Speaker: Gillian MareeTopic: In light of the COVID-19 outbreak, the Gauteng City Region Observatory (GCRO) opened up an area of research compiling data and visualisations to inform disaster response planning. The work has focused on the spatial distribution of some key risks and vulnerabilities in communities at a ward level. As an initial response GCRO dedicated its March 2020 Map of the Month to understanding the localised risk factors that might contribute to the spread of COVID-19, and might amplify its health and socio-economic impact in Gauteng communities. The work continues beyond this Map of the Month publication and we hope to deepen our analysis by exploring aspects of the socio-economic impact of COVID-19.  A key part of this project is to collaborate with our government partners and other key stakeholders in Gauteng.
Speaker Bio: Gillian Maree is a Senior Researcher with the GCRO. Her research interests lie at the intersection of research and policy making, and her current research focuses on water security and governance as well as urban environmental planning. Gillian is project managing the COVID-19 research work within the GCRO.