Most disasters that could occur have not happened yet.

In this video, explore five major hazard types that countries must prepare for today to secure a resilient future.

A hazard is a process, phenomenon, or human activity that may cause loss of life, injury, or other health impacts, property damage, social and economic disruption, or environmental degradation.

The classification schemes for hazards vary across different research institutions and governments, but these can be divided into five categories.

Watch now to learn more about these categories and understand why proactive measures are essential for ensuring long-term resilience.

What is exposure?

Short-sighted decisions like expanding cities into wild lands, building chemical plants in flood plains, and developing houses on active volcano slopes put millions at risk.

In this video, learn how exposure to hazards, exacerbated by climate change, can increase disaster losses.

As more people and assets are exposed to hazards, disaster losses increase.

If a hazard occurs in an area of no exposure, then there is no risk.

Learn how regulating land use and considering present and future risks in development can help protect people and create safer communities.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: https://www.preventionweb.net/understanding-disaster-risk/component-risk/exposure

“Adapt or die!” In this video, learn three reasons governments need to adopt national strategies for disaster risk reduction.

By investing in disaster risk reduction strategies, governments can secure the well-being and resilience of future generations.

https://www.preventionweb.net/understanding-disaster-risk/business-case-for-DRR :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

“Adapt or die!” In this video, learn three reasons governments need to adopt national strategies for disaster risk reduction.

By investing in disaster risk reduction strategies, governments can secure the well-being and resilience of future generations.

https://www.preventionweb.net/understanding-disaster-risk/component-risk/hazard

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As water shortages and drought become increasingly common, cities need to ensure that communities are resilient to water scarcity pressures.

https://www.preventionweb.net/news/populations-grow-how-will-thirsty-cities-survive-their-drier-futures :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::.

Early action saves lives.

This is how humanitarian funding must change to keep up with increasing disaster risk.

https://www.preventionweb.net/understanding-disaster-risk/key-concepts/anticipatory-action ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Experts from around the world have defined a list of hazards to help policymakers improve #DRR policies and better manage risk.

Read this report to learn more :

https://www.undrr.org/publication/hazard-information-profiles-hips ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Local strategies for disaster risk reduction need detailed assessments of risk, including systemic risk.

Data collection is an essential part of good risk governance. #ItsAllAboutGovernance

https://www.preventionweb.net/understanding-disaster-risk/disaster-losses-and-statistics :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Why is it so hard to predict an earthquake?
No scientific method exists to reliably predict where and when an earthquake might occur.

But scientists can forecast earthquakes. A forecast can tell us the likelihood of a future earthquake in a given region.

It can tell us how big the quakes could be and how frequently they could occur over a specific period.

Disasters can wipe away years of development efforts in just a few hours.

Communities in least developed countries (LDCs) are among those most at risk. In 2020, disasters displaced 8.5 million people in LDCs.

Many LDCs face a complex risk landscape.

A new study identifying regions around the world where people are most at risk from flooding caused by melting glaciers could help save vulnerable lives.

https://www.preventionweb.net/news/new-research-reveals-global-dangers-glacial-flooding

Too much or too little water? 75 % of disasters are water-related, according to UN Water.

The decisions we make can either reduce or increase water risks.

https://www.undrr.org/implementing-sendai-framework/sendai-framework-action/water-risks-and-resilience

Most disaster damage in the world is caused by events that go largely unnoticed.

Between 1990 and 2013, 99.7% of disasters were small-scale events.

Each event may take fewer than 30 lives or may destroy fewer than 5,000 homes.

But collectively they can be as damaging as the large disasters we all hear about. Read more: https://www.preventionweb.net/understanding-disaster-risk/key-concepts/intensive-extensive-risk

Here are five key factors affecting the impact of an earthquake

.- 1) The magnitude or size of the earthquake .- 2) The depth of the seismic activity .- 3) Local geologic conditions .- 4) The density of the area affected .- 5) The quality of the construction

Ugly, smelly and toxic.

Harmful algal blooms are naturally present in most aquatic environment but they are growing larger and more severe posing risks to human health, ecosystems, and even economies.

Algal blooms frequency increased by 59% between 2003 and 2020.

Their growth is driven by pollution from agricultural runoffs, wastewater and stormwater discharge and other human-related factors.

The equivalent of 18 months’ rainfall fell on one Greek village over 24 hours.

Storm Daniel delivered 750 mm of rain to Zagora, Greece, on 5-6 September 2023.

Mediterranean super-storms have been called ‘medicanes’ combining the words ‘Mediterranean’ with ‘hurricane’.

Storm Daniel unleashed devastation across Bulgaria, Türkiye, Greece and Libya.

Howling winds reached 85km/h, and torrential rain destroyed infrastructure, displacing thousands.

Libya suffered 20,000+ deaths when dams burst, flooding residential areas.

Medicanes’ infrequency means climate models have little data to draw on, making them difficult to study and predict.

Countries must prepare for a future with more extreme weather, and infrastructure must be built to last.

Desert dust storms are causing a public health crisis.

Humans have contended with them for thousands of years.

But modern desert dust storms differ from their preindustrial counterparts.

ResilienceForAll

https://www.preventionweb.net/news/desert-dust-storms-carry-human-made-toxic-pollutants-and-health-risk-extends-indoors

Keeping track of hazardous events, disaster losses and damages is an essential element of our understanding of risk.

This serves as a key decision-support tool for planning for and benchmarking progress in risk reduction, adaptation and resilience building.

In the last few decades, considerable progress has been made in systematically assessing and tracking disaster losses and damages.

Can trains run safely if telecommunication systems are down?

Will an electricity blackout disrupt the supply of clean water?

Our societies rely on complex and interdependent infrastructure systems.

But modern infrastructure is vulnerable to failures  which can cascade across interconnected systems.

UNDRR’s Resilient Infrastructure Stress Test helps  governments identify vulnerabilities.

The tool analyses direct and indirect impacts of hazards on infrastructure assets and identifies interdependencies between systems.

The UNDRR stress-testing tool helps realize the Principles for Resilient Infrastructure and is part of the Global Methodology for Infrastructure Resilience Review.

It is developed by UNDRR with the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI).

Learn more about the Resilient Infrastructure Stress Test at https://www.undrr.org/

ResilienceForAll

Will you be able to evacuate ahead of the storm?

Can you afford the repairs on your house after the flood?

We are not equal in the face of disaster risk.

For some – an inconvenience. For others – a deadly disaster

#ResilienceForAll | #BreakTheCycle | IDDRR 2023

More about the 2023 International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction: https://iddrr.undrr.org/

Want to know why 2019 was worse than expected?

Find out here, and see what we did to help save and improve millions of lives with the support of donors, partners and affected communities.

When responding to a crisis, why should we care about listening to people who are affected?

Community engagement shouldn't be optional.

More than 20 million people in Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan and Yemen are at a risk of famine over the coming six months.

UN agencies and their humanitarian partners are scaling up the response to avert a catastrophe, but the necessary funds and access to do so are required immediately.

OCHA delivers its mandate through coordination, information management, humanitarian financing, advocacy and policy.

OCHA mobilizes humanitarian assistance for people in need.