In a new report published on Tuesday 25 April, the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction points out that disasters are increasing rapidly around the world due to climate change, which is caused by human action, and inadequate risk management.

"The world must do more to integrate disaster risk into the way we live, build and invest," UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed said in the report's presentation.

She called on the international community to disengage humanity from this "spiral of self-destruction".

"We must turn our collective complacency into action. Together, we can slow the pace of disasters that are preventable," she added.

The report reveals that between 350 and 500 medium and large-scale disasters have occurred each year over the past two decades.

The cost of these disasters has averaged about $170 billion a year over the past decade.

Droughts, extreme temperatures, floods... the number of disasters is expected to rise to 560 per year - or 1.5 per day - by 2030 (compared to 400 in 2015), and endanger millions of lives.

"Optimism" and "invincibility"

The report laments that the world has a misperception of the risks associated with natural disasters, and attributes it to an "underestimation" of the risks and feelings of "optimism" and "invincibility".

The report says the scale and intensity of disasters is increasing, with more people killed or affected by disasters in the past five years than in the previous five.

Disasters have a disproportionate impact on developing countries, which lose on average 1% of their GDP per year due to disasters, compared to 0.1-0.3% in developed countries.

The highest cost is borne by the Asia-Pacific region.

"Disasters can be avoided, but only if countries invest the time and resources necessary to understand and reduce the risks," said Mami Mizutori, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction.

"By deliberately ignoring the risks and not integrating them into the decision-making process, the world is funding its own destruction," she added.

With AFP

The summary of the

France 24 week invites you to come back to the news that marked the week

I subscribe

Take international news everywhere with you!

Download the France 24 app

google-play-badge_FR