CSS Blog NetworkThis blog series collects together articles on the security policy implications of the coronavirus crisis from the CSS. See the CSS special theme page on the coronavirus for more.
Hindsight is 2020, foresight is 2021. The COVID-19 pandemic abruptly changed the lives of almost everyone on the planet, causing more than four million recorded deaths, changing the way we travel, work, and socialize, as well as reducing the global economic output by trillions of dollars. As such, the pandemic has reinforced the willingness to engage in strategic foresight and to «think about the unthinkable».
This week’s featured graphic shows Germany’s crisis management structures on federal and on Bundesländer level. For more on Germany’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and the rethinking of its civil protection, read Benjamin Scharte’s CSS Analysis in Security Policy here.
This graphic shows the intended usage of government benefits to address the impacts of the pandemic in Armenia. It can be observed that most assistance is directed towards consumption of primary goods and covering bills. Furthermore, it can be seen that in rural areas, as well as in the capital city Yerevan, social assistance programs covering utility bills substantially increased the consumption of primary products, an observation that may be attributed to the fungibility of money. Still, over 1.5% of the population claimed (at least as an intention) to save the funds. Meanwhile, a disproportionately high share of the announced usage of the funds is directed toward servicing debts, especially in urban areas outside Yerevan, where poverty levels are high.
For more on the mitigation of the social consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic in the three South Caucasus states of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia, read this issue of the Caucasus Analytical Digest.
Large scale events like the COVID-19 pandemic and other factors are changing how we volunteer during disasters. This graphic points out objectives, principles and suggested actions to help the coordination of volunteers in the immediate aftermath of a disaster event.
For more on the integration of spontaneous and emergent volunteers in disaster management and civil protection, read Tim Prior and Florian Roth’s CSS Risk and Resilience Report on Volunteerism in Disaster Management.
Why has the coronavirus affected some territories more than others? This week’s featured graphic illustrates the hotspots for outbreaks of new and recurring diseases. For more on global health security and infectious disease containment, read Ursula Jasper’s CSS Analyses here.