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September09,2021

Andrew Campbell 

"Interconnected Disaster Risks," a new report published by a group of professionals at the United Nations University – Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS) in Bonn, Germany, analyzes ten interconnected disasters that occurred in 2020 and 2021. They were chosen for their publicity as well as their representation of larger global issues that have changed or will change our lives all over the world.

The following are the ten most distinguished, interconnected disasters that occurred in 2020 and 2021:

1. Amazon Wildfires – Global appetite fuels wildfires;

2. Arctic Heatwave – Spiraling into a climate catastrophe;

3. Beirut Explosion – When the entire world abandons ship;

4. Central Vietnam Floods – When being prepared is no longer sufficient;

5. Chinese Paddlefish Extinction – The fish that survived the extinction of the dinosaurs but not humankind;

6. COVID-19 Pandemic – How a pandemic teaches us about the importance of biodiversity;

7. Cyclone Amphan – When a cyclone and a pandemic come together;

8. Desert Locust outbreak – How manageable risks become uncontrollable;

9. Great Barrier Reef bleaching – More than just a natural wonder is being eroded;

10. Texas cold wave – A conceivable disaster?

Natural disasters should no longer be regarded in isolation. Many extreme environmental events have a devastating impact on people's lives, and many of them are linked by the same underlying causes, according to a UN report released on September 8. The global exchange of people, ideas, living organisms, and goods, combined with widespread environmental change, exposes individuals and societies to new types of risks and interconnectivity. Failure to address interconnected root causes and emerging risks is hastening the climate crisis, causing new and more intense extreme events, increasing societal vulnerabilities, and pushing humans to tipping points such as mass extinctions and ecosystem service loss. The global solutions that the world envisions must address these systemic issues while also allowing for interconnected approaches to solving multiple problems at the same time. To avoid rising inequalities, society must strive to maximize risk reduction and adaptation benefits across multiple sectors, as well as for different members of society on a local and global scale. Individuals who take action to support solutions can help to change the world for the better.