2021: moving from crisis management to recovery

As the year from hell draws to a close, Next Generation Risk Management’s winter reflection is that we desperately need bold changes and ideas as we move from crisis management to rebuild in 2021.

According to the official statistics, as of December 6, the authorities in 217 countries have reported approximately 67 million Covid‑19 cases and 1.5 million deaths since China reported its first cases to the World Health Organization (WHO), according to CNN.

But the impacts from COVID-19 are far-larger than just the number of cases. World economies have entered a devastating “COVID recession,” minorities and vulnerable communities have suffered disproportionately, while non-state actors — including terrorist groups and organized criminal organizations — have benefited from the rising number of recruits and increasing mis and disinformation on a multitude of technology platforms. This has been aided by heightened unemployment, failing businesses, rising food insecurity and government inefficiencies and inadequate or unimaginative preparedness planning.

Meanwhile, despite leading the crisis management effort, many large cities across the world have unfortunately been found wanting around risk-based preparedness efforts such as stocking health supplies, the number of hospital beds, the transparency of their decision-making, the development of…