WorldRiskReport 2011: Are disasters preventable?

The focal topic of the WorldRiskReport 2011 is governance and civil socitey. The report examines the natural hazards related issues at the global level and draws conclusions for future actions in assistance, policy and reporting. The core of the WorldRiskReport is the WorldRiskIndex, which was developed on behalf of the Bündnis Entwicklung Hilft by the United Nations University Institute for Environment and Human Security in Germany. The WorldRiskIndex indicates the probability that a country or region will be affected by a disaster. This includes floods, storms, earthquakes and droughts, which, according to the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR, 2004) contribute to 74 per cent of all natural hazards.

This report thus contributes to both identifying the aspects that urgently require research in order to better understand and evaluating the interaction between natural hazards and the affected society. Combined with the modular structure of the WorldRiskIndex, this process allows for the continuous improvement of the present risk analysis in the coming years.