FAO.org

Disasters and crises undermine development. Natural disasters have affected more than 2.7 billion people over the last decade. More people face hydrometeorological hazards (for example, floods, droughts, storms and wildfires) and geological hazards (for example, earthquakes and landslides) than ever before. The intensity and frequency of natural disasters is increasing, compromising sustainable development by affecting livelihoods and threatening food security and nutrition. Agriculture, livestock, forestry, fisheries and aquaculture are among the most exposed and affected sectors. Existing risk reduction and management measures need to be improved and scaled up. Many countries are poorly equipped to prevent, prepare and mitigate the impacts of current extremes and risks, including climate change, let alone those projected for the future. Natural hazards also occur in protracted crises, which represent extremely challenging contexts that affect over 350 million people globally. Protracted crises share characteristics including recurrent shocks and stressors; conflict or insecurity; weak governance and institutional capacity; and vulnerable livelihood systems. In protracted crises, food insecurity and malnutrition are particularly severe, long-standing and widespread. Their persistence, alongside inadequately designed responses, compromises resilience for longer-term sustainable development.