GCRI · Global challenges
Disaster resilience
Disaster resilience is the capacity of people, institutions and systems to reduce risk, prepare, respond and recover stronger. It rests on knowledge, practice and trained people as much as on infrastructure. The Global Centre for Risk and Innovation (GCRI) supports risk reduction, readiness, recovery and competence with evidence, exercises and learning. Response stays with authorities and emergency services. Part of global challenges.
01Register
Disaster resilience on the record.
The Global Centre for Risk and Innovation
- 01InstitutionThe Global Centre for Risk and Innovation (GCRI)
- 02Four partsResilience runs before, during and after a shock
- 03Terms and targetsThe Sendai Framework vocabulary and the measures countries report against
- 04How resilience is builtThe practices that decide how fast services come back
- 05GCRI’s partResearch and capability for preparedness, never response
- 06How GCRI contributesEvidence, exercises and learning
- 07BoundariesSupport for preparedness is not emergency response
02Four parts
Resilience runs before, during and after a shock.
- 01
Risk reduction
Understanding hazard, exposure and vulnerability, and reducing them through planning, design and nature-based measures.
- 02
Readiness
Plans, warning systems, trained teams and exercises. GCRI’s early warning capability work supports authorised agencies.
- 03
Recovery
Restoring services and livelihoods in an order that respects dependencies, and avoiding rebuilding the same risk.
- 04
Competence
People who know what to do, retained through learning and practice rather than lost between events.
03Geography
Hazards now worldwide.
Flood water, active fires and population density across the world, from NASA GIBS. Each layer carries its own date.
The interactive map needs JavaScript; the layer list and sources are below.
Layers 3
Hazards now, for this page
About this layer
- Evidence
- Observed (clouds leave gaps)
- Source
- VIIRS Global Flood Product (NASA LANCE)
- Provider
- NASA LANCE
- Licence
- NASA open data
- Vintage
- daily; Satellite detection; clouds leave gaps
- Newest at build
- 2026-10-14
- Resolution
- about 250 m grid
- Uncertainty
- Satellite detection; clouds leave gaps. Satellite or model raster as the provider publishes it. Clouds, swath gaps and retrieval error leave gaps and noise; values are indicators, not measurements at a place.
- Reached through
- gibs.earthdata.nasa.gov, only after you allow the live map
About this layer
- Evidence
- Observed (clouds and overpass timing leave gaps)
- Source
- VIIRS NOAA-20 375 m (FIRMS) (NASA LANCE FIRMS)
- Provider
- NASA LANCE FIRMS
- Licence
- NASA open data
- Vintage
- daily; Satellite detection; clouds and overpass timing leave gaps
- Newest at build
- 2026-10-13
- Resolution
- about 500 m grid
- Uncertainty
- Satellite hot-spot detections for the day shown, including gas flares and industrial heat; not a confirmed fire, an incident report or a warning.
- Reached through
- gibs.earthdata.nasa.gov, only after you allow the live map
About this layer
- Evidence
- Estimated
- Source
- Gridded Population of the World v4.11 (NASA SEDAC (CIESIN, Columbia University))
- Provider
- NASA SEDAC (CIESIN, Columbia University)
- Licence
- CC BY 4.0
- Vintage
- null; Census-based estimate, static (2020)
- Resolution
- about 1 km grid
- Uncertainty
- Census-based estimate of people per square kilometre in 2020, shown as exposure context; not a count of people affected by any hazard.
- Reached through
- gibs.earthdata.nasa.gov, only after you allow the live map
About this layer
- Evidence
- Observed
- Source
- VIIRS NOAA-20 corrected reflectance (NASA LANCE)
- Provider
- NASA LANCE
- Licence
- NASA open data
- Vintage
- daily; Satellite image
- Newest at build
- 2026-10-14
- Resolution
- about 250 m grid
- Uncertainty
- Satellite image. Satellite or model raster as the provider publishes it. Clouds, swath gaps and retrieval error leave gaps and noise; values are indicators, not measurements at a place.
