Managing Sustainability in Times of Uncertainty

Dear Colleagues,

The world has observed several natural disasters (Earthquakes, Tsunami, Floods, Draughts, etc.) and man-made hazards (Gas Leaks, Chemical Explosions, Oil Spill, etc.) in recent years that have had a significant impact on the lives and economies of the affected regions. Currently, the whole world is going through a very turbulent phase due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. This pandemic has brought the world economy to a standstill that has never been seen before. Financial markets across the globe are struggling, millions have lost their jobs, global supply chains have been disrupted, many manufacturing facilities are completely shut, tourism and service sector, in general, is going through one of the worst phases, and transportation (including road, rail, naval and air) and the people movement are at minimal. Many economies have suffered severe damages, are ongoing and perhaps would take years to return to the growth trajectory. However, this uncertainty on the other hand has managed to halt the utilization of natural resources, reduced pollution, and mitigate climate-related risks. In fact, COVID-19 has offered an opportunity to reset and reshape the world in a more sustainable way. Challenges in all sectors to turn activities to the online platforms and home-office models can lead us to rethink the necessary elements we consider essential for productivity. All these facts compel us to think about how the ongoing uncertainty would affect sustainability initiatives around the globe during uncertain situations during pandemics and other severe uncertainties.

Whatever the reason of the disaster or hazard is, it might affect many sectors negatively. For instance, COVID-19 has created such effects on different sectors. The road transport sector is affected significantly because many countries have placed restrictions on domestic transit and/or closed border crossings to prevent the spread of the virus. The automotive industry has been affected by factory closures, supply chain disruption, and a drastic decrease in demand. Besides, the automotive industry suppliers, usually small and medium enterprises, are also under risk. Differently, the food retail sector has emerged as a significant front line service during the Covid-19 pandemic. Since it is essential to ensure food supply and safe food for consumers, it is critical to prepare trained and adequate numbers of food workers. The education sector has been challenged to fast adaption into distance teaching models when almost all schools/universities are closed around the world. The most significant issue is the strong need for sustainability in the health system. To have a resilient and sustainable health system, a healthy workforce, suitable working conditions, the existence of personal protective equipment as well as social dialogue, are critical. Tourism is another primary sector in which COVID-19 has dramatically affected. By considering relevant international labor standards (ILO), employer and worker representatives are required tomanage sustainable tourism. It is evident that to have a sustainable economy; it is critical to developing a sustainable infrastructure to cope up with pandemics and other uncertainties such as those caused by natural/man-made hazards.

Inspired by the current opportunity, this special issue seeks to invite submissions that focus on understanding the impact of uncertainties such as pandemics and natural/man-made hazards on sustainability across all sectors. We are particularly keen on papers that are theoretically driven and empirically grounded. We may consider comprehensive literature review papers only if they throw a different light around the core SI theme by clearly showing the value of the work and creating a pathway for driving future research agenda. Mathematical modeling work will not be preferred unless a real practical application is evident. Some of the themes that we are keen to receive submissions are but not limited to;

• Pandemics and its impact on sustainability initiatives of different sectors (such as healthcare, road transport, agriculture and food security, education sector, food retail , tourism and public emergency services)
• Role and impact of industry 4.0 technologies on sustainability during uncertain times (e.g. pandemics, natural disasters or man-made hazards).
• Challenges of implementing sustainability initiatives during uncertainties
• Impact of sustainability efforts on supply chain risks
• Exploring sustainability and resilience relationship during uncertain situations
• Novel business models for sustainability
• Impacts of landscape management and product or service design in tourism to mitigate risks imposed by uncertainties
• Innovative engineering tools and techniques to manage supply chain sustainability during uncertainties
• Transforming conventional supply chains to resilient supply chains during pandemics and other uncertain situations
• Understanding the behavioral aspect and social sustainability perspectives
• Cost implications for sustainability during pandemics and uncertainties
• The impact of uncertainties on SME’s supply chains and its implications for sustainability

Prof. Dr. Vikas Kumar
Dr. Banu Yetkin Ekren
Dr. Agung Sutrisno
Dr. Daiane Neutzling
Dr. Siwarit Pongsakornrungsilp
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• sustainability
• pandemics
• natural disasters
• man-made hazards
• Industry 4.0
• supply chain risks and resilience
• industrial sectors