Risk Media Hub

A toolkit for news media professionals reporting on disasters and resilience

As climate risks are manifesting far sooner and with greater intensity than expected, never before has mankind faced such an array of interconnected risks.

The toolkit provides an array of resources to help journalists tell the other side of the disaster story and raise critical questions to help societies become more resilient: What are the drivers of risk? How can development and policy decisions either increase or reduce risks? How do disaster risks cascade across borders and all sectors of society? Why do disasters discriminate and inflict the worst impact on the most vulnerable? And most importantly: How can countries and communities reduce risk and build resilience? 

Disaster risk in the news

Follow the latest research and trends on disaster risk and learn about projects and solutions across the world to reduce risk and increase resilience.

Community announcement

Holcim Foundation Awards 2025

This image shows a group of refugees walking in a cornfield. They are Syrian refugees who are crossing the border to reach the EU.

Research briefs

Weather extremes influence human migration between Mexico and the US

A satellite image of a cyclone shot from space.

Research briefs

Taiwan: How many typhoons will make landfall this year?

Crashed cars and debris on the streets after heavy flash floods in the village of San Llorenc in Mallorca, Spain (2018)

Update

Spain: Extreme downpours rise with climate-heating emissions

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Why report on disaster risk?

Not only do the media play a critical role in disseminating life-saving early warnings, they also help focus attention, set the agenda for public discussion, influence political decisions and public attitudes.

11 reasons to report on DRR

The media shape how the public perceives the risks posed by hazards; these perceptions in turn influence individual and collective choices for risk reduction.

Stop writing about Natural Disasters

Words matter. Describing disasters as natural suggests there is nothing humans can do to reduce disaster risk and mitigate their impact.

Telling the other side of the disaster story

Key questions and story angles to cover disaster risk and resilience before, during and after disasters.

Ethics

Guidance on navigating ethical issues journalists may face when covering disasters.

Tools and resources

Useful tools and resources to support media reporting on disaster risk.

Disaster losses & statistics

While absolute economic losses are concentrated in high-income countries, the human cost of disasters falls overwhelmingly on low and middle-income countries.

Key international agreements

Global frameworks provide a comprehensive foundation for states to improve disaster risk reduction.

Key publications on disaster risk

A selection of reference publications on disaster and climate risks.

Image and video resources

The United Nations maintains different image and video resource databases that can be used by the media to illustrate stories about disaster risk.

Understanding disaster risk

Deepen your understanding of disaster risk and hazards.

What is disaster risk

Disaster risk is expressed as the likelihood of loss of life, injury or destruction and damage from a disaster in a given period of time.

The business case for DRR

Investing in disaster risk reduction (DRR) saves lives and money and future-proofs our development gains.

Core concepts

Explore key concepts to support the research and writing of in-depth articles and analysis.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here you will find answers to key questions on disaster risk reduction.

Risk drivers

Risk is influenced by the decisions we make. From climate change to poor urban planning, it is critical to understand and address risk drivers to curb disaster risk.

Terminology on DRR

The Sendai Framework terminology aims to promote a common understanding and usage of disaster risk reduction concepts.

Hazards gateway

Learn about common hazards, the latest research on risk trends and solutions to reduce their impact.

Learning from past disasters

Explore insights and analysis from past disasters to cover disaster anniversaries or provide contrasting perspectives on current disaster events.

Disaster risk solutions

The case studies you will find below encompass a wide range of practical DRR measures, including early warning systems, community-based initiatives, green and grey infrastructure improvements, policy implementations, and innovative technologies that have been applied and proven effective in real-world scenarios.