Lessons from COVID-19 for managing transboundary climate risks and building resilience

Area of Science:

• Global environmental change
• Public health
• Risk management

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic exposed difficulties in managing interconnected global crises.
• Climate change, like pandemics, poses systemic risks with widespread societal disruption, disproportionately affecting vulnerable groups.
• Complex systems, if managed effectively, can enhance resilience.

Purpose of the Study:

• To extract lessons from the COVID-19 experience for transboundary systemic risk management.
• To inform climate change policy and enhance resilience building efforts.
• To synthesize evidence on systemic risks and resilience for improved crisis management.

Main Methods:

• Review and synthesis of evidence from diverse scientific fields.
• Illustration of systemic risk nature and evolving understanding of resilience.
• Description of research methods for capturing systemic complexity.

Main Results:

• Systemic risks and resilience are complex phenomena requiring integrated management approaches.
• Effective management of complex systems can foster resilience to crises.
• Understanding systemic interactions is crucial for anticipating and mitigating cascading impacts.

Conclusions:

• Implement practical actions for transboundary climate risk management, including impact mapping and adaptive strategies.
• Adopt adaptive risk management embracing uncertainty and diverse decision-making.
• Broaden resilience approaches to prioritize human wellbeing, societal, and ecological health.