In my quest for insights on our future post-pandemic, I stumbled upon a compelling Dutch publication titled ‘Als risico’s viraal gaan: Welke wereld na corona?’. Despite the language barrier, the core ideas of this book are too important not to discuss. It delves into the ‘when risks go viral world after corona’, offering perspectives on how our society can navigate and thrive in the aftermath of the COVID-19 crisis. The themes it explores are crucial for anyone interested in understanding the transformations we’re undergoing and how we can emerge stronger.
The author underlines the significance of our decisions in the wake of Corona, emphasizing the pivotal role of policy for a better future. Highlighted in “When Risks Go Viral: World After Corona” is the critique of reverting to previous norms. The pandemic exposes the pitfalls of unilateral globalization and compels us to reconsider our approach to climate risks and other 21st-century challenges. The text probes the potential for societal change post-lockdown, questioning if individuals will adapt to new behaviors or attempt to return to the pre-pandemic status quo. This exploration is central to understanding the transformative opportunities presented in the “World After Corona,” urging a reevaluation of our global and environmental strategies.
Table of contents
Post-Corona World: Applying Ulrich Beck’s Insights on Risk
In the wake of recent global events, the concept of the risk society, as proposed by Ulrich Beck in “Risikogesellschaft. Auf dem Weg in eine andere Moderne,” gains renewed relevance. Beck’s theory provides invaluable insights into understanding the crisis we face today, particularly in the context of “when risks go viral: world after corona.” He defines risk societies as those grappling with self-inflicted dangers that, though initially unseen, hold the potential to obliterate life on Earth. This framework becomes crucial in analyzing underlying causes and comprehending the full scope of challenges the world confronts in the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic. Beck’s perspectives help dissect the complexities of a society navigating through risks gone viral, urging a reevaluation of our global resilience and adaptability in the face of existential threats.
Building on Beck, Geldof analyzes in his book “Onzekerheid. Over leven in de risicomaatschappij” (“Uncertainty. About living in the risk society”) the transition to the global risk society with four major axes:
- Risk increasingly dominates personal, social, and political agendas.
- The social struggle is shifting from a distribution of wealth to a distribution of risks.
- The social structures of the 20th century do not match today’s risks.
- Risks are increasingly moving beyond the boundaries of nations and states and are becoming more global.
Risk staging in a Viral World: Strategies for the Aftermath of Corona
Understanding risk staging is essential here: there is a blurring of objectively measurable risks versus the subjective, culturally determined perception of those risks. The latter is the perception of the risks by experts, politicians, the media, and the public. Risk definition becomes a power struggle between the actors from their different positions. This results in underestimation, taking seriously, or overestimating the risks.
Lessons from the Corona Crisis: Identifying Key Insights for Future Risks
Some things that stuck with me from this essay are the following lessons identified:
- Analyzing risks also means analyzing the functioning of our society’s institutions. In the case of the coronavirus, these include health systems and organizations, both national and international.
- Mobility makes us vulnerable not only to diseases but also to the climate via the fossil fuels to generate energy.
- As “rich countries,” we hugely depend on “poor countries” due to growing globalization.
- The insurance system is outdated and needs an update to align with modern-day requirements. Some risks become unpredictable, i.e., no longer compensable and uninsurable.
- Global risks are becoming limitless in space and time.
- There is a growing awareness—quite late—among both politicians and the population that doing nothing is no longer an option. Climate risks have been neglected for two decades despite their urgency. It’s frustrating to see them pushed aside for polluting sectors. It’s time for action to prioritize the health of the planet.
- Therefore, it remains to be seen when societies will take unanimous measures to limit or avoid certain risks.
- The risk of new pandemics will never completely disappear.
- It can be helpful to determine how globalization should develop in the future and how not because it is too risky.
- We often ignore risks, outsource them, or pass them on to future generations.
- COVID-19 should guide us in managing risks better in the 21st century.
- The coronavirus crisis raises questions about other crucial risks we face, such as the refugee crisis, climate change, economic recession, imposed loneliness, tourism revival, and hospitality industry restart, all of which must adapt to a new normal.
- The pandemic has demonstrated that society can be engineered, as evidenced by the unprecedented speed with which the lockdown was primarily complied. Humanity can get everyone on the same page, which shows that the impotence of society’s malleability is a myth.
- During the coronavirus crisis, the position of scientists and experts in society was (temporarily) restored. This is difficult to do in the case of the climate crisis.
- An eye is also needed for the social impact, a 360° view, in addition to the health impact.
- The phasing out of the lockdown measures is more complex than their construction.
- What lessons can we learn from this crisis? Do we compare the cost of subsidies to company cars and the purchase and maintenance of F35 fighter jets with investments in our health care? Which ‘war’ is best to invest in?
- For a long time, there were chronic shortages of protective equipment, of test kits, of testers, and lab capacity. This made society vulnerable, especially hospitals and residential care centers.
- The coronavirus is not democratic: there were clear risk groups, including the poor. How can we address the potential surge in poverty caused by COVID-19? Any suggestions on how to tackle this issue effectively?
- To curb the spread of coronavirus, authorities implemented strict measures and prioritized it over all other risks. This approach created tunnel vision, focusing solely on the coronavirus pandemic. In 2008, the banking crisis disrupted the momentum of climate policy. Now, we face a similar risk of diverting attention from other seemingly less urgent issues. As a result, we may end up wasting precious time that could have been used to tackle other crucial challenges.
- This one-sided approach (isolated approach to the risks) will have disastrous consequences in conjunction with other risks.
- It is important to treat all risks as urgent and take necessary actions promptly to mitigate them.
- Link the economic recovery measures of the corona crisis to the climate measures.
- We also saw in the coronavirus crisis that the pandemic followed several economic chains:
- Tourism
- Production chains
- …
- However, we depend on precisely those production chains to fight the pandemic, e.g., the face masks from China.
- Solidarity is apparently at odds with the free market: the highest bidders, as well as the least moral, prevailed.
- In large-scale crises, strategies emerge in which people and companies use the crisis to implement policies that systematically increase inequality.
- Destroying ecosystems can create ideal conditions for epidemics by pushing animals out of their habitats and into closer contact with humans.
- Learning to deal with crises requires a double movement: allowing risks but taking them seriously to prevent or mitigate them.
- Pulling society back from the lockdown also required taking risks or avoiding them.
- There is a complexity of wicked problems that interact with each other. When taking crisis measures, we must avoid creating new risks and crises.
- Two things are very important to move to a different normality: leadership and science. These, however, suffer from populism. However, society also has malleability and resilience.
- The question was whether and how we should restart society and the economy and what they should look like in the new normal.
- The lockdown has also made it clear which professions matter in our society. Many are underpaid.