Funding resilience: Why animals are the missing link in disaster risk reduction

As we look beyond the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction on 13 October 2025, the global call is clear: “Fund Resilience, Not Disasters.” This message demands a fundamental shift in how we view risk, one that recognizes the deep connection between the well-being of people and the animals they rely on and live with. 

Every year, disasters threaten lives, livelihoods, and ecosystems. The human cost is devastating — and so is the often-overlooked suffering of animals. From floods to wildfires and conflict, animals are among the first affected and the last considered.

But these losses are not inevitable. When we plan ahead and invest in prevention, we save lives — human and animal alike.

Why animal-considerate preparedness and disaster risk reduction matter

Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) means understanding and managing the risks that lead to crises — for people, animals, and the environments we share. It’s about acting before emergencies happen, building resilience, and protecting what’s most vulnerable.

As climate change intensifies, disasters are becoming more frequent, and the costs of recovery are soaring. Prevention is not only humane — it’s practical. The loss of livestock and working animals alone can run into billions of dollars globally, shattering agricultural economies and setting recovery back by years. Every dollar invested in preparedness saves up to seven that would otherwise be spent on emergency response and recovery efforts.

When animals are part of DRR planning, the benefits reach far beyond animal welfare itself:

• Communities recover faster when livestock and working animals survive. Protecting these assets is a fundamental humanitarian act, safeguarding human dignity and ensuring food security. In many regions, animals represent a family’s livelihood, transport, and food security. When they’re lost, recovery can take years — but when they’re protected, communities can rebuild more quickly and sustainably.
• Public health is protected when animal disease outbreaks are prevented. Disasters often increase the risk of zoonotic diseases — those that pass between animals and humans — as animals and people are forced into closer, often unsafe conditions. The COVID-19 pandemic was a global reminder of how fragile that boundary can be. Proactive vaccination, biosecurity, and emergency shelter planning reduce these risks and protect both human and animal health.
• Ecosystems stay balanced when wildlife and habitats are safeguarded. Extreme weather events can wipe out food sources, fragment habitats, and force wildlife into conflict with people. Preparedness that includes habitat protection and wildlife corridors helps ecosystems withstand and recover from shocks.
• Families remain whole when companion animals are included in evacuation and shelter plans. For many people, pets are family. Planning for their safety in emergencies not only saves animal lives — it also supports mental wellbeing, compliance with evacuation orders, and community trust in responders.

Resilience starts before disaster strikes.

What needs to change

To build a future that protects all lives, animal welfare must be part of disaster risk planning and policy. This requires:

1. Adopting and practicing robust national disaster legislation that protects all animals — because a strong legal foundation is essential for the mandate and accountability needed to integrate animal welfare across all government and national disaster planning.
2. Integrating animals into national and local disaster plans — ensuring evacuation, shelter, and veterinary support are planned in advance.
3. Funding preparedness, not only response — shifting investment toward early action and resilient systems.
4. Embedding animal welfare in DRR and climate adaptation frameworks at the United Nations (UN), European Union (EU), and national levels.
5. Empowering local actors — so communities, veterinarians, and responders have the tools and training to protect animals.
6. Using evidence and data — to learn, adapt, and improve risk planning for both people and animals.
7. Developing and utilizing practical tools - integrate community-based animal focused preparedness teams, optimising early warning with anticipatory action, and integrating animal and environmental health data into national risk registers with a One Health approach, which recognizes the interconnection between human, animal, and environmental health, essential for preventing zoonotic disease outbreaks and protecting livelihoods in disaster contexts.

A culture of preparedness

Building resilience isn’t a one-off project — it’s a culture. Within communities, institutions, and organisations like ours, preparedness must become second nature.
Disasters may be unpredictable, but vulnerability doesn’t have to be.

Following on from the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction, we echo the UN’s call to Fund Resilience, Not Disasters — and to make sure that in every effort to reduce risk, animals are part of the solution, not an afterthought.

Our commitment

At FOUR PAWS, we work at the intersection of animal welfare and humanitarian response — rescuing animals in crises while helping communities, partners, and governments build long-term resilience. We achieve this by working closely with international and regional multigovernmental agencies, national disaster management and animal related authorities, and local civil society partners, ensuring animal-inclusive policy and practice are adopted at every level. Through our Rescue & Preparedness work, we’re promoting a culture of preparedness and prevention as well as response, ensuring that animals are included in disaster planning, recovery, and risk reduction worldwide. Because when animals are protected, people and communities are stronger too.

Patrick Durrant is FOUR PAWS' Director of Rescue and Preparedness, an expert in emergency management and humanitarian aid in post-crisis areas.

Jackson Zee, FOUR PAWS' Armed Conflict and Disaster Framework Expert. A veterinarian and first responder with a doctorate, he advances animal welfare, development and disaster risk reduction.