World Risk Poll 2024 report: Resilience in a changing world

Publication Date

June 19, 2024

Page Number

45

Link to Report

Download

Authors

World Risk Poll 2024

Conducted by Gallup and published by the Lloyd’s Register Foundation, it provides a global, nationally representative study of people’s perceptions and experiences of risks to their safety. Based on nearly 147,000 interviews in 142 countries and territories, the report offers insights into how prepared individuals and communities are to handle adversity, such as natural disasters. It highlights significant trends and findings from the data collected in 2023.

Key Findings

  1. Global Resilience
    • Overall resilience levels remained largely stable from 2021 to 2023, with the global Resilience Index scoring 57 in 2023 compared to 55 in 2021. However, significant variations were observed across different dimensions of resilience (individual, household, community, and societal).
  2. Decline in Individual Resilience
    • There was a notable decline in individual resilience, with nearly a third (42) of the countries surveyed reporting significant drops. This decline was driven by an increase in the number of people who feel they can do nothing to protect themselves and their families in a disaster, rising from 36% to 43%.
  3. Experience of Natural Disasters
    • The proportion of the global population that experienced a disaster-related to a natural hazard in the past five years increased from 27% in 2021 to 30% in 2023, primarily due to more frequent flooding events.
  4. Early Warning Systems
    • Despite improvements, 30% of people who experienced a disaster in the past five years received no warning. Vulnerable groups, including those in rural areas with lower education levels and less financial resilience, were significantly less likely to receive warnings. However, 77% of those not warned owned a mobile phone, indicating a potential opportunity for enhancing early warning systems through mobile technology.

Overview

2. The state of global resilience

Provides an overview of global resilience. It underscores its dynamic nature and the necessity of addressing specific challenges different regions and communities face to build a safer and more resilient future for all.

  • Resilience is a complex phenomenon that evolves unevenly across different regions and elements of the Resilience Index.
  • Global Resilience Index scores remained mainly stable compared to 2021, but significant shifts were observed at regional and national levels and across various dimensions, from individual to societal.
  • The 2023 world map of resilience shows Eastern Asia and Southeastern Asia as the most resilient regions, with Africa’s subregions, Latin America, and the Caribbean ranking among the least resilient.
  • Emphasizes the importance of understanding the drivers of resilience and experiences of natural hazards to inform policy decisions and interventions.
  • The data suggest that resilience is unique across countries and populations, highlighting the need for tailored and targeted measures to enhance resilience effectively.

3. Early warnings

Focuses on early warnings, a critical aspect of disaster risk reduction and resilience-building efforts. In conclusion, it highlights the importance of early warnings in mitigating disaster impacts and emphasizes the need for ongoing initiatives to strengthen early warning systems and improve resilience to natural hazards.

  • The data from 2023 indicate that 70% of individuals who experienced a disaster in the past five years received at least one warning, while 30% received no warnings. This split remained relatively stable compared to 2021.
  • The Early Warnings for All initiative, which focuses on 30 priority countries, aims to improve early warning systems globally. Discrepancies in early warning experiences were observed among these countries, with varying levels of effectiveness in warning dissemination.
  • Specific hazards like earthquakes and mudslides/landslides present challenges in early warning systems. Nearly half of individuals who experience earthquakes receive no warning.
  • Highlights the importance of early warning systems in disaster preparedness and response, emphasizing the need for continued efforts to enhance the global effectiveness and reach of early warnings.

4. What makes people more resilient?

Delves into the factors contributing to resilience among individuals and communities. It emphasizes the diverse factors influencing resilience and highlights the importance of addressing socio-economic disparities and promoting stable employment to enhance resilience globally.

  • Various factors influence resilience, such as individual traits, social conditions, and economic opportunities.
  • The World Risk Poll data reveals that age, gender, employment status, income level, and urbanicity are associated with resilience levels.
  • People employed full-time by an employer have higher resilience scores, with a four-point increase compared to those out of the workforce. This finding underscores the importance of stable employment in enhancing resilience.
  • Different regions show disparities in resilience levels, with Afghanistan showing a significant difference between those employed full-time and those out of the workforce.
  • In countries like Afghanistan, Comoros, and China, the intersection of gender and employment significantly impacts resilience levels.

5. Natural hazards and resilience

Focuses on the relationship between natural hazards and resilience. In conclusion, it emphasizes the importance of understanding the dynamics of natural hazards and their impact on resilience. This knowledge is crucial for informing effective global disaster risk reduction strategies and resilience-building efforts.

  • The experience of natural hazards plays a significant role in shaping individuals’ and communities’ resilience levels.
  • The data from the World Risk Poll highlight the complex relationship between experiencing disasters and preparedness for future events. Higher rates of experiencing disasters are associated with increased planning for future disasters but not necessarily with greater feelings of agency.
  • Different types of hazards impact resilience in varied ways. For example, the report mentions how Morocco’s earthquake led to a decline in people’s sense of agency and resilience, while significant floods in Pakistan and New Zealand had the opposite effect.
  • Underscores the need for coordinated international and national action to enhance resilience, especially among vulnerable populations facing the escalating incidence of extreme weather events due to climate change.

6. Conclusion

Provides a conclusion based on the findings and insights presented throughout the report. The decision highlights the need for continued efforts to enhance resilience, address disparities in access to early warning systems, and use data-driven insights to inform global policies and interventions that promote resilience and safety.

  • Highlights the importance of rebuilding infrastructure and people’s sense of agency and confidence following disasters to enhance safety and resilience for future events.
  • Emphasizes the need to address persistent inequalities in access to early warning systems and the importance of increasing coverage of digital-first early warning systems.
  • Discusses how economic and geopolitical shocks interact with resilience in complex ways, with real GDP growth at the national level linked to increases in community resilience.
  • Underscores the significance of understanding people’s perceptions of risk, resilience, and safety over time to identify broader, longer-term trends and inform targeted interventions.
  • Mentions the role of the World Risk Poll data in amplifying the voices of vulnerable and less resilient groups worldwide, aiding policymakers and development organizations in targeting interventions effectively to close resilience gaps and create a safer future for all.

Henceforth. Moreover. Henceforth. Moreover. 

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