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Displaying 45 of about 46 resultsThe COVID-19 pandemic is a stark demonstration that, in a connected and globalized world, risk is more systemic than ever: what was initially a health disaster quickly became a socioeconomic one with long-term impact, highlighting the urgent need for a whole-of-society approach towards prevention and risk-informed recovery and development.This report pr…
The COVID-19 pandemic is having an unprecedented impact on countries in the Asia- Pacific region. Not only have the health consequences led to over 170,000 deaths in the region, but the socio-economic costs have exceeded those of the Asian financial crisis in 1997. The cascading impacts of this health emergency have affected every sector, with the poore…
The United Nations General Assembly has designated October 13th as the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction to promote a global culture of disaster risk reduction. It is an opportunity to acknowledge the progress being made toward reducing disaster risk and losses in lives, livelihoods and health in…
The COVID-19 pandemic has shown the fragility of our global networks. A health crisis has shocked economies, policies, governance, trade, infrastructure. In short, it has changed today’s society and may well leave a significant mark on the shaping of tomorrow’s society.
The clearest lesson from the pandemic has been the necessity to be prepared for dis…
Trusted, accurate, simple, and widely shared risk information saves lives, particularly when it reaches ‘the last mile’ and is used by vulnerable communities. This is the case in all communities, countries and disasters, including during the current COVID-19 pandemic.
However, several weeks into this global crisis, it is also clear that a ‘parallel un…
The COVID-19 crisis has demonstrated the importance of preparedness and the coordination capacities of national and regional disaster risk management agencies. The notes below includes good practices and lessons learned from Central America and the Dominican Republic.
The promotion of regional and cross-border cooperation mechanisms is essential…
Confusion and disinformation have been a feature of the COVID-19 pandemic. The press has tried to plough through an avalanche of information to illustrate the situation from various perspectives, but a focus on day-to-day coverage combined with a lack of access to diverse and reliable sources has complicated the task.
UNDRR organised this…
Less than a month after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 a global pandemic, Category 5 Tropical Cyclone Harold slammed into Vanuatu devastating large parts of this Pacific small island developing state. As several other countries in the Asia-Pacific region enter their cyclone, drought, heatwaves or monsoon seasons, the potential for…
This paper explains how mitigating the emergence and spread of infectious disease necessitates mapping and prioritising the interdependencies between public health and other sectors. Conversely, during an international public health emergency, significant disruption occurs not only to healthcare systems, but also to a potentially wide range of…
This contributing paper delves into the impact of a tsunami and the COVID-19 pandemic on the coastal tourism sector in Pandeglang Regency (Banten Province) in Indonesia. The sector is a significant contributor to regional income and one of its coastal areas is designated as a Special Economic Zone in 2018. The tourism sector in Pandeglang Regency is sup…
This contributing paper explores the use of a Lifeyears Index to assess the cost of the COVID-19 pandemic across countries and compare these costs to the costs of all other disasters that have occurred in all countries in the past 20 years. Typically, disaster damages are measured separately in four dimensions: fatalities, injuries, dislocations, and th…
As the Global Risk Assessment Report (GAR2019) has highlighted, the nature and scale of risk have changed. In our increasingly complex inter-connected world risk has become systemic, challenging governance mechanisms of established risk management institutions and single-hazard approaches. As an example of the above, the systemic nature of the COVID-19…
In Sub-Saharan Africa, the response to the pandemic is unfolding with various DRR governance approaches and initiatives to curb the spread of the disease as well as its interconnected socioeconomic impacts. As a result of an often resourced constrained environment and strong past experiences with the Ebola crises, approaches in Sub-Saharan countries hav…
COVID-19 pandemic is having a devastating impact on businesses across Asia-Pacific. Many are closed while others are struggling to maintain operations while ensuring the safety of their workers. Small and medium enterprises (SMEs)- which comprise more than 90% of all businesses in most Asia-Pacific countries- are especially hard hit. However, busi…
The Earth’s natural ecosystems and physical environment in which communities live are rapidly deteriorating and, in turn, increasing the risk of premature morbidity and mortality of people worldwide. Hydrometeorological hazards are concentrating contaminants from the damaged environment and exposing large populations of vulnerable people to serious heal…