The disasters we see occurring around us are just the tip of the iceberg. Looking below the surface, we can see they are caused in part due to the choices and priorities of our social, economic and cultural systems that interact with environmental or physical systems. Different types of hazards only become disasters depending on how vulnerable and exposed people and places are when they strike.
The disasters highlighted in the report are emblematic of current trends in disaster risk and global challenges, selected from a diverse range of categories and locations to better illustrate the cross-cutting nature of their interconnections.
