Following year scarred by extreme weather, rising greenhouse gas emissions were rated the third most likely global risk overall, while the failure of climate change adaption is seen as the environmental risk with the most knock-on effects for the next decade.
Global Risks 2013 analyses three major risk causes of concern globally:
1.Health and hubris
Huge strides in health have left the world dangerously complacent. Rising resistance to antibiotics and hyperconnected world allowing pandemics to spread, require more international collaboration and different funding models to address the issues.
2.Economy and environment under stress
Urgent socioeconomic risks are derailing efforts to tackle climate change challenges. John Drzik, CEO of Oliver Wyman Group (a part of Marsh & McLennan Companies) said, “Two storms – environmental and economic – are on collision course. If we don’t allocate resources needed to mitigate the rising risk from severe weather events, global prosperity for future generations could be threatened.”
3.Digital wildfires
From the printing press to the internet it’s been hard to predict how new technologies might shape society. The democratisation of information can have unpredictable consequences like the riots provoked by an anti-Islam film on YouTube. As the media’s gatekeeper role is eroded, the report looks at how connectivity enables “digital wildfires” to spread and how can they be extinguished.
In report on national resilience the groundwork is laid for new country resilience rating. Read the report in full at www.weforum.org/globalrisks2013.
