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Changing Dynamics with COVID-19: Future Outlook

Authors:
Cengiz Kahraman at İstanbul University-Cerrahpaşa
Cengiz Kahraman
Christian Orobello at University of Gdansk
Christian Orobello
Giuseppe T. Cirella at University of Gdansk
Giuseppe T. Cirella
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Abstract

Today, human activities are developing at a drastic speed with little limitation. Excessive development can be problematic to human health as well as reduce the sustainability of natural resources. At present, the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the whole world and adversely has impacted a broad range of human activities, including the economy, agriculture, tourism, and transportation. The excessive increase from globalization, unplanned urbanization, and the destruction of nature (i.e., due to ongoing human activity) have been partially to blame for the current state of the planet. The human population has tripled over the last 70 years. In addition, existing agricultural areas of the world yield lower rates—especially in underdeveloped or developing countries. Moreover, climate change has affected agricultural areas and caused a shrinkage in production patterns. As a result, an increasing population has decreased access to their cultural foods, leaving them with few options, and these unhealthy dietary options frame detrimental long-term concerns. As a result, the human–nature relationship must be considered and decisions made. In sensitive areas, especially in mountainous regions, tropical forests, deserts, and glaciers, human habitation and human and economic activity should be limited. In this chapter, natural and human dynamics are examined by analyzing current changes and future population trends in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. A critical question that should be asked is what can be done regarding environmental sustainability during the crisis and what lessons will be learnt to best apply them in a post-COVID-19 world?
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Changing Dynamics with COVID-19:
Future Outlook
Cengiz Kahraman, Christian Orobello, and Giuseppe T. Cirella
Abstract Today, human activities are developing at a drastic speed with little limi-
tation. Excessive development can be problematic to human health as well as reduce
the sustainability of natural resources. At present, the COVID-19 pandemic has
affected the whole world and adversely has impacted a broad range of human activ-
ities, including the economy, agriculture, tourism, and transportation. The excessive
increase from globalization, unplanned urbanization, and the destruction of nature
(i.e., due to ongoing human activity) have been partially to blame for the current state
of the planet. The human population has tripled over the last 70 years. In addition,
existing agricultural areas of the world yield lower rates—especially in underdevel-
oped or developing countries. Moreover, climate change has affected agricultural
areas and caused a shrinkage in production patterns. As a result, an increasing popu-
lation has decreased access to their cultural foods, leaving them with few options, and
these unhealthy dietary options frame detrimental long-term concerns. As a result,
the human–nature relationship must be considered and decisions made. In sensi-
tive areas, especially in mountainous regions, tropical forests, deserts, and glaciers,
human habitation and human and economic activity should be limited. In this chapter,
natural and human dynamics are examined by analyzing current changes and future
population trends in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. A critical question that should
be asked is what can be done regarding environmental sustainability during the crisis
and what lessons will be learnt to best apply them in a post-COVID-19 world?
Keywords COVID-19 pandemic ·World population ·Demographic projection ·
Sustainable agriculture ·Healthy environment
C. Kahraman (B
)
Faculty of Engineering, Istanbul University-Cerrahpasa, Istanbul, Turkey
e-mail: cengiz.kahraman@istanbul.edu.tr
C. Orobello ·G. T. Cirella
Faculty of Economics, University of Gdansk, Sopot, Poland
e-mail: christian.orobello@ug.edu.pl
G. T. Cirella
e-mail: gt.cirella@ug.edu.pl
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2022
G. T. Cirella (ed.), Human Settlements, Advances in 21st Century Human Settlements,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-4031-5_13
235
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  • Oct 2020
Strengthening health systems and maintaining essential service delivery during health emergencies response is critical for early detection and diagnosis, prompt treatment, and effective control of pandemics, including the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Health information systems (HIS) developed during recent Ebola outbreaks in West Africa and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) provided opportunities to collect, analyze, and distribute data to inform both day-to-day and long-term policy decisions on outbreak preparedness. As COVID-19 continues to sweep across the globe, HIS and related technological advancements remain vital for effective and sustained data sharing, contact tracing, mapping and monitoring, community risk sensitization and engagement, preventive education, and timely preparedness and response activities. In reviewing literature of how HIS could have further supported mitigation of these Ebola outbreaks and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, 3 key areas were identified: governance and coordination, health systems infrastructure and resources, and community engagement. In this concept study, we outline scalable HIS lessons from recent Ebola outbreaks and early COVID-19 responses along these 3 domains, synthesizing recommendations to offer clear, evidence-based approaches on how to leverage HIS to strengthen the current pandemic response and foster community health systems resilience moving forward.
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COVID-19: the impact of a global crisis on sustainable development research
Article
Full-text available
  • Jan 2021
  • SUSTAIN SCI
The crisis caused by COVID-19 has affected research in a variety of ways. As far as research on sustainable development is concerned, the lockdown has significantly disrupted the usual communication channels and, among other things, has led to the cancellation of meetings and long-planned events. It has also led to delay in the delivery of research projects. There is a gap in the literature in regards to how a global crisis influences sustainability research. Therefore, this groundbreaking paper undertakes an analysis of the extent to which COVID-19 as a whole, and the lockdown in particular, has influenced sustainability research, and it outlines the solutions pursued by researchers around the world to overcome the many challenges they have experienced. This paper also outlines some measures that may be implemented in the future to take more advantage of existing technologies that support research on sustainable development.
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Public health during the pandemic in India
Article
  • Nov 2020
Data from two Indian states give detail about variation in transmission and disease outcomes
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Fragmented health systems in COVID-19: rectifying the misalignment between global health security and universal health coverage
Article
  • Dec 2020
The COVID-19 pandemic has placed enormous strain on countries around the world, exposing long-standing gaps in public health and exacerbating chronic inequities. Although research and analyses have attempted to draw important lessons on how to strengthen pandemic preparedness and response, few have examined the effect that fragmented governance for health has had on effectively mitigating the crisis. By assessing the ability of health systems to manage COVID-19 from the perspective of two key approaches to global health policy—global health security and universal health coverage—important lessons can be drawn for how to align varied priorities and objectives in strengthening health systems. This Health Policy paper compares three types of health systems (ie, with stronger investments in global health security, stronger investments in universal health coverage, and integrated investments in global health security and universal health coverage) in their response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and synthesises four essential recommendations (ie, integration, financing, resilience, and equity) to reimagine governance, policies, and investments for better health towards a more sustainable future.
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