Multi-Hazard Emergency Response for Geological Hazards Amid the Evolving COVID-19 Pandemic: Good Practices and Lessons Learned from Earthquake Disaster Management in Greece

Spyridon Mavroulis, Maria Mavrouli, Asimina Kourou, Thekla Thoma and Efthymis Lekkas
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Spyridon Mavroulis: Department of Dynamic Tectonic Applied Geology, Faculty of Geology and Geoenvironment, School of Sciences, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis Zografou, 15784 Athens, Greece
Maria Mavrouli: Department of Microbiology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
Asimina Kourou: Earthquake Planning and Protection Organization, 15451 Athens, Greece
Thekla Thoma: Earthquake Planning and Protection Organization, 15451 Athens, Greece
Efthymis Lekkas: Department of Dynamic Tectonic Applied Geology, Faculty of Geology and Geoenvironment, School of Sciences, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis Zografou, 15784 Athens, Greece

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 14, 1-24

Abstract: Since the beginning of 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused unprecedented global disruption with considerable impact on human activities. However, natural hazards and related disasters do not wait for SARS-CoV-2 to vanish, resulting in the emergence of many conflicting issues between earthquake emergency response actions and pandemic mitigation measures. In this study, these conflicting issues are highlighted through the cases of four earthquakes that struck Greece at different phases of the pandemic. The earthquake effects on the local population and on the natural environment and building stock form ideal conditions for local COVID-19 outbreaks in earthquake-affected communities. However, the implementation of response actions and mitigation measures in light of a multi-hazard approach to disaster risk reduction and disaster risk management has led not only to the maintenance of pre-existing low viral load in the earthquake-affected areas, but in some cases even to their reduction. This fact suggests that the applied measures are good practice and an important lesson for improving disaster management in the future. Taking into account the aforementioned, a series of actions are proposed for the effective management of the impact of a geological hazard in the midst of an evolving biological hazard with epidemiological characteristics similar to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Keywords: earthquake emergency; COVID-19 pandemic; hazard interaction; compound emergencies; multi-hazard management; emergency shelters (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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