Global Risks 2010

The Global Risks 2010 report identifies a highly interconnected risk environment where systemic failures can be triggered by both sudden shocks and slow-moving 'creeping' risks. Key focus areas include fiscal crises, underinvestment in infrastructure, and the spread of chronic diseases. The report argues that current global governance gaps hinder the collective action needed to address these vulnerabilities, particularly in the face of long-term shifts like population growth and climate change. It advocates for a holistic approach to risk management, including the potential creation of a 'Country Risk Officer' role and a 'Global System Risk and Vulnerability Facility'.

• Global risks are increasingly interconnected, meaning that shocks and vulnerabilities are truly global, which increases the overall level of systemic risk.
• Many of the most significant risks are 'creeping risks' or slow failures that emerge over long periods, making their potentially enormous long-term impacts easy to underestimate.
• Advanced G20 economies face severe fiscal instability, with average debt-to-GDP ratios expected to rise from 78% in 2007 to 118% by 2014, whereas emerging G20 economies are expected to stay below 40%.
• Global infrastructure investment needs are estimated at US$ 35 trillion over the next 20 years, with critical deficiencies in water, energy, and transport systems posing risks of catastrophic failure.
• Chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are becoming the leading cause of death worldwide, except in sub-Saharan Africa, where they are projected to overtake infectious diseases by 2030.
• Biodiversity loss has severe economic implications, with annual losses from deforestation and land degradation alone estimated between US$ 2 trillion and US$ 4.5 trillion (3.3% to 7.5% of global GDP in 2008).
• The convergence of open Internet Protocol-based networking and closed industrial control systems has created systemic vulnerabilities in Critical Information Infrastructure (CII) that remain largely overlooked by experts.
• Transnational crime and corruption are estimated to account for 10% of global GDP, with bribes alone totaling over US$ 1 trillion annually.
• Global governance gaps are identified as the most significant source of risk in terms of interconnectedness, reflecting inadequate institutions or agreements across almost all tracked risk areas.

APA

World Economic Forum (2010). Global Risks 2010. http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Global_Risks_Report_2010.pdf

Chicago

World Economic Forum. Global Risks 2010. 2010. http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Global_Risks_Report_2010.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Economic Forum |title=Global Risks 2010 |date=January 2010 |url=http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Global_Risks_Report_2010.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldeconomicforum2010global, author = {{World Economic Forum}}, title = {{Global Risks 2010}}, institution = {World Economic Forum}, year = {2010}, month = jan, url = {http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Global_Risks_Report_2010.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }