Coronavirus lockdown offers important lessons for global development
- It is clear governments are the leading actors when it comes to containing disease, providing protection to the unemployed and alleviating poverty
- We have to learn and adapt international development practices and research accordingly as this will not be the last crisis of its kind
As with so much else, the Covid-19 pandemic has severely affected international development. How might we use these lessons to reshape the sector rather than returning to the status quo?
In addition to applying scientific knowledge to existing problems – from improving environmental auditing to deploying flood-resistant varieties of rice – we need to accelerate innovations that reduce carbon dioxide emissions and pollution, help communities adapt to climate change and provide access to clean energy. Most importantly, we must pilot and evaluate new initiatives and scale those with the biggest impact.
Extended periods of isolation could exacerbate anxiety, depression and other mental health conditions. Those battling addictions are struggling to get needed support. Rather than hoping these problems simply disappear whenever the lockdowns end, we should acknowledge mental health has long been neglected in policy debates.
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Another lesson is that there can be no substitute for government. In the past decade, many international funders and development organisations have tried to bypass governments, citing corruption or red tape.