State of Knowledge on Disaster Risk

This research paper provides a baseline 'state of knowledge' on disaster risk science to support the development of a global research agenda for risk-informed development. It traces the evolution of disaster studies from emergency management to proactive disaster risk reduction (DRR) and outlines the interdisciplinary nature of disaster science.

• Disaster knowledge and practices have transitioned from an 'ex-post' emergency management framing focused on responding to events toward an 'ex-ante' focus on proactively managing and reducing risks, known as 'disaster risk reduction (DRR)'. In this framework, risk is understood as a function of hazards, exposure, and vulnerability.
• Global policy for disaster management has evolved through a series of frameworks since the 1990s, including the UN International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction, the 1994 Yokohama Strategy for a Safer World, the 2005-2015 Hyogo Framework for Action, and the current 2015-2030 Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction. This progression reflects a shift from viewing disasters as natural events to recognizing that human decisions and development-related actions determine disaster impact.
• Disaster science is a multidisciplinary field spanning natural and social sciences, including disciplines such as economics, engineering, sociology, and political science. The Integrated Research on Disaster Risk (IRDR) programme is working to establish a new research agenda for the next decade to facilitate inter- and trans-disciplinary knowledge production.

APA

Stockholm Environment Institute (2022). State of Knowledge on Disaster Risk. https://www.sei.org/publications/irdr-wp-state-of-knowledge-on-dr/

Chicago

Stockholm Environment Institute. State of Knowledge on Disaster Risk. 2022. https://www.sei.org/publications/irdr-wp-state-of-knowledge-on-dr/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Stockholm Environment Institute |title=State of Knowledge on Disaster Risk |date=21 January 2022 |url=https://www.sei.org/publications/irdr-wp-state-of-knowledge-on-dr/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{stockholmenvironmentinstitute2022state, author = {{Stockholm Environment Institute}}, title = {{State of Knowledge on Disaster Risk}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2022}, month = jan, url = {https://www.sei.org/publications/irdr-wp-state-of-knowledge-on-dr/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }