Climate change is increasing the frequency, intensity and magnitude of disasters, leading to a higher number of deaths, injuries and increased economic losses.
Nature-based solutions, such as conserving forests, wetlands and coral reefs, can help communities prepare for, cope with, and recover from disasters, including slow-onset events such as drought.
Nature can be a cost-effective and no-regret solution to reducing risks from disasters, complementing conventional engineering measures such as sea walls and storm channels.
However, investment in ‘natural infrastructure’ is underexplored in policies aimed at reducing risk.
There is an urgent need to invest in nature-based solutions to disaster risk reduction in order to minimise our vulnerability to future events.
