This year’s WorldRiskReport is focused on floods. In the report, published by Bündnis Entwicklung Hilft and the Institute for International Law of Peace and Armed Conflict (IFHV) at Ruhr University Bochum, four perspectives of flood prevention are examined: social, technological, ecological and political – presenting specific approaches for practical application. Effective prevention works before the rain starts to fall: early warning systems, accessible shelters, organized and trained communities, and planning can ensure that water does not unleash destructive forces. 
 
‘Flood risks are not a law of nature. They decrease when prevention, social justice and political will come together – implemented locally, scientifically sound and based on intact ecosystems.’  
Dr Ilona Auer Frege, Managing Director of Bündnis Entwicklung Hilft
 
New this year: 
·         A special evaluation of global flood risk including a respective world map. 
·         An analysis of local flood hotspots down to the provincial level using the Philippines as a case study – evidence of how varied the risk is within a country. 
·         Germany is also in the spotlight this year: lessons learned from the Ahr Valley disaster in 2021 show which principles local authorities and emergency services can apply in the future. 
The WorldRiskIndex 2025 updates the global risk ranking and shows why the funding of prevention, adaptation and social security is effective – also considering the threat posed by declining development aid budgets worldwide.  
 
‘When budgets shrink and data dries up, we risk flying blind in humanitarian terms.’ 
Daniel Weller, Senior Data Scientist at IFHV and responsible for calculating the index.

You can download the New World Risk Report in English and in German 

Additionally you can find all the previous WorldRisk Reports here.