Shaping development cooperation to be risk-informed

Context

Progress in the areas of, for instance, health services, nutrition, education, climate action is being undermined by existing and emerging risks. Global crises and disasters such as the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change are not only causing development progress to stagnate, but many of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are experiencing setbacks. The risk of damage and economic losses due to disasters is steadily increasing.

Decisions on development processes and investments can contribute to new risks if, for example, they lead to people settling in high-risk areas, to inadequate planning and management of infrastructure or to excessive use of natural resources. This tendency can be reduced by taking climate and disaster risks into account when making development decisions in various areas. Risk-informed development requires new approaches to understand and address systemic risks.

Objective

In selected development cooperation projects and together with the partners involved, development processes are designed in a risk-informed manner.

Approach

The project supports various partners in development cooperation, such as planning and finance ministries, sectoral ministries and regional organisations, in leveraging potentials and synergies to secure long-term development successes and promote risk-informed development.

To this end, it creates context-specific risk analyses to be used in creating a shared understanding of prioritised measures for strengthening resilience. Risk data is also systematically provided, risk-reducing measures are implemented together with local partners and lessons learned from these approaches are disseminated. The project promotes cross-sectoral dialogue on risks and focuses on a global exchange of best practices.

Last update: December 2023