The global cost of disasters is growing: The economic burden of disasters is intensifying. While the direct costs of disasters averaged $70–80 billion a year between 1970 and 2000, between 2001 and 2020 these annual costs grew significantly to $180–200 billion. But the real cost is far higher. Disaster costs …
Climate finance is vital to combat the climate crisis. A new study shows that annual climate finance flows surpassed USD 1 trillion for the first time in 2021, six years after the Paris Agreement was adopted in 2015. However, flows must increase by at least five-fold annually by 2030 to …
A 25% rise in food insecurity increases the risk of conflict by 36%, while a 25% increase in the number of people without access to clean water increases the likelihood of conflict by 18%, says Institute for Economics and Peace. The Ecological Threat Report (ETR) analyses ecological threats globally and …
Through 14 case studies from climate-hit communities in Africa, Asia and the Pacific Islands, this multi-author resource reveals the true impact of ‘non-economic loss and damage’. Unlike the destruction of infrastructure or assets, these harms cannot be easily quantified and are often overlooked. But the consequences of losing traditional ways …
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP) warn that acute food insecurity is likely to deteriorate further in 18 hunger hotspots – comprising a total of 22 countries or territories including 2 regional clusters – during the outlook period from November …
The Wildlife Justice Commission is publishing a new report on the convergence of wildlife crime with other forms of organised crime: Convergence of wildlife crime with other forms of organised crime: A 2023 Review. This report builds on the first crime convergence report, published in 2021, which analysed a set …
The COP28 Presidency, the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), and the Global Renewables Alliance (GRA) launched a joint report on the sidelines of the Pre-COP event in Abu Dhabi, titled “Tripling Renewable Power and Doubling Energy Efficiency by 2030: Crucial Steps Towards 1.5 °C.” The report provides actionable policy recommendations …
Natural disasters are inevitable, but humanitarian and economic losses are determined largely by policy preferences and institutional underpinnings that shape the quality of public infrastructure (including emergency responses and healthcare services) and govern business practices and the adherence to building codes. In this paper, empirically investigate whether corruption increases the …
Climate change disproportionately impacts people living in poverty, threatening to plunge more than 130 million more people into extreme poverty by the end of this decade. In response, governments seek to align poverty alleviation efforts with climate adaptation and mitigation objectives, and are focusing on poor and vulnerable populations, particularly …
India is expected to meet its 2030 target to have half of its electricity capacity be non-fossil well before the end of the decade, according to this IEA’s new World Energy Outlook 2023. The World Energy Outlook 2023 provides in-depth analysis and strategic insights into every aspect of the global …
This working paper provides an overview of the landscape of intergovernmental cooperation on climate change mitigation efforts across sectors. The analysis of over 90 initiatives – alliances and partnerships – can help guide future efforts in enhancing intergovernmental cooperation for climate action.
A mounting global water crisis threatens $58 trillion in economic value, food security and sustainability, according to this new report by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). Water, the world's most precious yet undervalued resource, lies at the heart of a mounting global crisis that threatens both human and …
Urban forests, trees and green spaces play a pivotal role in enhancing the quality of urban life, but their benefits are still not equally accessible to all, according to this new report from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Launched at the 2nd World Forum on …
Over the last 30 years, an estimated $3.8 trillion worth of crops and livestock production has been lost due to disaster events, corresponding to an average loss of $123 billion per year or 5 percent of annual global agricultural gross domestic product (GDP), according to this new report released by …
This is the eighteenth annual publication of the Global Hunger Index (GHI), a report jointly published by Concern Worldwide and Welthungerhilfe. The GHI series of reports tracks the state of hunger – worldwide and country by country – and spotlights those regions and countries where action to address hunger is …
The hydrological cycle is spinning out of balance as a result of climate change and human activities, according to the WMO State of Global Water Resources Report 2022, which provides an extensive assessment of global water resources. Droughts and extreme rainfall events are wreaking a heavy toll on lives and …
The Asian Disaster Reduction Center (ADRC) publishes the Natural Disaster Databook annually to provide statistical and analytical perspectives of disaster data. For its 2022 issue, ADRC used the data from the Emergency Event Database (EM-DAT) downloaded on 16 May 2023 to analyze the number of occurrences, deaths, people affected, and …
New figures clarify the workforce challenge facing the global wind industry with nearly 600,000 technicians needed during the next five years – with more than 240,000 of these roles new recruits to the industry. The Global Wind Organisation (GWO) and Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) have published their latest joint …
Over the last five years fossil fuels have met only half of the new demand for energy globally, despite a rapid buildout of renewable capacity, according to DNV’s Energy Transition Outlook. The report finds that between 2017-2022 renewables met 51% of new energy demand, whilst the remaining demand was supplied …
Weather-related disasters caused 43.1 million internal displacements of children in 44 countries over a six-year period – or approximately 20,000 child displacements a day - according to this new UNICEF analysis. Children Displaced in a Changing Climate is the first global analysis of the number of children driven from their …
In 2019, WHO estimated that 6.7 million premature deaths could be attributed to ambient and household air pollution from particulate matter (particles with a diameter less than 2.5 μm, PM2.5. Of the 4.2 million deaths attributed specifically to ambient air pollution exposures. In 2021, WHO updated its air quality guidelines …
