Report on Natural Hazards and Their Impact on Sustainable Development

Introduction: The Escalating Threat of Natural Hazards to the Sustainable Development Goals

In the 21st century, natural hazards represent a critical and unpredictable variable that directly threatens the safety and sustainable development of global society. The increasing frequency and intensity of these events, exacerbated by climate change, pose a significant challenge to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Natural hazards and the disasters they trigger can reverse development gains, deepen inequalities, and undermine progress across numerous Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

• Impact on Human Well-being: Disasters result in significant loss of life and property, directly contravening SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being) and SDG 1 (No Poverty) by destroying livelihoods and community assets.
• Threat to Foundational Systems: They disrupt economic operations, ecological balance, and social stability, thereby impeding progress on SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) and SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities).
• Climate Change as a Driver: Persistent volatility in the global climate system, a core concern of SDG 13 (Climate Action), is leading to more diverse, frequent, and intense hazards. This has resulted in complex disaster chains and cascading events, such as the catastrophic landslide in Junlian County, China, which underscores the urgent need for integrated risk governance to protect communities.

The growing concentration of populations and assets due to urbanization and industrialization has amplified societal vulnerability and exposure. This new risk paradigm, characterized by high-risk coupling and vulnerability amplification, establishes natural hazards as a strategic challenge that demands a coordinated global response, rooted in scientific understanding and aligned with the principles of sustainable development.

A Risk-Based Framework for Advancing the SDGs

Distinguishing Hazards from Disasters for Effective Policy

A clear distinction between natural hazards and disasters is fundamental for developing effective risk reduction strategies that support the SDGs.

• A natural hazard is a physical event or process (e.g., earthquake, flood) originating from Earth system dynamics. Hazards exist independently of human systems.
• A disaster is the severe disruption that occurs when a hazard interacts with a vulnerable population. Disasters are thus social constructs, determined by exposure, vulnerability, and capacity, not merely natural events.

This distinction is critical for policy. Focusing solely on the hazard ignores the socio-economic drivers of risk, such as poverty (SDG 1) and inadequate infrastructure (SDG 9). Effective disaster risk reduction, as outlined in the Sendai Framework, must address these underlying vulnerabilities to build resilient societies, a key target of SDG 11.

Strategic Research Priorities for Disaster Risk Reduction and Sustainable Development

To effectively mitigate the impact of natural hazards on the SDGs, scientific research must address the entire disaster risk management cycle. Key research priorities include:

1. Hazard Mechanisms and Triggers: Understanding the correlation mechanisms and critical thresholds of natural hazards to improve predictive capabilities.
2. Systemic Risk Modeling: Modeling the dynamic coupling between hazards, exposure, and vulnerability, including cascading processes, to better protect communities and infrastructure (SDG 9, SDG 11).
3. Early Warning Systems: Developing high-resolution monitoring and intelligent forecasting systems, a critical component of climate adaptation under SDG 13.
4. Advanced Simulation: Utilizing high-performance computing and artificial intelligence for data-driven modeling of hazard scenarios, fostering innovation in line with SDG 9.
5. Post-Disaster Analysis: Conducting scientific assessments of major disasters to optimize emergency response and recovery, promoting the “Build Back Better” principle.
6. Multi-Scale Risk Assessment: Identifying and assessing risk across different scales to inform land-use planning and urban development (SDG 11).
7. Climate Change Impact: Projecting hazard risk evolution under future climate scenarios to guide long-term adaptation strategies (SDG 13).
8. Risk Governance and Resilience: Assessing public resilience and designing effective emergency policies and multi-stakeholder communication strategies to build strong institutions (SDG 16).

