Your search found 52 records
1 Baker, R. E.; Yang, W.; Vecchi, G. A.; Metcalf, J. E.; Grenfell, B. T. 2020. Susceptible supply limits the role of climate in the early SARS-CoV-2 [Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2] pandemic. Science, 10p. (Online first) [doi: https://doi.org/10.1126/science.abc2535]
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 ; Pandemics ; Infection ; Climatic factors ; Disease transmission ; Population ; Susceptibility ; Immunity ; Humidity ; Models
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H049701)
https://science.sciencemag.org/content/early/2020/05/15/science.abc2535.full.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H049701.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H049701.pdf
(2.53 MB) (2.53 MB)
Preliminary evidence suggests that climate may modulate the transmission of SARS-CoV-2. Yet it remains unclear whether seasonal and geographic variations in climate can substantially alter the pandemic trajectory, given high susceptibility is a core driver. Here, we use a climate-dependent epidemic model to simulate the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic probing different scenarios based on known coronavirus biology. We find that while variations in weather may be important for endemic infections, during the pandemic stage of an emerging pathogen the climate drives only modest changes to pandemic size. A preliminary analysis of non-pharmaceutical control measures indicates that they may moderate the pandemic-climate interaction via susceptible depletion. Our findings suggest, without effective control measures, strong outbreaks are likely in more humid climates and summer weather will not substantially limit pandemic growth.
2 Everard, M.; Johnston, P.; Santillo, D.; Staddon, C. 2020. The role of ecosystems in mitigation and management of Covid-19 and other zoonoses. Environmental Science and Policy, 111:7-17. (Online first) [doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2020.05.017]
Disease management ; Mitigation ; Coronavirus disease ; Zoonoses ; Ecosystem services ; Pandemics ; Disease transmission ; Risk reduction ; Water security ; Natural resources ; Biodiversity ; Sustainable Development Goals ; Sanitation ; Climate change ; Social aspects
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H049755)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1462901120306122/pdfft?md5=5a1de8fe24d4fe0be72f3981ef88f7f2&pid=1-s2.0-S1462901120306122-main.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H049755.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H049755.pdf
(1.22 MB) (1.22 MB)
There is rising international concern about the zoonotic origins of many global pandemics. Increasing human-animal interactions are perceived as driving factors in pathogen transfer, emphasising the close relationships between human, animal and environmental health. Contemporary livelihood and market patterns tend to degrade ecosystems and their services, driving a cycle of degradation in increasingly tightly linked socio-ecological systems. This contributes to reductions in the natural regulating capacities of ecosystem services to limit disease transfer from animals to humans. It also undermines natural resource availability, compromising measures such as washing and sanitation that may be key to managing subsequent human-to-human disease transmission. Human activities driving this degrading cycle tend to convert beneficial ecosystem services into disservices, exacerbating risks related to zoonotic diseases. Conversely, measures to protect or restore ecosystems constitute investment in foundational capital, enhancing their capacities to provide for greater human security and opportunity. We use the DPSIR (Drivers-Pressures-State change-Impact-Response) framework to explore three aspects of zoonotic diseases: (1) the significance of disease regulation ecosystem services and their degradation in the emergence of Covid-19 and other zoonotic diseases; and of the protection of natural resources as mitigating contributions to both (2) regulating human-to-human disease transfer; and (3) treatment of disease outbreaks. From this analysis, we identify a set of appropriate response options, recognising the foundational roles of ecosystems and the services they provide in risk management. Zoonotic disease risks are ultimately interlinked with biodiversity crises and water insecurity. The need to respond to the Covid-19 pandemic ongoing at the time of writing creates an opportunity for systemic policy change, placing scientific knowledge of the value and services of ecosystems at the heart of societal concerns as a key foundation for a more secure future. Rapid political responses and unprecedented economic stimuli reacting to the pandemic demonstrate that systemic change is achievable at scale and pace, and is also therefore transferrable to other existential, global-scale threats including climate change and the ‘biodiversity crisis’. This also highlights the need for concerted global action, and is also consistent with the duties, and ultimately the self-interests, of developed, donor nations.
