HazNet: The First Wave

The pandemic brought a remarkable degree of “disaster literacy” to children and adults. Household preparedness, personal protective equipment, stockpiling, supply chain management are only some elements gaining growing awareness that are needed to build a resilient society. As the one-year mark of the global pandemic nears, it is an opportune time to step back, reflect, and take stock. While it is too early to know the full extent of the impacts of COVID-19, there are many initial learnings that highlight what worked well, indicate areas of opportunity, and guide any immediate course corrections.

This issue focuses on the critical first few months of the pandemic: the first wave. The issue includes articles on:

• Developing a socio-economic dashboard with real-time natural hazard data.
• Covid-19 in global cities: Implications for urban design and planning.
• Addressing stigma: How emergency management can contribute to developing COVID-19 social countermeasures.
• Pandemic leadership: Lessons from NZ.
• Australia's new emergency planning handbook.