The GAR 2025 report, produced by the United Nations, warns that disaster risks are rising due to unplanned urbanization and climate change. Only 4% of the global budget is allocated to prevention, while 96% goes to reconstruction and humanitarian aid. The document urges governments and communities to prioritize preventive measures to save lives and economies.
The Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction (GAR 2025), prepared by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) with contributions from governments, international agencies, academia, donors, and experts, serves as a global guide for disaster prevention.
The report highlights that disaster risks are growing due to unplanned urbanization, inadequate development, lack of territorial planning, insufficient insurance, climate variability and change, occupation of exposed areas, and irregular constructions in risk or flood zones. These factors produce more frequent, costly, and severe events, with grave impacts on lives, economies, and communities.
Among its main messages, the GAR 2025 stresses that 'investing in risk management is profitable and saves lives'. Prevention is not an expense but an investment that reduces human losses, protects local economies, and accelerates sustainable development. 'Not acting in time ends up costing much more', the document warns. It proposes strengthening urban planning, insurance, institutional coordination, financial instruments, and risk knowledge, involving public, private, and community sectors.
Worldwide, 96% of funds are used for reconstruction and only 4% for prevention and resilience. The report insists that preventing is more economical, faster, and avoids irreparable losses, requiring integrated policies across climate, development, finance, governments, businesses, community, and academia.
For communities, risk management is a shared task. Recommendations include knowing local risks, participating in drills, avoiding construction in risk zones, protecting ecosystems, reporting visible risks, organizing community networks, and demanding public planning and prevention. In conclusion, 'either we prevent, or we pay the cost in lives and social setback'. Informed and organized communities increase resilience.