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COVID-19 special

Finding responses to the pandemic: New York City’s public transport authority says it will disinfect trains every 72 hours (Photo: Marc A. Hermann, MTA New York City Transit via Flickr, CC BY 2.0)

Coronavirus and climate change are two crises that need humanity to unite

"[The coronavirus pandemic] will have a huge global impact in 2020, not only on health and wellbeing, but also on our societies, economies and politics."

In a recent blog, IIED director Andrew Norton looked at some of the emerging impacts of the COVID-19 outbreak, and discussed the possible longer-term effects of the pandemic.

Read the blog now

This image taken by an electron microscope shows the virus that causes COVID-19. The spikes on the outer edges of the virus particles give coronaviruses their name: crown-like (Photo: NIAID-RML via Flickr, copyright free)

Blog by Eric Fèvre and Cecilia Tacoli

Coronavirus threat looms large for low-income cities

Weak infrastructure would leave urban settlements in low-income countries highly vulnerable, should the rapid spread of COVID-19 continue.

Eric Fèvre is professor of veterinary infectious diseases at the University of Liverpool; Cecilia Tacoli is principal researcher in IIED's Human Settlements research group.

Read their blog

"Current recommendations for preventing the spread of the disease include washing hands frequently – but this is extremely difficult where clean water access is limited."

– Cecilia Tacoli

Experts have expressed concerns the slashing of aid budgets in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic could impact climate action and resilience in vulnerable countries. (Photo: Abbie Trayler-Smith / Panos Pictures / Department for International Development/Flickr)

Climate Home News

Coronavirus slows developing nations’ plans to step up climate action in 2020

Coronavirus delays developing nations’ ability to design new climate plans before COP26 summit in November in Glasgow.

'Among least developed countries, some are in the midst of developing new [Nationally Determined Contributions] NDCs, but others have not begun “as they are still looking for funding to undertake the process... The virus could also delay the start of their NDC development if it impacts the capacity of partner organisations and funders to release funding.”'

Read Climate Home News with quotes from Anna Schulz

A dead monkey sold as bushmeat hangs outside a villager’s house in north-east Gabon. Photograph: Christine Nesbitt/AP

The Guardian

'Tip of the iceberg': is our destruction of nature responsible for COVID-19?

As habitat and biodiversity loss increase globally, the coronavirus outbreak may be just the beginning of mass pandemics.

“The longer term – given that new infectious diseases will likely continue to spread rapidly into and within cities – calls for an overhaul of current approaches to urban planning and development.”

Read The Guardian with quotes from Cecilia Tacoli

The densely packed favelas of Rio de Janeiro, climb into the mountains. Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro has caused confusion with public comments on the coronavirus that have contradicted the global consensus as well as his own health officials (Photo: Chris Jones, via Flickr, CC BY-NC 2.0)

Blog by Diana Mitlin

Dealing with COVID-19 in the towns and cities of the global South

Diana Mitlin looks at the particular challenges the COVID-19 outbreak will pose to people living in informal settlements, what steps can be taken to reach the populations in need, and how community organisation networks can be supported to scale up their efforts.

Read her blog now

Thailand has been closing down schools, shopping malls and entertainment venues to stem the spread of the coronavirus [Diego Azubel/EPA]

Al Jazeera

Bangkok slum residents prepare for worst as virus grips Thailand

People who live in Khlong Toey worry not only about the virus, but whether they will be able to support their families.

"The vast majority of the urban poor do not have access to formal employment but rely on casual jobs which only provide meagre incomes. This means that current prescriptions – from washing hands frequently to social isolation and working from home – are unrealistic."

Read Al Jazeera with quotes from Cecilia Tacoli

A member of the India delegation attends a plenary session during the U.N. Climate Change Conference (COP25) in Madrid, Spain December 13, 2019. REUTERS/Susana Vera

Thomson Reuters Foundation News

Coronavirus sparks soul-searching over travel-heavy climate diplomacy

Some fear replacing global climate conferences with online meetings or slimming them down could exclude the poorest.

"Some African government officials tasked with climate diplomacy cannot get online in their offices or the connection quality is not good enough to enable them to participate in a meeting that could last several days."

Read Thomson Reuters Foundation News with quotes from Anna Schulz and Saleemul Huq

Hand washing in a bucket Photo: UNICEF | UNI313626 | Ojo

Briefing

Key Considerations: COVID-19 in Informal Urban Settlements

This briefing sets out key considerations for protecting informal urban settlements from the spread and impacts of COVID-19. There is heightened concern about these settings because of the combination of population density and limited infrastructure. This briefing discusses what is known about vulnerabilities and how to support local action.

It was developed for Science in Humanitarian Action Platform (SSHAP) by the Institute of Development Studies (IDS) with contributions from IIED and others.

Download the briefing

Slum in Buenos Aires, Argentina (copyright dpa picture alliance/Alamy Stock Photo)

IIED annual review

Delivering Change

Not all of our news is about coronoavirus. Did you know that we're researching how to make slum upgrading more green in Buenos Aires, under a project spanning cities across Argentina, Brazil and Mexico? The goal of that project is to make cities more inclusive, sustainable and biodiverse.

Read about the project on page 12 of our annual review