Risk-informed development: Why it matters

This publication covers adopting a risk-informed development (RID) perspective as crucial to safeguard development gains, foster resilience, and leave no one behind. RID aims to improve decision-making in all areas and sectors of development to consider existing and future risks. This emphasizes the importance of mainstreaming risk considerations into all decision-making to contribute to RID, as it offers great opportunities for improving development outcomes and building resilience in a rapidly changing world. By working together across sectors and adopting a risk-informed approach to development, we can achieve a more sustainable and resilient future for all of society.  

Key messages from the publication include:

• Focusing on Future development pathways: Going forward, safeguarding development achievements and the progress fostered  by international agendas such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Paris Agreement or the Sendai  Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (2015 – 2030) relies on our understanding of risks and the integration of risk considerations in development decision-making;
• Understanding Interdependence of risk: In a world of increasing inter connectivity – whether between sectors, countries or individuals – risks can no longer be managed in isolation but need to be treated as an inevitable component of complex and inter connected systems; 
• Transforming to Risk-Informed Development: Disaster risk reduction is not enough –  we need to transform our development pathways to risk-informed development.