Listen Now: 
March 15, 2026
#national: United Nations adopts global framework to measure disaster risk and impacts
Waatea Team
Posted On March 15, 2026
The United Nations has endorsed the world’s first global statistical framework designed to help countries measure disaster risk and understand the full impacts of natural hazards on people, infrastructure and economies.
The new Global Disaster-Related Statistics Framework (G-DRSF) provides governments with a shared system for collecting and analysing disaster-related data. The framework aims to improve how countries assess risk before disasters occur, track impacts during emergencies and measure recovery and resilience afterwards.
International agencies say the new framework creates a common statistical foundation that allows countries to better record the effects disasters have on communities, including deaths, injuries, displacement and damage to homes, infrastructure and ecosystems. It also enables governments to measure economic losses and the costs of responding to disasters.
The system also places a strong emphasis on understanding underlying risk factors such as exposure, vulnerability and a community’s capacity to respond to disasters. These measures are expected to help governments make better decisions about prevention, preparedness and investment in disaster risk reduction.
The development of the framework followed several years of collaboration between global statistical agencies, disaster management authorities and international organisations. Experts from around the world contributed to consultations and technical forums aimed at creating consistent definitions, indicators and data standards.
Officials say the framework will also strengthen international cooperation by allowing countries to compare disaster data more easily and share information across borders. By standardising how disasters are measured, the system is expected to improve global assessments of risk and help policymakers design stronger resilience strategies.
The new framework aligns with existing international commitments such as the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, which call for stronger data systems to help reduce disaster losses and improve resilience in vulnerable communities.
United Nations officials say better data will ultimately support more effective disaster preparedness, allowing governments to identify vulnerable populations earlier and target resources where they are needed most as climate-driven hazards increase around the world.
RELATED NEWS
