The global impact of COVID-19

This issue of Southasiadisasters.net is titled ‘The Global Impact of COVID-19’, and highlights the consequences, implications, risks and opportunities of the COVID-19 pandemic on our current world order. The pandemic and its response, in the form of protracted nationwide lockdowns, have had several short-term as well as long term impacts on human health, society, economy and environment. For instance, the severe lockdowns imposed in certain countries have actually caused a widespread economic and humanitarian crisis. Therefore, it is important to draw important lessons from this pandemic to amplify our future preparedness and response capacities to similar shocks.

This issue's contents include:

• The Corona Crisis as a Humanitarian Problem: Power Structures, Localisation, and the Study of Humanitarian Action;
• Pandemic Preparedness, Response and Recovery – What to do and how;
• Evaluating Unintended Consequences of Pandemic Response;
• What can be done to make Local Actors Central to COVID-19 National Response?;
• The Role of Global Compact in Uniting Businesses to Tackle COVID-19;
• The Challenges and Opportunities for CSOs during Pandemic: The Case of Muhammadiyah;
• Reclaiming Space: The Important Role of Civil Society in Navigating Indonesia’s ‘New Normal’;
• New Normal Post-COVID19 Eco-BCP for MSME-based Livelihoods;
• International Webinar Discusses on Addressing Multi-hazard Risks in Context of COVID-19;
• Biodiversity Linked Pandemic Response: Action for National Initiatives;
• Exploring how Humanitarian Actors use Key COVID-19 Concepts;
• The Role of Arab Water Council amidst COVID-19 Pandemic; and
• COVID-19 and Sustainable Mobility: Five Areas for Policy Action in South Asia.