The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) has released the Global Assessment Report 2025 (GAR 2025) titled "Resilience pays off: Financing and investing for our future," warning of the escalating economic cost of natural disasters and calling for more effective strategies to build resilience and sustainable development.
According to the report, the direct economic costs of the five largest groups of hazards (earthquakes, floods, storms, droughts, and heat waves) amounted to more than $195.7 billion in 2023, reflecting the continued rise in losses from natural disasters around the world.
Resilience is a necessity, not a luxury
The report emphasized that building resilience is no longer an option but an imperative to address climate challenges and natural hazards, noting that integrating risk reduction strategies into development policies is the cornerstone of achieving sustainable development and minimizing both human and economic losses.
A smart investment that pays off
The report showcases successful examples from around the world of how risk-based investment has minimized and in some cases prevented damage, highlighting the positive long-term impact of such policies.
Overlapping disasters require comprehensive solutions
The GAR 2025 report noted that many disasters have become multidimensional and multi-hazardous, such as floods leading to landslides, or hurricanes with devastating storms, which calls for holistic and interconnected approaches to disaster management.
Main recommendations
The report included several recommendations, most notably:
Integrate risk reduction into national development policies and plans.
Promote international cooperation and exchange of experiences and information on disaster management.
Investing in risk-related data and research to provide an accurate scientific base for decision-making.
Call to action
At the conclusion of the report, the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR) called on all governments, institutions and communities to take immediate action to invest in building resilience, which will protect lives, reduce economic losses, and pave the way for equitable and stable development in a rapidly changing world.
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