Disaster Experts Develop Covid-19 Guidelines for Water-Related Emergencies

The coronavirus pandemic is adding layers of complexity to already difficult decisions about emergency response in the face of storms, floods, droughts, and other water-related disasters.

Earlier this month Cyclone Amphan made landfall in Bangladesh and eastern India. The category 5 storm forced around 3 million people to flee their homes.

With this scenario in mind, a group of disaster experts published guidelines for political leaders and emergency managers so that they can prepare before the storms hit.

Within ten broad principles there are dozens of recommendations, from coordinating between healthcare facilities and disaster managers to writing evacuation and sheltering plans with physical distancing requirements in mind.

The guidelines were developed, with public input, by HELP, a panel of disaster planning experts that the United Nations established in 2007.