3 Manzanedo, R. D.; Manning, P. 2020. COVID-19: lessons for the climate change emergency. Science of the Total Environment, 742:140563. (Online first) [doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.140563]
Climate change ; Coronavirus disease ; Pandemics ; Policy making ; Risk ; Social impact ; Economic aspects
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H049820)
(1.06 MB)
The ongoing COVID-19 outbreak pandemic is now a global crisis. It has caused 9+ million confirmed cases and 400,000+ deaths at the time of writing and triggered unprecedented preventative measures that have confined a substantial portion of the global population and established ‘social distancing’ as a new global behavioral norm. The COVID-19 crisis has affected all aspects of everyday life and work, and heavily impacted the global economy. This crisis also offers unprecedented insights into how the global climate crisis may be managed, as there are many parallels between the COVID-19 crisis and what we expect from the imminent global climate emergency. Reflecting upon the challenges of today's crisis may help us better prepare for the future. Here we compile a list, by no means comprehensive, of the similarities and differences between the two crises, and the lessons we can learn from them: (i) High momentum trends, (ii) Irreversible changes, (iii) Social and spatial inequality, (iv) Weakening of international solidarity, and (v) Less costly to prevent than to cure.
4 Kulkarni, B. N.; Anantharama, V. 2020. Repercussions of COVID-19 pandemic on municipal solid waste management: challenges and opportunities. Science of the Total Environment, 743:140693. (Online first) [doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.140693]
Coronavirus disease ; Pandemics ; Waste management ; Solid wastes ; Municipal wastes ; Waste collection ; Waste treatment ; Recycling ; Landfills ; Public health ; Risk ; Developing countries ; Socioeconomic environment ; Households
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H049832)
(0.96 MB)
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused global emergency and has raised social and economic concerns which will also spill over to environmental issues. Amid this natural experiment, current study evaluates prevailing municipal solid waste (MSW) management practices, with the emphasis on MSW treatment and disposal facilities in select developed and developing countries. The data and information used in this paper is collected from several scientific research papers from different disciplines, publications from governments and multilateral agencies and media reports. Despite limited literature on MSW management during such pandemics, this article presets a global backdrop of MSW management during COVID-19 outbreak and examines various aspects of MSW management. Discussion includes identifying parameters of disease transmission through solid waste handling, consequences of medical waste surge on current municipal waste treatment and disposal systems. Further, based on previous pandemic and disaster waste management studies, this study also presents challenges and opportunities in the aftermath of the ongoing pandemic. The paper recommends alternatives approaches for MSW treatment and disposal and outlines the future scope of work to achieve sustainable waste management during and aftermath of the pandemics.
5 Yaya, S.; Otu, A.; Labonte, R. 2020. Globalisation in the time of COVID-19: repositioning Africa to meet the immediate and remote challenges. Globalization and Health, 16:51. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12992-020-00581-4]
Globalization ; Coronavirus disease ; Pandemics ; Economic policies ; Governance ; Public health ; Socioeconomic impact ; Trade agreements ; Funding ; Political aspects / Africa
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H049842)
https://globalizationandhealth.biomedcentral.com/track/pdf/10.1186/s12992-020-00581-4
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H049842.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H049842.pdf
(0.55 MB) (560 KB)
The COVID-19 pandemic has ushered in a new climate of uncertainty which is fuelling protectionism and playing into nationalist narratives. Globalisation is under significant threat as governments scramble to reduce their vulnerability to the virus by limiting global trade and flows of people. With the imposition of border closures and strict migration measures, there have been major disruptions in Africa’s global supply chains with adverse impacts on employment and poverty. The African economies overly reliant on single export-orientated industries, such as oil and gas, are expected to be severely hit. This situation is further aggravated by tumbling oil prices and a lowered global demand for African non-oil products. The agricultural sector, which should buffer these shocks, is also being affected by the enforcement of lockdowns which threaten people’s livelihoods and food security. Lockdowns may not be the answer in Africa and the issue of public health pandemic response will need to be addressed by enacting context-specific policies which should be implemented in a humane way. In addressing the socioeconomic impact of COVID-19 on African nations, we argue that governments should prioritize social protection programmes to provide people with resources to maintain economic productivity while limiting job losses. International funders are committing assistance to Africa for this purpose, but generally as loans (adding to debt burdens) rather than as grants. G20 agreement so suspend debt payments for a year will help, but is insufficient to fiscal need. Maintaining cross-border trade and cooperation to continue generating public revenues is desirable. New strategies for diversifying African economies and limiting their dependence on external funding by promoting trade with a more regionalised (continental) focus as promoted by the African Continental Free Trade Agreement, while not without limitations, should be explored. While it is premature to judge the final economic and death toll of COVID-19, African leaders’ response to the pandemic, and the support they receive from wealthier nations, will determine its eventual outcomes.
