COVID-19 pandemic increasing disparities, social fragmentation; threatening economy, geopolitical stability: WEF study

The COVID-19 pandemic has not only claimed millions of lives, it is also increasing disparities and social fragmentation, while it will threaten the economy in the next 3-5 years and will weaken geopolitical stability over the next 5-10 years, a study showed on January 19, In its annual Global Risks Report, the World Economic Forum (WEF) also termed ‘infectious diseases’ as the biggest risk in terms of impact for the next decade, while ‘extreme weather’ tops the chart for risks in terms of likelihood. The report, released ahead of the virtual ‘Davos Agenda’ summit of the WEF from January 25-29 that would be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi among other global leaders, said the world needs to wake up to long-term risks, after witnessing in 2020 the catastrophic effects of ignoring long-term risks such as pandemics, which is now an immediate risk.