Knowledge Hub: Publications

The UK Government's National Risk Register provides an overview of the most significant risks facing the country, including natural hazards, terrorism, and other emergencies. It serves as a tool for public awareness and preparedness planning.

Published by the UNDRR, this report examines disaster risks up to 2050, presenting a compelling case for investing in disaster risk reduction. It highlights the growing costs of disasters and the need for proactive measures to safeguard communities and economies.

This government survey assesses public perceptions of disaster preparedness across the UK, revealing that only 15% of respondents felt the nation was largely or totally prepared for emergencies. The findings highlight areas for improvement in public awareness and local resilience efforts.

This article reviews recent developments in climate risk assessment and management, focusing on their application across cities, coastal zones, and the finance sector. It highlights promising opportunities for near-term action to better govern complex climate change risks and advance adaptation implementation.

This UNDP Development at Risk Report commentary by Ajay Gambhir critiques growth-focused development models and calls for a shift toward systemic resilience. It urges integrated risk assessments, resilient infrastructure, and new well-being metrics beyond GDP, prioritising stability, equity, and environmental health through international cooperation.

This Climate Action paper reviews advances in climate risk assessment, highlighting tools like adaptive pathways planning, participatory modelling, and fiscal stress testing. It emphasises the interconnected nature of climate risks and calls for cross-sector collaboration, equity-focused planning, and investment in adaptive tools to enhance preparedness and resilience.

This Environmental Research: Letters review highlights advances in Climate Risk Assessment, including the IPCC framework, multi-hazard approaches, and Climatic Impact-Drivers, while calling for systemic methods, improved communication, and inclusive governance to enhance resilience.

This study explores the integration of big data analytics in disaster risk management, offering insights into how data-driven approaches can enhance decision-making and improve resilience strategies. It discusses the challenges and opportunities of incorporating advanced data technologies in disaster preparedness.

This action plan outlines cross-government policies and programmes aimed at strengthening the UK's resilience to various risks, including natural disasters and emergencies. It emphasises the importance of collaboration with devolved governments and identifies key strategies for risk mitigation.

This paper examines the role of risk tolerance in climate change adaptation, proposing a framework to bridge perspectives between risk assessment and policy implementation. It emphasises the importance of understanding and integrating risk tolerance into adaptation strategies.

This July 2025 Global Sustainability article introduces the concept of “polycrisis,” where interconnected risks like climate change, economic instability, and political unrest amplify one another. It argues that traditional crisis planning is insufficient, calling for systems thinking, inclusive governance, and investment in social resilience to withstand cascading disruptions.

This article in Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change examines maladaptation in climate change responses, offering a harmonised definition and framework to assess risks early in adaptation planning. It highlights the growing need for effective adaptation while warning that poorly designed measures can cause unintended negative consequences, and provides guidance to help practitioners design more robust strategies.

This bibliometric review in Earth System Dynamics maps global research on catastrophic and existential risks such as pandemics, climate change, advanced AI, and food system collapse. Analysing over 3,400 documents, it identifies ten research areas and finds the field rapidly expanding but fragmented, with dominance by a few US and UK institutions. The authors urge broader, cross-disciplinary collaboration, stronger links to adjacent fields, and investment in holistic risk management to build global resilience.