Disaster risk solutions

Scalable and replicable success stories to prevent disasters.

A catalogue of evidence-based practices to reduce disaster risk.

Concrete innovations, inventions, and strategies are reducing the impacts of disasters worldwide. These practical success stories and proven strategies address various aspects of disaster risk.

The documented successes, measurable achievements, avoided disasters, and tangible outcomes serve as lessons for those planning actions to enhance resilience, reduce vulnerability, and protect communities from the adverse effects of disasters.

The stories you will find below encompass a wide range of practical DRR measures, including early warning systems, community-based initiatives, green and grey infrastructure improvements, policy implementations, and innovative technologies that have been applied and proven effective in real-world scenarios.

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Showing 1–10 of 212 results

Case study

The 2005 Kashmir earthquake - a new way to rebuild

This case study explore the 2005 Kashmir earthquake claimed the lives of over 79,000 people across Pakistan.

Disasters avoided

Update

5 October 2026

How a Malawian village is holding back floods

After repeated flooding, villagers in southern Malawi planted trees and built a dyke. Their local approach is now helping to protect their homes from rising water – and it is becoming a role model for disaster preparedness throughout the country.

D+C Development and Cooperation

Update

17 August 2026

Landmark evaluation finds $741M Resilient Homes Fund enhanced flood resilience for thousands of Queensland homeowners

An independent evaluation has found the $741 million Queensland Resilient Homes Fund (RHF) improved flood resilience and supported recovery for thousands of homeowners across 39 local government areas following the 2021–2022 Southern Queensland floods.

Natural Hazards Research Australia

Wetland with a clear sky reflection on the pond

Update

12 August 2026

Putting out wildfires: how peat restoration has reduced fire risk in Indonesia’s tropical forests

Preventing peatland fires depends on peatland restoration and reducing conditions that enable fires to spread. Indonesia’s experience provides lessons for protecting vulnerable ecosystems and communities globally.

Conversation Media Group, the

Update

6 August 2026

Just weeks before devastating wildfires hit, Spokane practiced a mass evacuation – the drill paid off

Wildfire evacuations are often more complex than they seem. Experience from Spokane shows that evacuation drills help residents prepare, improve traffic management and warning systems, and can save lives when fast-moving fires threaten communities.

Conversation Media Group, the

Update

17 July 2026

Arizona Water: A history of conservation

Water is indispensable to Arizona and Greater Phoenix. Through Colorado River canals, 100-year groundwater framework, and water storage systems, the state has built a resilient water portfolio that is reliable despite the Southwest’s 25-year drought.

Greater Phoenix Economic Council (GPEC)

Update

1 June 2026

When the waters rise: how the city of N’Djamena, Chad, prepared for floods and averted disaster

PILIER launched a $13 million flood preparedness and response plan in early 2024 to protect N’Djamena during a high-risk rainy season.

World Bank, the

Case study

Pakistan

Earthquake-resisting building in Pakistan

This case study highlights that the post-1935 earthquake buildings performed well in Pakistan during the 1955 earthquake.

Disasters avoided

Case study

United States of America

Nebraska Arbor Day 2024 tornado

This case study explains how the work of the National Weather Service (NWS) Omaha-Valley office was instrumental in reducing the negative human health impacts of the Arbor Day tornado outbreak.

Disasters avoided

Case study

Africa

Drought, but not famine: 1991-1993

This case study highlights how the Southern Africa drought response of 1992-1993 demonstrated how coordinated and timely action was effectively able to avert disastrous famine consequences – even at regional scale.

Disasters avoided

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Disaster risk reduction and disaster risk management

The policy objective of anticipating and reducing risk is called disaster risk reduction (DRR). Disaster risk management (DRM) can be thought of as the implementation of DRR, since it describes the actions that aim to achieve the objective of reducing risk.

Houses that can float could protect vulnerable people from flooding

This concept retrofits houses with flotation devices and tethers them to poles - allowing the house to rise with floodwaters and descend to their foundations when the flood subsides.

Can wildfire prevention offer sustainable business opportunities?

Because of climate change, wildfires are becoming more intense and frequent. Prevention measures often come with a hefty price tag. Across Europe, fire-smart solutions make wildfire prevention more sustainable, by offering ecological, economic and social benefits.

Rain-related early warning in Japan

“The risk is imminent” translates as KiKIKURU in Japanese. It’s the name of an innovative early warning system for rain-related hazards in Japan. KIKIKURU was developed by the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA). The system provides real-time hazard updates using a high spatial resolution of 1 km.

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Developing local-level solutions

View of the volcano in the background of the city of Antigua Guatemala, Guatemala

Making Cities Resilient 2030

Read the latest news from cities building their resilience.

Is your city resilient? Does its resilience help its citizens to prosper and flourish? Making Cities Resilient 2030 (MCR2030) is a unique cross-stakeholder initiative for improving local resilience. See how cities around the world build their capacities to tackle disasters.

MCR2030 is a place where cities can find guidance and support to enhance understanding on risk reduction and resilience, to improve strategic planning to reduce risk and build resilience, and to take actions and progress along the resilience roadmap.

See below news from cities that have taken the leap to reduce disaster risk.

Join MCR2030