6 Newell, R.; Dale, A. 2020. COVID-19 and climate change: an integrated perspective. Cities and Health, 6p. (Online first). (Special issue: COVID-19) [doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/23748834.2020.1778844]
Coronavirus disease ; Climate change ; Pandemics ; Public health ; Infrastructure ; Resilience ; Community development ; Sustainability ; Economic aspects
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H049881)
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/23748834.2020.1778844?needAccess=true#aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cudGFuZGZvbmxpbmUuY29tL2RvaS9wZGYvMTAuMTA4MC8yMzc0ODgzNC4yMDIwLjE3Nzg4NDQ/bmVlZEFjY2Vzcz10cnVlQEBAMA==
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H049881.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H049881.pdf
(1.20 MB) (1.20 MB)
The COVID-19 outbreak has revealed multiple vulnerabilities in community systems. Effectively addressing these vulnerabilities and increasing local resilience requires thinking beyond solely pandemic responses and taking more holistic perspectives that integrate sustainability objectives. Pandemic preparedness and climate action in particular share similarities in terms of needs and approaches for community sustainability. This paper reflects on what the outbreak has illustrated regarding community vulnerability to crises, with a focus on local economy and production, economic diversification, and social connectivity. The paper argues for integrated approaches to community development that increase our capacity to respond to both public health and climate crises.
7 Haddout, S.; Hoguane, A. M.; Priya, K. L.; Ljubenkov, I. 2020. Water shortages and pandemics in Africa. The Round Table, 109(4):480-481. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/00358533.2020.1790784]
Water shortage ; Water scarcity ; Pandemics ; Ebola virus disease ; Coronavirus disease ; Sanitation ; Water use ; Rural areas ; Developing countries / Africa
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H049889)
(0.32 MB)
8 Zambrano-Monserrate, M. A.; Ruano, M. A.; Sanchez-Alcalde, L. 2020. Indirect effects of COVID-19 on the environment. Science of the Total Environment, 728:138813. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.138813]
COVID-19 ; Environmental impact ; Pandemics ; Greenhouse gas emissions ; Air quality ; Beaches ; Nitrogen dioxide ; Waste management ; Physical distancing ; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H049899)
(1.29 MB)
This research aims to show the positive and negative indirect effects of COVID-19 on the environment, particularly in the most affected countries such as China, USA, Italy, and Spain. Our research shows that there is a significant association between contingency measures and improvement in air quality, clean beaches and environmental noise reduction. On the other hand, there are also negative secondary aspects such as the reduction in recycling and the increase in waste, further endangering the contamination of physical spaces (water and land), in addition to air. Global economic activity is expected to return in the coming months in most countries (even if slowly), so decreasing GHG concentrations during a short period is not a sustainable way to clean up our environment.
