Interconnected disaster risks: Turning over a new leaf (2025 report)

The 2025 Interconnected Disaster Risks report shifts focus from diagnosing problems to mapping out solutions. It establishes that many of today’s solutions are surface-level fixes, and that to create lasting change, we need to question the societal structures and mindsets that perpetuate these challenges. The report offers a more holistic analysis of what lies at the heart of human actions, and how true change can be achieved, and it also gives real-world examples of positive changes that have been made around the world and can serve as a model and source of inspiration.

The previous edition of Interconnected Disaster Risks had warned about irreversible risk tipping points, and this year the authors picked up where the last report left off by developing a path forward: The Theory of Deep Change (ToDC). Presented in a U shape, this theory takes problems the world experiences and dives down to their root causes, identifying the structures and assumptions in society that allow those problems to persist. The report outlines five areas where deep systemic changes are urgently needed:

• Rethink waste: From trash to treasure;
• Realign with nature: From separation to harmony;
• Reconsider responsibility: From me to we;
• Reimagine the future: From seconds to centuries;
• Redefine value: From economic wealth to planetary health.