Interdisciplinary Integration and Paradigm Innovation

Leveraging Digital Transformation for SDG-Aligned Outcomes

The field of natural hazard science is undergoing a paradigm shift, driven by interdisciplinary integration and digital transformation. The convergence of traditional physical modeling with data-intensive approaches (the “fourth paradigm”) is essential for addressing the complex, multi-faceted nature of disaster risk. This integration supports the SDGs by:

• Enhancing Predictive Intelligence: Applying artificial intelligence and deep learning for causal modeling and scenario simulation, improving the accuracy of early warnings (SDG 13).
• Strengthening Infrastructure Resilience: Using high-performance computing for multi-scale disaster simulations to test and improve the resilience of critical infrastructure (SDG 9).
• Informing Governance: Building integrated frameworks that connect data, knowledge, and decision-making to support the development of intelligent, effective, and evidence-based governance systems (SDG 16).

Fostering Global Partnerships and Capacity Building

The Role of International Collaboration (SDG 17)

Natural hazards are a transboundary challenge requiring a global response. SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals) provides the framework for the necessary international cooperation. Collaborative innovation and knowledge sharing are strategic imperatives for achieving global security and sustainable development. This involves close collaboration with international bodies like the UNDRR and WMO to promote joint research and disseminate findings. A key focus must be on equitable capacity building, particularly through North-South and South-South cooperation, to enhance disaster resilience in developing countries and high-risk regions.

Supporting Early-Career Researchers and Inclusive Science

Fostering the next generation of scientists is vital for the long-term sustainability of disaster risk reduction efforts. Supporting early-career researchers and promoting inclusive science ensures a diverse and innovative academic ecosystem. Furthermore, translating complex scientific findings into accessible formats for policymakers, communities, and educators is crucial for building widespread risk awareness and preparedness, contributing directly to the creation of safe, resilient, and sustainable communities (SDG 11).

Vision for a Science-Informed Approach to Global Resilience

In an era of systemic risks, scientific inquiry must be oriented toward decision support and societal benefit. The ultimate goal is to advance the translation of scientific knowledge into effective policy, robust governance, and public action. A science-led, collaborative, and integrated approach to natural hazard risk is fundamental to achieving the 2030 Agenda. By bridging disciplinary divides and responding to global challenges, the scientific community can guide the transition from emergency management to holistic resilience construction. This collective effort is essential for building a world-class disaster science framework dedicated to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and ensuring the safety, well-being, and prosperity of all humanity.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

The article on natural hazards and disaster risk reduction addresses several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by focusing on the multifaceted impacts of disasters on society, the economy, and the environment. The following SDGs are relevant:

• SDG 1: No Poverty – The article highlights how disasters cause “massive loss of… property” and disrupt “economic operations,” which are factors that can exacerbate poverty and affect vulnerable populations disproportionately.
• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being – The text directly addresses the impact on human life, mentioning “massive loss of life” and citing a specific landslide that resulted in “10 fatalities, 19 missing persons.” It also references the Sendai Framework’s commitment to “people’s resilience, health, and well-being.”
• SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure – The article discusses the vulnerability of “critical infrastructure networks” and the challenges posed by “infrastructure concentration” in an era of increasing natural hazards. It also calls for innovation in disaster science through “high-performance computing and artificial intelligence.”
• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities – This is a central theme, as the article discusses the effects of “urbanization” on increasing disaster risk, the need for “resilience-building measures” in human settlements, and making cities safer.
• SDG 13: Climate Action – The article explicitly links the increasing frequency and intensity of natural hazards to climate change, stating that “the global climate system has experienced persistent volatility, with extreme weather events increasing markedly” and calls for research on “Hazard risk evolution under future climate change scenarios.”
• SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions – The focus on “disaster risk governance,” “emergency policy design,” “social stability,” and building “effective, accountable and inclusive institutions” to manage disaster risk connects directly to this goal.
• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals – The article strongly advocates for “global scientific cooperation,” “international joint research,” “North–South dialogue and South–South cooperation,” and collaboration with international bodies like the “United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR)” to tackle the global challenge of natural hazards.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

Based on the issues discussed, several specific SDG targets can be identified:

