEALTHY

Sarah Etheridge; sarah.etheridge@canyons.edu;

There is a surprising relationship between chimpanzee/forest conservation and epidemiological interventions on waterborne illnesses that I have discovered in the past 15 years of my research. I first uncovered a strong correlation between human quality of life and the population density of chimpanzees in Uganda in 2008. This led me to focus on improving human health by focusing on creating water hygiene programs that could be used cross-culturally through enacting behavior change and improving self-reliance. This approach was successfully used in Nicaragua and Ghana from 2015-2020. Since 2021, I have worked with Friends of Chimps in the same areas I first conducted my research in 2008, where we have demonstrated that wildlife and forest conservation and restoration programs can only be successful if they also address the wellbeing of the human community. These programs are vital to environmental and wildlife sustainability, especially with increasing pressures of climate change and human population growth.

Poster Session