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Root causes

Stijn Dijkstra / Unsplash

Home > Root causes

Root causes are the underlying factors that create conditions for disasters to occur. If we think of a disaster as the tip of an iceberg, the visible part of a much larger structure that remains hidden under the water’s surface, root causes form the deeper structures that created conditions for the disaster to occur, and they are surprisingly similar for many seemingly unrelated events.

Select a root cause to learn more.

Gases released into the atmosphere by human activities contribute to increasing global warming and climate change

A lack of perception, awareness or preparation in governance relating to risk management and response

Pursuit of economic or developmental interests with a lack of consideration for impacts on the environment

Lack of coherent national/global governance, unregulated exploitation of low and middle-income countries, limited governmental capacity

Cases where maximizing profit is prioritized over other social concerns, increasing risk

Pressures related to increasing consumptive demands for goods, such as food, energy and industrial materials.

Unequal distribution of economic opportunities and limited livelihood options

The continued effects of exploitation by a foreign power