9 Neal, M. J. 2020. COVID-19 and water resources management: reframing our priorities as a water sector. Water International, 45(5):435-440. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/02508060.2020.1773648]
Water resources ; Water management ; Coronavirus disease ; Pandemics ; Sanitation ; Hygiene ; Sustainable Development Goals ; Water governance ; Gender equality ; Inclusion ; Urban areas ; Communities
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H049909)
(0.45 MB)
10 Khanna, A. 2020. Impact of migration of labour force due to global COVID-19 pandemic with reference to India. Journal of Health Management, 22(2):181-191. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1177/0972063420935542]
Migrant labour ; Coronavirus disease ; Pandemics ; Work force ; Employment ; Social security ; Public health ; Households ; Income ; Economic aspects ; Policies / India / Delhi
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H049910)
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/0972063420935542
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H049910.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H049910.pdf
(0.60 MB) (612 KB)
This article discussed some of the important issues regarding the effect of epidemics like COVID-19 on the migrant population. These impacts are most troubling for low-income households, which are less well positioned to cope with earnings losses during a recession, have no alternative earnings and have no social security available. Most of these workers earn little more than a subsistence wage and have no other means to protect their incomes if they lose their jobs. Migrant workers constitute quite a large proportion of such vulnerable population.
Millions of migrant workers are anticipated to be left unemployed in India due to the lockdown and subsequent fear of recession. Many of the migrant workers have returned to their villages, and many more are just waiting for the lockdown to be lifted. The risk is particularly higher for those who are working in unorganised sectors, and those who do not have writer contracts, or those whose contracts are at the verge of completion. The lockdown and the subsequent recession are likely to first hit contract workers across many of the industries.
On the one hand, lockdowns and social distancing measures are drying up jobs and incomes, whereas they are likely to disrupt agricultural production, transportation systems, and supply chains on the other. This poses a challenge of ensuring food security and controlling already rampant malnutrition, particularly among children, which is likely to result in increased infant and child mortality. There is a need to relook at the national migration policies, which should accommodate the assistance and protection of migrants arriving from, or faced with the prospect of returning to, areas affected by health crises. Also, there is a need to establish resilient food systems that could reduce food insecurity and the pressure to return to origin among migrants.
Millions of migrant workers are anticipated to be left unemployed in India due to the lockdown and subsequent fear of recession. Many of the migrant workers have returned to their villages, and many more are just waiting for the lockdown to be lifted. The risk is particularly higher for those who are working in unorganised sectors, and those who do not have writer contracts, or those whose contracts are at the verge of completion. The lockdown and the subsequent recession are likely to first hit contract workers across many of the industries.
On the one hand, lockdowns and social distancing measures are drying up jobs and incomes, whereas they are likely to disrupt agricultural production, transportation systems, and supply chains on the other. This poses a challenge of ensuring food security and controlling already rampant malnutrition, particularly among children, which is likely to result in increased infant and child mortality. There is a need to relook at the national migration policies, which should accommodate the assistance and protection of migrants arriving from, or faced with the prospect of returning to, areas affected by health crises. Also, there is a need to establish resilient food systems that could reduce food insecurity and the pressure to return to origin among migrants.
11 Laborde, D.; Martin, W.; Swinnen, J.; Vos, R. 2020. COVID-19 risks to global food security. Science, 369(6503):500-502. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1126/science.abc4765]
Food security ; Coronavirus disease ; Pandemics ; Health hazards ; Food supply chains ; Supply chain disruptions ; Food access ; Trade barriers ; Economic losses ; Income ; Diet ; Nutrition ; Policy making ; Agricultural production
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H049911)
(0.73 MB)
12 Daughton, C. G. 2020. Wastewater surveillance for population-wide Covid-19: the present and future. Science of the Total Environment, 736:139631. (Online first) [doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.139631]
Wastewater ; Health hazards ; Coronavirus disease ; Pandemics ; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 ; Epidemiology ; Surveillance ; Public health ; Sewage ; Communities ; Monitoring
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H049912)
(0.48 MB)
The Covid-19 pandemic (Coronavirus disease 2019) continues to expose countless unanticipated problems at all levels of the world's complex, interconnected society — global domino effects involving public health and safety, accessible health care, food security, stability of economies and financial institutions, and even the viability of democracies. These problems pose immense challenges that can voraciously consume human and capital resources. Tracking the initiation, spread, and changing trends of Covid-19 at population-wide scales is one of the most daunting challenges, especially the urgent need to map the distribution and magnitude of Covid-19 in near real-time. Other than pre-exposure prophylaxis or therapeutic treatments, the most important tool is the ability to quickly identify infected individuals. The mainstay approach for epidemics has long involved the large-scale application of diagnostic testing at the individual case level. However, this approach faces overwhelming challenges in providing fast surveys of large populations.
