Presidential reflection on the current COVID-19 situation and its future impact

Our ongoing work using our science and expertise to build resilience to natural hazards, in disaster risk reduction, and to address the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals has provided us with tools to transfer knowledge and technology, and build capacity, which are relevant to dealing with the pandemic. [...] For example, I recommend the articles in Nature, The President of the ISC’s letter to members, AGU President’s commentary on the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, and COSPAR’s Executive Director’s ‘Moments of Truth’. [...] This makes it timely to take a fresh look at our activities and how we operate, and consider what the IUGG will look like for the next few years, and even further into the future. [...] In the post-pandemic world, should we continue our face-to-face meeting schedule as before? To what extent should we aim to include virtual participation in these meetings? Do we have the right balance between our Union, Association and Commission meetings, and meetings run by other organisations that we co- sponsor? Are these meetings of the appropriate length and held in the places where the max. [...] Do we support them adequately to undertake this task? Does this method serve us in the best possible way to foster the interactions we all need, to advance our science and use it to serve society? Would a set of bespoke approaches, dependent on the organisation, be better than a one-size-fits-all arrangement? We also have looser links with a number of related organisations.