- Reached through
- gibs.earthdata.nasa.gov, only after you allow the live map
About this layer
- Evidence
- Modelled (latest year GIBS publishes)
- Source
- MODIS Terra and Aqua land cover (MCD12Q1) (NASA LP DAAC)
- Provider
- NASA LP DAAC
- Licence
- NASA open data
- Vintage
- yearly; Satellite classification; latest year GIBS publishes
- Newest at build
- 2024-01-01
- Resolution
- about 500 m grid
- Uncertainty
- Satellite land cover classes for the year shown, including croplands; a classification with known errors, not a farm register.
- Reached through
- gibs.earthdata.nasa.gov, only after you allow the live map
About this layer
- Evidence
- Estimated
- Source
- GPM IMERG (NASA GES DISC)
- Provider
- NASA GES DISC
- Licence
- NASA open data
- Vintage
- daily; Satellite estimate, near real time
- Newest at build
- 2026-10-12
- Resolution
- about 2 km grid
- Uncertainty
- Satellite estimate, near real time. Satellite or model raster as the provider publishes it. Clouds, swath gaps and retrieval error leave gaps and noise; values are indicators, not measurements at a place.
- Reached through
- gibs.earthdata.nasa.gov, only after you allow the live map
Keyboard, with the map focused
Hold Ctrl or ⌘ and scroll to zoom
Latest available
NASA GIBS / EOSDIS · ASTER GDEM (METI, NASA) · Blue Marble (NASA) · © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) · Natural Earth
Loading the latest NASA imagery.
Drag to move. Ctrl or ⌘ and scroll, pinch or the buttons to zoom; hover for the values under the pointer; reset returns to the region.
Hazards now, framed on the world.Satellite and model products as NASA publishes them, each with its own date. They are indicators, not assessments of any place.
Data: NASA GIBS · ASTER GDEM · Blue Marble · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Natural Earth · NASA EONET · U.S. Geological Survey · NASA JPL OPERA DIST-ALERTSources and licences
- We acknowledge the use of imagery provided by services from NASA’s Global Imagery Browse Services (GIBS), part of NASA’s Earth Science Data and Information System (ESDIS). Colours redrawn from the published colour map; values averaged into hexagonal cells where shown (modified). NASA open data
- We acknowledge the use of imagery provided by services from NASA’s Global Imagery Browse Services (GIBS), part of NASA’s Earth Science Data and Information System (ESDIS). Colours redrawn from the published colour map; values averaged into hexagonal cells where shown (modified). NASA open data
- VIIRS near-real-time products (flood, land surface temperature, snow cover, corrected reflectance), NASA LANCE; imagery via NASA GIBS. Colours redrawn from the published colour map; values averaged into hexagonal cells where shown (modified). NASA open data
- NASA Fire Information for Resource Management System (FIRMS), VIIRS 375 m active fire product, NASA LANCE; vector tiles via NASA GIBS. Colours redrawn from the published colour map; values averaged into hexagonal cells where shown (modified). NASA open data
- Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN), Columbia University. 2018. Gridded Population of the World, Version 4 (GPWv4): Population Density, Revision 11. NASA Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center (SEDAC). Licensed under CC BY 4.0. Colours redrawn from the published colour map; values averaged into hexagonal cells where shown (modified). doi:10.7927/H49C6VHW. CC BY 4.0
- MODIS land products (vegetation indices, gross primary production, land cover), NASA LP DAAC and LANCE; imagery via NASA GIBS. Colours redrawn from the published colour map; values averaged into hexagonal cells where shown (modified). NASA open data
- GPM IMERG precipitation, NASA Precipitation Processing System; distributed by the NASA Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center (GES DISC); imagery via NASA GIBS. Colours redrawn from the published colour map; values averaged into hexagonal cells where shown (modified). NASA open data
- ASTER GDEM is a product of METI and NASA (ASTER Global Digital Elevation Model V003, NASA LP DAAC); imagery via NASA GIBS. Colours redrawn from the published colour map; values averaged into hexagonal cells where shown (modified). Cite as: NASA/METI/AIST/Japan Spacesystems and U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team (2019). ASTER Global Digital Elevation Model V003. doi:10.5067/ASTER/ASTGTM.003. NASA open data
- Made with Natural Earth. Free vector and raster map data @ naturalearthdata.com. Public domain
- © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), via NASA GIBS (coastlines, boundaries, roads and place names). Colours redrawn from the published colour map; values averaged into hexagonal cells where shown (modified). ODbL
- Blue Marble, NASA Earth Observatory; imagery via NASA GIBS. Colours redrawn from the published colour map; values averaged into hexagonal cells where shown (modified). NASA open data
- Context on the globe and flat map: coastlines, boundaries, roads and place names from NASA GIBS reference layers (OpenStreetMap data, ODbL, © OpenStreetMap contributors); Blue Marble imagery as an optional base; 3D terrain and the elevation read-out from the ASTER GDEM elevation colour index (5 m to 200 m classes, exaggerated for legibility). Boundaries are drawn as published and imply no position on any territory.