An epidemiological tool developed and refined by environmental scientists over the last 20 years (Wastewater-Based Epidemiology — WBE) holds the potential as a key tool in containing and mitigating Covid-19 outbreaks while also minimizing domino effects such as unnecessarily long stay-at-home policies that stress humans and economies alike. WBE measures chemical signatures in sewage, such as fragment biomarkers from the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), simply by applying the type of clinical diagnostic testing (designed for individuals) to the collective signature of entire communities. As such, it could rapidly establish the presence of Covid-19 infections across an entire community. Surprisingly, this tool has not been widely embraced by epidemiologists or public health officials. Presented is an overview of why and how governments should exercise prudence and begin evaluating WBE and coordinating development of a standardized WBE methodology — one that could be deployed within nationalized monitoring networks to provide intercomparable data across nations.
An epidemiological tool developed and refined by environmental scientists over the last 20 years (Wastewater-Based Epidemiology — WBE) holds the potential as a key tool in containing and mitigating Covid-19 outbreaks while also minimizing domino effects such as unnecessarily long stay-at-home policies that stress humans and economies alike. WBE measures chemical signatures in sewage, such as fragment biomarkers from the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), simply by applying the type of clinical diagnostic testing (designed for individuals) to the collective signature of entire communities. As such, it could rapidly establish the presence of Covid-19 infections across an entire community. Surprisingly, this tool has not been widely embraced by epidemiologists or public health officials. Presented is an overview of why and how governments should exercise prudence and begin evaluating WBE and coordinating development of a standardized WBE methodology — one that could be deployed within nationalized monitoring networks to provide intercomparable data across nations.
13 Foladori, P.; Cutrupi, F.; Segata, N.; Manara, S.; Pinto, F.; Malpei, F.; Bruni, L.; La Rosa, G. 2020. SARS-CoV-2 from faeces to wastewater treatment: what do we know?: a review. Science of the Total Environment, 743:140444. (Online first) [doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.140444]
COVID-19 ; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 ; Wastewater treatment ; Treatment plants ; Faeces ; Sewage ; Disease transmission ; Gastrointestinal tract ; Pandemics ; Monitoring
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H049955)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969720339668/pdfft?md5=cf32f7ecde41e4fb13f3164badf40c61&pid=1-s2.0-S0048969720339668-main.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H049955.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H049955.pdf
(0.90 MB) (924 KB)
SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, has been found in the faeces of infected patients in numerous studies. Stool may remain positive for SARS-CoV-2, even when the respiratory tract becomes negative, and the interaction with the gastrointestinal tract poses a series of questions about wastewater and its treatments. This review aims to understand the viral load of SARS-CoV-2 in faeces and sewage and its fate in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs).
The viral load in the faeces of persons testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 was estimated at between 5·103 to 107.6 copies/mL, depending on the infection course. In the sewerage, faeces undergo dilution and viral load decreases considerably in the wastewater entering a WWTP with a range from 2 copies/100 mL to 3·103 copies/mL, depending on the level of the epidemic. Monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 in sewage, although no evidence of COVID-19 transmission has been found via this route, could be advantageously exploited as an early warning of outbreaks. Preliminary studies on WBE seem promising; but high uncertainty of viral loads in wastewater and faeces remains, and further research is needed.