1. Target 1.5: By 2030, build the resilience of the poor and those in vulnerable situations and reduce their exposure and vulnerability to climate-related extreme events and other economic, social and environmental shocks and disasters.
   • Explanation: The article emphasizes reducing “vulnerability and exposure” and enhancing “societal resilience,” particularly in the context of increasing hazards that disproportionately affect “vulnerable populations.”
2. Target 3.d: Strengthen the capacity of all countries, in particular developing countries, for early warning, risk reduction and management of national and global health risks.
   • Explanation: The call for “High-resolution spatiotemporal disaster monitoring, early warning, and intelligent forecasting systems” and enhancing “global disaster risk governance” directly supports this target’s aim of strengthening capacity for risk reduction.
3. Target 9.1: Develop quality, reliable, sustainable and resilient infrastructure… to support economic development and human well-being.
   • Explanation: The article points out that natural hazards pose “escalating challenges to the resilience of… critical infrastructure networks,” highlighting the need to build more resilient infrastructure as this target suggests.
4. Target 11.5: By 2030, significantly reduce the number of deaths and the number of people affected and substantially decrease the direct economic losses… caused by disasters.
   • Explanation: This target is at the core of the article, which discusses the “massive loss of life and property” from disasters and provides a specific example of a landslide causing “10 fatalities, 19 missing persons.”
5. Target 11.b: By 2020, substantially increase the number of cities and human settlements adopting and implementing integrated policies and plans towards… resilience to disasters, and develop and implement… holistic disaster risk management at all levels.
   • Explanation: The article explicitly references the “UNDRR Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030” and advocates for “integrated risk governance,” “resilience-building measures,” and a paradigm shift from “understanding disasters” to “guiding disaster governance.”
6. Target 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries.
   • Explanation: The entire article is framed around this concept, discussing the need to enhance “societal resilience” and “adaptive capacity” in the face of “increasing frequency of extreme events” linked to climate change.
7. Target 17.6: Enhance North-South, South-South and triangular regional and international cooperation on and access to science, technology and innovation.
   • Explanation: The article makes a strong case for “global scientific cooperation,” “international joint research,” and specifically supports “both North–South dialogue and South–South cooperation” to share knowledge and advance disaster science.
8. Target 17.9: Enhance international support for implementing effective and targeted capacity-building in developing countries.
   • Explanation: The journal’s mission includes giving “special attention to building response capacity and knowledge accessibility in developing countries and high-risk areas,” which aligns perfectly with this target.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

The article mentions or implies several indicators that align with the official SDG indicators for measuring progress:

• Indicator 1.5.1 / 11.5.1 (Number of deaths, missing persons and directly affected persons attributed to disasters per 100,000 population): The article provides a direct example of this indicator with the Junlian landslide, which resulted in “10 fatalities, 19 missing persons, and the burial of 10 houses.” This type of data is crucial for measuring disaster impact.
• Indicator 11.5.2 (Direct economic loss in relation to global GDP, including disaster damage to critical infrastructure): While not providing a specific monetary value, the article repeatedly refers to “massive loss of… property,” disruption of “economic operations,” and damage to “critical infrastructure networks,” which are the components of this indicator.
• Indicator 1.5.3 / 11.b.1 / 13.1.2 (Number of countries that adopt and implement national disaster risk reduction strategies in line with the Sendai Framework): The article’s repeated reference to the “Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030” and its call for “disaster risk governance” and “emergency policy design” imply that the adoption and implementation of such national strategies are a key measure of progress.
• Implied Indicator for Target 17.6 (International Cooperation): Progress can be measured by the number of “international joint research” projects, “comparative regional studies,” and “collaborations across countries,” which the journal aims to publish and promote.
• Implied Indicator for Target 17.9 (Capacity Building): Progress can be measured by the number of initiatives, projects, or knowledge products (e.g., “national disaster risk blue books, early warning system construction reports”) aimed at “building response capacity and knowledge accessibility in developing countries.”

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: nature.com