In this Article, the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction spotlights the major issue of global data gaps. The article follows the world’s largest reinsurer, Munich Re, announcing the global disaster loss calculation for 2023, which totalled $250 billion in 2023.
The most losses were caused by significant weather events in North America, accounting for 76% of the economic losses. Additionally, major earthquakes in Turkey, Syria, Afghanistan, and Morocco caused the most significant socio-economic impacts, killing 63,000 people. However, this figure only represents a fraction of the actual loss and damage caused by disasters. Disasters have long-term, indirect effects on health, education, productivity, environment, and development, many of which are uninsured or underreported, especially in poorer countries and regions. The UNDRR clarifies that there’s an imperative for better quality disaggregated data on the drivers and impacts of disasters. Such data will enable better preparedness to inform effective disaster risk reduction policies and practices, especially for climate hazards.