The detection of SARS-CoV-2 in sewage, based on RNA sequences and RT-PCR, requires a shared approach on sample pre-treatment and on-site collection to ensure comparable results. The finding of viral RNA in stools does not imply that the virus is viable and infectious. Viability of CoVs such as SARS-CoV-2 decreases in wastewater - due to temperature, pH, solids, micropollutants - but high inactivation in WWTPs can be obtained only by using disinfection (free chlorine, UVC light). A reduction in the quantity of disinfectants can be obtained by implementing Membrane-Bioreactors with ultrafiltration to separate SARS-CoV-2 virions with a size of 60–140 nm. In sludge treatment, thermophilic digestion is effective, based on the general consensus that CoVs are highly sensitive to increased temperatures.
The viral load in the faeces of persons testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 was estimated at between 5·103 to 107.6 copies/mL, depending on the infection course. In the sewerage, faeces undergo dilution and viral load decreases considerably in the wastewater entering a WWTP with a range from 2 copies/100 mL to 3·103 copies/mL, depending on the level of the epidemic. Monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 in sewage, although no evidence of COVID-19 transmission has been found via this route, could be advantageously exploited as an early warning of outbreaks. Preliminary studies on WBE seem promising; but high uncertainty of viral loads in wastewater and faeces remains, and further research is needed.
The detection of SARS-CoV-2 in sewage, based on RNA sequences and RT-PCR, requires a shared approach on sample pre-treatment and on-site collection to ensure comparable results. The finding of viral RNA in stools does not imply that the virus is viable and infectious. Viability of CoVs such as SARS-CoV-2 decreases in wastewater - due to temperature, pH, solids, micropollutants - but high inactivation in WWTPs can be obtained only by using disinfection (free chlorine, UVC light). A reduction in the quantity of disinfectants can be obtained by implementing Membrane-Bioreactors with ultrafiltration to separate SARS-CoV-2 virions with a size of 60–140 nm. In sludge treatment, thermophilic digestion is effective, based on the general consensus that CoVs are highly sensitive to increased temperatures.
14 Barbier, E. B.; Burgess, J. C. 2020. Sustainability and development after COVID-19. World Development, 135:105082. (Online first) [doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2020.105082]
COVID-19 ; Pandemics ; Sustainability ; Sustainable Development Goals ; Developing countries ; Fossil fuels ; Renewable energy ; Sanitation ; Rural areas ; Water supply ; Policies
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H049966)
(0.55 MB)
Developing countries are highly vulnerable to the COVID-19 pandemic, in part due to the lack of international support for ensuring progress towards the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Yet the mounting financial burden faced by all countries means that additional support is unlikely to be forthcoming in the near future. It is critical that developing countries find innovative policy mechanisms to achieve sustainability and development aims in a cost-effective manner. This requires identifying affordable policies that can yield immediate progress towards several SDGs together and aligns economic incentives for longer term sustainable development. We identify three policies that meet these criteria: a fossil fuel subsidy swap to fund clean energy investments and dissemination of renewable energy in rural areas; reallocating irrigation subsidies to improve water supply, sanitation and wastewater infrastructure; and a tropical carbon tax, which is a levy on fossil fuels that funds natural climate solutions. Such innovative and cost-effective policy mechanisms do not require substantial external support, and they foster greater progress towards achieving the SDGs in poorer economies.