- Live events: NASA Earth Observatory Natural Event Tracker (EONET); events are indicative and keep their original source links.
- Live: NASA EONET Events are indicative, not authority warnings.
- Live: U.S. Geological Survey Events are indicative, not authority warnings.
- Observed (EO): NASA JPL OPERA DIST-ALERT (contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data 2026). We acknowledge the use of imagery provided by services from NASA’s Global Imagery Browse Services (GIBS), part of NASA’s Earth Science Data and Information System (ESDIS).
- NASA GIBS: We acknowledge the use of imagery provided by services from NASA’s Global Imagery Browse Services (GIBS), part of NASA’s Earth Science Data and Information System (ESDIS).
- River discharge forecast, 30 days with range (GloFAS via Open-Meteo): Contains modified Copernicus Emergency Management Service information 2026; not a flood warning.
- Weather data by Open-Meteo.com (https://open-meteo.com/), licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
- Optional layers (20 sources in the layer list: live, forecast, observed and context) print their provider credit on the map and here when switched on; forecasts are model output and derived indices are estimates.
Layers and dates
- Flood water, 3-day composite: VIIRS Global Flood Product, NASA LANCE · 14 Oct 2026
- Active fires and thermal anomalies: VIIRS NOAA-20 375 m (FIRMS), NASA LANCE FIRMS · 13 Oct 2026
- Population density, 2020: Population: CIESIN, Columbia University, Gridded Population of the World v4.11 (2018), NASA SEDAC, CC BY 4.0 · static
- True colour: VIIRS NOAA-20 corrected reflectance, NASA LANCE · 13 Oct 2026
- Land cover type (IGBP), yearly: MODIS Terra and Aqua land cover (MCD12Q1), NASA LP DAAC · 2024
- Precipitation rate, daily mean: GPM IMERG, NASA GES DISC · 12 Oct 2026
04Terms and targets
The Sendai Framework vocabulary and the measures countries report against.
The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030 sets seven global targets, monitored through 38 indicators that countries report in the Sendai Framework Monitor. The midterm review political declaration adopted by the UN General Assembly in 2023 asked for better disaggregated data, attention to systemic risk and faster progress on early warning.
| Term | Meaning (UNDRR, 2017) | How it is reported |
|---|---|---|
| Disaster risk reduction | Preventing new risk, reducing existing risk and managing residual risk | Existence and implementation of national and local strategies (Sendai target E) |
| Resilience | The ability of a system exposed to hazards to resist, absorb, accommodate, adapt to, transform and recover in a timely and efficient manner | No single unit; service restoration time in days and the share of functions maintained are common proxies |
| Direct economic loss | Monetary value of total or partial destruction of physical assets in the affected area | Currency of the reporting year, related to gross domestic product (Sendai target C) |
| Critical infrastructure damage and service disruption | Damage to health, education and other critical facilities and interruption of basic services | Counts of facilities damaged and service disruptions (Sendai target D) |
| Build back better | Using recovery to reduce future risk through physical, social and environmental measures | Recovery frameworks and post-disaster needs assessments |
05Twin and cascade simulator
Model disaster resilience as a system. Run the cascade.
