Public Governance, Livelihoods and Vulnerability in the Context of the Covid-19 Pandemic and Other Disasters

Abstract

In this Special Issue of the African Journal of Governance and Development (AJGD),contributions from across the continent explore several issues around livelihoods, vulnerability and public governance in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. We believe that the pandemic requires a public governance approach defined by an ability of state and non-state institutions to collaboratively respond efficiently and effectively to the real needs of the citizenry. For this to happen, as the narrative in this Special Issue suggests, an understanding of our common humanity and interdependence is vital; genuine political will and commitment to the promotion of public health strategies is critical and a research agenda in which experts participate in scholarly debates and academic discourses is encouraged. On a more practical level authors suggest that policies, programmes, strategies and resources ought to be mobilized and directed towards building the resilience of the most vulnerable in our society taking into consideration local variations and people’s expectations in a way that promotes sustainable livelihoods.