15 Ibn-Mohammed, T.; Mustapha, K. B.; Godsell, J.; Adamu, Z.; Babatunde, K. A.; Akintade, D. D.; Acquaye, A.; Fujii, H.; Ndiaye, M. M.; Yamoah, F. A.; Koh, S. C. L. 2020. A critical analysis of the impacts of COVID-19 on the global economy and ecosystems and opportunities for circular economy strategies. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 164:105169. (Online first) [doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2020.105169]
COVID-19 ; Economic systems ; Ecosystems ; Sustainable Development Goals ; Climate change ; Resilience ; Strategies ; Economic growth ; Socioeconomic impact ; Air pollution ; Carbon dioxide ; Emission reduction ; Waste management ; Energy ; Supply chains ; Policies ; Pandemics ; Models
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H049986)
(9.40 MB)
The World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic on the 11th of March 2020, but the world is still reeling from its aftermath. Originating from China, cases quickly spread across the globe, prompting the implementation of stringent measures by world governments in efforts to isolate cases and limit the transmission rate of the virus. These measures have however shattered the core sustaining pillars of the modern world economies as global trade and cooperation succumbed to nationalist focus and competition for scarce supplies. Against this backdrop, this paper presents a critical review of the catalogue of negative and positive impacts of the pandemic and proffers perspectives on how it can be leveraged to steer towards a better, more resilient low-carbon economy. The paper diagnosed the danger of relying on pandemic-driven benefits to achieving sustainable development goals and emphasizes a need for a decisive, fundamental structural change to the dynamics of how we live. It argues for a rethink of the present global economic growth model, shaped by a linear economy system and sustained by profiteering and energy-gulping manufacturing processes, in favour of a more sustainable model recalibrated on circular economy (CE) framework. Building on evidence in support of CE as a vehicle for balancing the complex equation of accomplishing profit with minimal environmental harms, the paper outlines concrete sector-specific recommendations on CE-related solutions as a catalyst for the global economic growth and development in a resilient post-COVID-19 world.
16 Shehvaar, D.; Idris, W.; Ahmed, M. 2020. Climate change and the surge for pandemics. Journal of Sustainable Development, 13(3):138-143. [doi: https://doi.org/10.5539/jsd.v13n3p138]
Climate change ; Pandemics ; COVID-19 ; Environmental impact ; Public health ; Health hazards ; Political aspects ; Economic aspects
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H049977)
http://www.ccsenet.org/journal/index.php/jsd/article/download/0/0/42911/44866
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H049977.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H049977.pdf
(0.16 MB) (168 KB)
The pandemic of the century has caused great concern about the global environmental crisis. The article outlines the various aspects of the surge of pandemic its link to climate change along with the prospects for the nation-states and how they have seen it as a challenge as it is being seen as taking thousands of lives. In the literature review, the research problem that has been tailored is if the pandemic can create a common awareness about the global climate crisis that has destructive projections for the globe itself. A causal link between the surge of pandemics and climate change that helps spread the viruses has been created. In addition to this, we further argue that the nation-states and their exploitative corporate goals that are manipulating the environment should be curbed through decisive steps.
17 Pan, S. L.; Zhang, S. 2020. From fighting COVID-19 pandemic to tackling sustainable development goals: an opportunity for responsible information systems research. International Journal of Information Management, 55:102196. (Online first) [doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2020.102196]
Sustainable Development Goals ; COVID-19 ; Pandemics ; Information systems ; Research ; Scientists ; Public health ; Physical distancing ; Stakeholders
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H049992)
(0.25 MB)
The recent outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has posed a significant threat to the healthy lives and well-being of billions of people worldwide. As the world begins to open up from lockdowns and enters an unprecedented state of vulnerability, or what many have called “the new normal”, it makes sense to reflect on what we have learned, revisit our fundamental assumptions, and start charting the way forward to contribute to building a sustainable world. In this essay, we argue that despite its significant damage to human lives and livelihoods, the coronavirus pandemic presents an excellent opportunity for the human family to act in solidarity and turn this crisis into an impetus to achieve the United Nation’s (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). In this article, we will highlight the six relevant themes that have evolved during the pandemic and the corresponding topics that future researchers could focus on. We conclude by issuing a call for more research attention on tackling SDG through developing the concept and practice of digital sustainability.
