Promoting the Multi-hazard Approach: Challenges and Opportunities

The world has been struggling to respond to multiple hazards during the Covid-19 pandemic. The pandemic along with simultaneously occurring disasters can cause cascading effects on various areas, such as employment, education, economic activities, finance, and human mobility. Managing the Covid-19 pandemic and reducing compound risks require a multi-hazard approach because the health sector alone cannot respond adequately. This study aims to propose methods for promoting a multi-hazard approach by studying cases of responses to Covid-19 and the management of disasters during the pandemic in selected countries. Countermeasures differ by disaster but share many similar aspects. It was found that some economies with developed institutions and legislations as a result of years of learning from natural disasters, could use the mechanisms of managing such disasters to respond effectively to the Covid-19 pandemic. Moreover, most economies in Asia could control the spread of Covid-19 infections during typhoon and flood disasters. The formulated evacuation guidelines and information and communications technology functioned well to manage the pandemic during disasters. Integrating knowledge of different disciplines, which are obtained from experience of managing various disasters, can contribute to reduce compound risks caused by multiple hazards.