Assembled from the Nexus Standards area profile Disaster risk reduction: the hazards it names, the systems and sectors that carry the loss, the controls that dampen it and the data that observe it. Choose the components, pick an initiating hazard and step through the cascade. The Map view places the run on an example geography with open data. Every coupling weight is a stated assumption you can change. A teaching model, not a forecast, an assessment or a certification. To model a place of your own choosing, open the full System Builder.
Hazards
- Tropical cyclone
- Flash flood
- Heatwave
- Ice-jam flood
- HIV epidemic
- Earthquake
- Storm surge (set off downstream)
- Intense rainfall (set off downstream)
- River flood (set off downstream)
- Dangerous surf (set off downstream)
- Widespread power outage (set off downstream)
- Mass displacement (set off downstream)
- Coastal flood (set off downstream)
- Extreme fire weather (set off downstream)
- Wildfire (set off downstream)
- Heat-driven grid stress (set off downstream)
- Agricultural drought (set off downstream)
- Flash drought (set off downstream)
Systems and couplings
Controls
NS-0Constitution and principlesNS-1The UNI and the artefact catalogue (grammar v0.2: domain, sector, region and environment segments)NS-3Risk record UNIs (grammar, legacy crosswalk, allocation authority)NS-3bDataset and product metadata profile (STAC, DCAT, PROV-O)NS-9Contextual UNIs (deployments, instances, programme instances)NS-11Verification and monitoring (evidence, attestations, zero-trust conformance observation)NS-14Conformance and crosswalk to external standardsNRS-C15Loss, damage and impact accountingNRS-H114Hazard family: Macroeconomic and fiscal shocks (NHS-1 soc.macro-fiscal)NRS-K20Domain pack profile: Climate adaptation (DOMAIN-020)NRS-H54Hazard family: Signal and platform disruption (NHS-1 cyber.platform)NRS-H65Hazard family: Planetary boundary transgressions (NHS-1 planet.boundary)NRS-H119Hazard family: Cultural heritage loss (NHS-1 soc.heritage)
Observation
- DesInventar disaster loss databases (listed for reference)
- INFORM Risk Index (listed for reference)
- Global SDG Indicators Database (listed for reference)
- EM-DAT international disaster database (listed for reference)
- Number of deaths and missing persons attributed to disasters per 100,000 population
- Number of directly affected people attributed to disasters per 100,000 population
- Direct economic loss attributed to disasters in relation to global GDP
- Damage to critical infrastructure attributed to disasters
- Number of countries that adopt and implement national DRR strategies
- Total public international support for national disaster risk reduction actions (Sendai indicator F-1)
- Number of countries that have multi-hazard early warning systems
- Number of deaths, missing persons and directly affected persons attributed to disasters per 100,000 population
Example geography
- Bangladesh: 134 hexagonal cells
- Rain rate, last half hour (IMERG), NASA GIBS
- Surface water through cloud, 30 m (OPERA DSWx-S1 radar), NASA GIBS
- Surface air temperature, daytime (AIRS), NASA GIBS
- Night lights tonight, outages (VIIRS Day/Night Band), NASA GIBS
06How resilience is built
The practices that decide how fast services come back.
| Practice | What it involves | Evidence of whether it works |
|---|---|---|
| Risk-informed land use and building codes | Keeping new exposure out of floodplains and fault zones; enforcing structural standards | Losses in code-compliant against non-compliant stock after events; enforcement records |
| Business and service continuity | Planned operation of essential services during disruption, under ISO 22301 or equivalent | Exercise results, recovery time objectives met in real events |
| Incident coordination | Common command structures and information flows (ISO 22320; INSARAG for urban search and rescue) | After-action reviews that record what worked and what did not |
| Humanitarian minimum standards | Water, sanitation, food, shelter and health standards in response (Sphere Handbook, 2018) | Monitoring against the standards’ indicators |
| Recovery sequencing | Restoring interdependent services in an order that respects their dependencies | Restoration curves for power, water, telecoms and transport after past events |
The evidence base is uneven. Losses avoided are hard to observe: the disaster that did not happen leaves no record. Cost-benefit studies of preparedness rely on models and counterfactuals, and report results as estimates with their assumptions.