18 Sovacool, B. K.; Rio, D. F. D.; Griffiths, S. 2020. Contextualizing the Covid-19 pandemic for a carbon-constrained world: insights for sustainability transitions, energy justice, and research methodology. Energy Research and Social Science, 68:101701. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2020.101701]
Covid-19 ; Pandemics ; Sustainability ; Carbon ; Energy policies ; Renewable energy ; Health care ; Climate change ; Physical distancing ; Vulnerability
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H049993)
(17.50 MB)
The global Covid-19 pandemic has rapidly overwhelmed our societies, shocked the global economy and overburdened struggling health care systems and other social institutions around the world. While such impacts of Covid-19 are becoming clearer, the implications of the disease for energy and climate policy are more prosaic. This Special Section seeks to offer more clarity on the emerging connections between Covid-19 and energy supply and demand, energy governance, future low-carbon transitions, social justice, and even the practice of research methodology. It features articles that ask, and answer: What are the known and anticipated impacts of Covid-19 on energy demand and climate change? How has the disease shaped institutional responses and varying energy policy frameworks, especially in Africa? How will the disease impact ongoing social practices, innovations and sustainability transitions, including not only renewable energy but also mobility? How might the disease, and social responses to it, exacerbate underlying patterns of energy poverty, energy vulnerability, and energy injustice? Lastly, what challenges and insights does the pandemic offer for the practice of research, and for future research methodology? We find that without careful guidance and consideration, the brave new age wrought by Covid-19 could very well collapse in on itself with bloated stimulus packages that counter sustainability goals, misaligned incentives that exacerbate climate change, the entrenchment of unsustainable practices, and acute and troubling consequences for vulnerable groups.
19 Kalbusch, A.; Henning, E.; Brikalski, M. P.; de Luca, F. V.; Konrath, A. C. 2020. Impact of coronavirus (COVID-19) spread-prevention actions on urban water consumption. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 163:105098. (Online first) [doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2020.105098]
COVID-19 ; Pandemics ; Disease prevention ; Urban environment ; Water use ; Social isolation ; Quarantine ; Water supply ; Households ; Case studies ; Models / Brazil / Joinville
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H049994)
(1.73 MB)
This article aims to assess the impact of coronavirus (COVID-19) spread-prevention actions on water consumption, based on a case study in Joinville, Southern Brazil. Residential water consumption data, obtained through telemetry in two periods (before and after a governmental action imposing quarantine and social isolation), were analyzed. Complementarily, the analyses were also applied to the commercial, industrial and public consumption categories. For the analysis, Wilcoxon and Kruskal-Wallis non-parametric tests were applied and Prais-Winsten regression models were adjusted. The results of the Wilcoxon test show that there are significant differences between the analyzed periods, indicating a water consumption drop in the commercial, industrial and public categories, and an increase in the residential category. The regression model results confirm the effect of the restrictive actions in reducing consumption in non-residential categories. The results also indicate an increase in water consumption, which was steeper in apartment buildings than in houses, whether isolated or grouped in condominiums. A weak association was found between the variation in water consumption and the spatial distribution of buildings. Understanding water consumption related aspects is important to gather essential information to ensure the urban water supply system is resilient in a pandemic situation.
20 Ossome, L. 2020. The care economy and the state in Africa’s COVID-19 responses. Canadian Journal of Development Studies, 12p. (Online first) [doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/02255189.2020.1831448]
COVID-19 ; Pandemics ; Economic situation ; Policies ; Gender ; Labour ; Households ; Social aspects ; Political aspects ; Living standards / Africa
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H050024)
(0.94 MB)
The responses of many low- and middle-income households to Covid-19 in Africa were mediated by the state through various means including direct cash transfers, food distribution, and distribution of rural agricultural produce to urban areas, in response to the social reproduction crisis that the pandemic precipitated. Taking the relationship between the state and household as its focus, this article reflects on the social and political questions emerging at the conjuncture of social provisioning and economic collapse. Central to these concerns is the structure of care economies in Africa and their relationship to the capitalist state.
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