In the last three decades, six billion people worldwide have been affected by over 10,700 disasters, from earthquakes, floods, and storms to hurricanes, landslides and more, according to data from the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction. Moreover, the world is not adequately prepared to face increasing disasters, said a new report, calling for a rethink on global risk management.
In 2015, the international community adopted global goals to lower casualties and damage by 2030 by investing in risk evaluation and reduction, and disaster preparedness in a declaration known as the "Sendai Framework."
However, it is "doubtful we will meet the Sendai Framework goals by 2030 given current trends," said the International Science Council report, which includes dozens of scientific organizations.
Floods and storms, exacerbated by climate change, top the list of disasters and account for 42% of the total.
The cascading disasters are "setting back hard-won development gains in many parts of the world," the report says.
"Far too little attention and investment are put to long-term planning and prevention, from strengthening building codes to adopting hazard alert systems," said Peter Gluckman, president of the ISC.
He added that this lack of preparedness comes even as the international community quickly mobilizes after disasters like the recent earthquake in Türkiye and Syria.
Mami Mizutori, the U.N. special representative for disaster risk reduction, said, "the multiple challenges of the last three years have laid bare the fundamental need for greater global readiness for the next disaster."
"We need to reinforce our infrastructure, communities, and ecosystems now rather than rebuild them in the aftermath," she added.
The report additionally drew attention to resource allocation issues. For example, only 5.2% of aid for developing countries for disaster response between 2011 and 2022 was dedicated to risk reduction. The rest was allocated to relief and post-disaster reconstruction.
The ISC calls for the widespread deployment of early warning systems, noting that 24 hours notice of a storm could reduce damage by 30%.
A report released in late January by the U.N. General Assembly also noted that countries were not on track to meet goals under the Sendai framework.
Not only is the number of people affected by disasters increasing yearly, but so is the direct damage, which reached an average of $330 billion annually from 2015-2021.