07GCRI’s part
Research and capability for preparedness, never response.
GCRI studies multi-hazard and dependency risk, designs and evaluates exercises with independent evaluators, and helps national teams build competence that survives staff turnover. Response, incident command and authority warnings belong to emergency services and civil protection agencies; GCRI deploys no teams and is not an emergency service. Field work sits with the Disaster Resilience and Recovery platform.
After-action findings and recovery evidence are designed for the Country Quarterly series (the third-quarter stress-test edition) and the Labs Evidence series. Exercise records would carry verification evidence under the proposed NS-11 of the Nexus Standards.
- Post-event restoration timelines for a service, with source and date.
- An after-action review a public body is willing to publish.
- Local knowledge of how a community recovered, shared with consent.
08How GCRI contributes
Evidence, exercises and learning.
Evidence
What the risk is
Multi-hazard and dependency studies, published with methods and uncertainty.
Exercises
Testing plans safely
Controlled exercises with independent evaluators. Simulated warnings never reach live audiences.
Learning
Keeping competence
Supervised learning and after-action records, through learning and courses.
09Boundaries
Support for preparedness is not emergency response.
The Consortium is not an emergency service. It does not dispatch, command incidents or issue authority warnings. Domain response teams within the National Working Groups support preparedness, observation, mapping, exercises and learning, and their interest, qualification, readiness and activation are distinct states.
In immediate danger, contact your local emergency services and follow the instructions of your authorities.
10Where to go next
Platforms, fields and counterparts.
Field work is organised through the Disaster Resilience and Recovery platform, and the disaster and crisis field gateway. The Global Risks Forum (GRF) examines disaster and crisis governance, and The Global Risks Alliance (GRA) examines disaster risk finance. See also climate and hazards.
11Sources
Where this page’s references lead.
The bodies and documents this page is read against. Status and editions change; each link goes to the issuing body.
- Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030 (UNDRR, 2015)
- Political declaration of the high-level meeting on the midterm review of the Sendai Framework (UN General Assembly resolution 77/289, 2023)
- UNDRR terminology, from the report of the open-ended intergovernmental expert working group (A/71/644), acted on in UN General Assembly resolution 71/276 (2017)
- Sendai Framework Monitor (UNDRR)
- ISO 22301:2019 Security and resilience, business continuity management systems (ISO)
- ISO 22320:2018 Security and resilience, emergency management, guidelines for incident management (ISO)
- INSARAG Guidelines 2020 (UN OCHA)
- The Sphere Handbook, fourth edition (Sphere, 2018)
- Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction 2025 (UNDRR, 2025)
- NS-11, Verification and monitoring, a proposed standard
12Questions
Questions and answers.
Can GCRI send teams after a disaster?
No. GCRI does not deploy response teams. Its work is preparation, evidence and learning, coordinated with the authorities responsible for response.
What does an exercise involve?
A scenario, controllers, independent evaluators and safety controls, including a real-world emergency override. Results and dissent are preserved in an after-action record.
How can a local authority take part?
Subnational governments can propose a place-based resilience programme through the Secretariat. The first outcome is a scope, a service-dependency map and a community engagement plan.
Does resilience mean building everything stronger?
Not only. It also means reducing exposure, keeping options to recover quickly, protecting ecosystems that buffer hazards and keeping trained people in place.
Who are the domain response teams?
Teams within the National Working Groups that support preparedness, observation, verification, mapping, exercises, evidence and learning in their domains. They are not emergency services, incident command or privileged network-access teams.
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