Introduction

ABSTRACT

The COVID-19 pandemic has certainly been an extraordinary-albeit not entirely unpredictable-event that has profoundly affected various domains of society, right across the globe. Millions of lives have been endangered and lost, livelihoods have been threatened in both developed and developing nations, governance and business patterns have been severely tested and profoundly altered. A concerted effort to decipher the underlying dynamics at the core of this truly global crisis is essential to nurture the chance for a better future, in which international cooperation may be consistently fostered, development may be finally conceived as a holistic pursuit and our species' relationship with nature may be sustainably rebalanced. © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021.