The authors argue that disasters are no longer isolated events but manifestations of an interconnected complex risk landscape in which cascading and compounding hazards interact across systems. Drawing on recent examples such as California’s year-round wildfires and Hurricane Helene’s inland flooding, they illustrate how overlapping shocks amplify vulnerability and strain governance capacities. They contend that […]
Updating Mental Models of Risk Read More »
The WorldRiskReport 2025 presents the WorldRiskIndex, which assesses disaster risk across 193 countries by combining exposure to natural hazards with societal vulnerability. The report identifies Asia, Africa, and the Americas as global risk hotspots, with the Philippines, India, and Indonesia ranking highest in overall risk. This edition focuses on flood risk, emphasizing that it is
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This paper argues that, in the context of the Polycrisis, further investment is urgently needed to address the underlying drivers of disaster and climate-related risks. The authors examine the state of arts of the Triple Dividend of Resilience (TDR) framework, a concept that suggests resilience investments yield not only risk reduction benefits from intervention investments,
The 2025 Interconnected Disaster Risks report, Turning Over a New Leaf, calls for transformative societal changes to address escalating global crises. It outlines five essential shifts: rethinking waste, realigning with nature, reconsidering responsibility, reimagining the future, and redefining value to prioritize planetary health over economic growth. The report introduces the Theory of Deep Change, advocating
Interconnected Disaster Risks: Turning Over a New Leaf Read More »
The GAR 2025 report examines the likely future impacts of the world’s costliest hazards by 2050, considering different demographic trends, urbanization patterns, and climate scenarios. Drawing on new modelling tools and dozens of global examples, it warns that continued risk creation will outpace our ability to reduce it unless disaster risk reduction is embedded into
In this episode, Nate Hagens talks with Birgitte Bischoff, the European Regional Director for The Red Cross, about her vision for the future of humanitarian work and the challenges and opportunities for more proactive and prepared planning. They highlight the importance of individual volunteers, and the integration of a systems thinking approach at The Red
Navigating International Crises: The Evolving Challenges for Humanitarian Organizations Read More »
The author discusses the interconnected nature of current global challenges, emphasizing the substantial impact of locally-led, systems-focused approaches in addressing multidimensional issues. He highlights the importance of early-stage local organizations’ firsthand knowledge of their communities, systems mindset, agility, adaptability, and collaborative strategies.
We’re in a polycrisis. Philanthropy should adopt a systems-focused approach. Read More »
This report presents the results of the second iteration of the World Risk Poll Resilience Index. This Index provides a measure of how prepared people and communities worldwide are to handle adversity such as disasters based on their circumstances and perceptions of support systems.
World Risk Poll 2024 Report: Resilience in a Changing World Read More »
This report highlights lessons from new integrated local solutions in the Middle East and North Africa to manage risks and build resilience. It advocates for a new systems orientation to development paradigms and practice to achieve goals of transformational change.
Accelerating the Green Transition: Socioecological Systems and the Future of Development Read More »
This study investigates disaster management practices for complex disasters, emphasizing systemic risk management within community resilience strategies.
