In January, I attended the 30^th commemoration of the Great Hanshin earthquake as a citizen, recalling how devastated I felt to see my hometown completed flattened. The 6.9 magnitude earthquake that struck in 1995 claimed over 6,400 lives and caused $130 billion in economic damages. Three decades later, I know that we became more risk proof and resilient.  

The world is facing an unprecedented rise in the number and intensity of disasters. Last year alone, 393 natural hazard-related disasters were recorded globally. They left 45.8 million people internally displaced, and inflicted $320 billion in economic damages. Floods in Valencia, wildfires in Los Angeles, heatwaves in the Middle East, cyclones in the Caribbean – no country or region is safe.  

Disaster risks that are not anticipated or managed can undo years of development progress in poverty reduction, health, education, gender equality and economic growth. In 2015, the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction was adopted by the UN member states to guide efforts for managing and reducing disaster risks. Since then, early warning systems have saved millions of lives, investments have bolstered resilience, and many countries have improved risk governance.  

Yet, the pace of action lags the escalating risks and impacts of disasters. 

As the 8^th session of the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (GPDRR) convenes in Geneva, the priority is clear: we must deepen our collective commitment to manage current and future risks, prioritize inclusivity, and accelerate action for a sustainable future. 

What if we were to only build schools or roads after asking: What could go wrong if a flood or an earthquake occurred? Who would be affected? How can we reduce that risk now, rather than repairing the damage later?  

This is what risk-informed development means: planning with the possibility of disasters from the start to better anticipate and respond to them.  

In Bangladesh, a Digital Risk Information Platform guides the selection of sites for hospitals and schools. Combined with early warning systems, elevated storm shelters and women-led preparedness networks, the results have been transformational, from 300,000 fatalities in 1970’s Cyclone Bhola to 20 in 2020’s Cyclone Amphan. 

By making risk-informed development integral to their national plans and strategies, countries can manage interconnected risks, like the possibility of a drought leading to food shortages or conflicts over scarce water resources. This is what governments across the Western Sahel region are doing by integrating disaster risk in their national budgets, and training 5,500 government officials to implement disaster risk reduction programmes. 

Strong public-private collaboration is key to develop and scale solutions. Through private sector innovation and finance, we can accelerate infrastructure development, create better insurance models and bring new technologies.   

Get Airports Ready for Disaster (GARD) is a public-private-development sector partnership equipping airports to manage large volumes of humanitarian aid and personnel during disaster response. Since 2009, more than 60 airports have been prepared across 28 countries, training over 1,650 airport and disaster management professionals. 

Disasters do not impact everyone in the same way – systemic inequalities amplify risks and consequences. To build resilience, every government, community and individual must have equitable access to resources and information, especially early warning systems that provide vital information and time to prepare against impending disasters.  

Like Malawi’s Modernized Climate Information and Early Warning System (M-CLIMES), which is using an array of technologies to help farmers and fisherfolk secure their livelihoods, and give communities time to prepare and evacuate during floods and storms. Or Georgia’s multi-hazard early warning system, which provides real-time alerts on floods, landslides and avalanches to 1.7 million people. 

Equally important is education and training. An initiative to strengthen school preparedness for tsunami in the Asia-Pacific region has conducted evacuation drills with over 220,000 students, teachers and community members across 24 countries, ensuring that everyone has the skills and knowledge to protect themselves. In the Maldives, I saw firsthand the immediate impact of these trainings on school teachers and students as they learned how to prepare for such unforeseen events. 

Urban areas are the engines of growth. Yet they are also ground zero for disaster risk, as many residents, especially in developing countries, live in highly vulnerable informal or unplanned settlements. 

It is estimated that two-thirds of urban infrastructure needed by 2050 is yet to be built. We must take this opportunity to “build right”. This is happening now in 15 Small Island Developing States (SIDS), where nature-based solutions are reducing the impact of pollution and extreme weather events. 

When recovering from a disaster, it is important that we plan to rebuild better and stronger. After the devastating 2022 floods that affected 33 million people, the Government of Pakistan prepared a comprehensive Resilient Recovery, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Framework to guide the country’s recovery. It prioritized plans for government authorities and communities to anticipate and withstand future shocks, helping mobilize $10.9 billion in aid pledges.  

Through such initiatives, UNDP is bringing risk-informed development from policy to practice. Our teams work side by side with communities, governments, private sector and development partners to design, finance and deliver solutions.  

As disasters increasingly become a global phenomenon, affecting both developed and developing countries, there is much to learn from each other’s experiences. South-South, North-South and South-North exchanges of knowledge, technology and best practices are vital to ensure that progress in disaster risk reduction benefits communities everywhere.