Disasters occur around the world on a continual basis and cause large-scale damage and losses to countries and communities, destroying public infrastructure, disrupting basic services, impacting livelihoods and causing loss of lives. 

Disasters often make the world’s poor fall further into poverty. Developing countries with highly vulnerable populations face the highest risk, though overcrowded urban centres due to rapid population growth and more people living in cities are putting people, assets and critical infrastructure at extreme risk.

Through numbers and figures, this publication highlights the growing impact of disasters on people, communities and economies. In doing so, the publication emphasizes that recovery is an opportunity to not only rebuild infrastructure and livelihoods, but to learn from mistakes and build back better through a resilient, inclusive and risk-informed approach.