BIOLOGICAL HAZARDS AND DISASTER RISK: COMPLEXITY OF CAUSES AND SOLUTIONS, AND OVERVIEW OF MANAGEMENT IMPLICATIONS

Abstract

Adaptation and changes to the management of infectious diseases result from human research, knowledge gathering, interpretation and applications. Findings from the current study clearly point to the nature of the policy and disaster risk management response to COVID19, as having characteristics of a super-wicked problem. This provides an explanation for the sometimes diverging strategies in tackling the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic on humans and the surrounding socio-ecological systems. Solutions to the pandemic and its long-term outcomes will have to take into account the disparity of impacts and pre-disaster conditions.

Keywords

• wicked problem
• disaster risk
• hazards
• vulnerability
• ethics
• governance.