Case studies

This collection of case studies from across the globe showcases practical, real-world examples of disaster risk management and disaster risk reduction in action.

The need to understand, adapt to, and mitigate disaster risks is greater than ever. These case studies are in-depth studies of a particular case in a real-world context. Each case study highlights unique challenges, innovative solutions, and impactful outcomes, providing insight into the strategies that communities, organizations, and governments have implemented to protect lives, livelihoods, and ecosystems.

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Case study
Mozambique Somalia El Salvador Guatemala Panama Timor-Leste
Global: Multi-dimensional risk analysis informs Common Country Analyses and Cooperation Frameworks
UNDRR‐supported multi-dimensional risk analyses in El Salvador, Guatemala, Mozambique, Panama, Somalia & Timor-Leste mapped cascading hazards across six SDG transitions, guiding risk-informed Cooperation Framework priorities and follow-up actions.
  • United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR)
  • United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
  • United Nations Development Coordination Office (UNDOCO)
Case study
Chad Mali Mauritania Niger Nigeria Senegal
Sahel: Risk-informed development training builds DRR–CCA capacity across seven West-African countries
UNDP’s 3-day Risk-Informed Development training in Mauritania united officials from 7 Sahel states; using the RID tool, they set actions such as a Niger DRR-CCA law, Chad budget lines, Mali strategy revision and Nigeria risk-financing plan.
  • United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
  • Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
  • United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)
Case study
Global: AI-powered early-warning systems under the Early Warnings for All (EW4All) initiative
EW4All’s AI Sub-Group—led by ITU, WMO, UNDRR & IFRC—ingests global hazard data, applies machine-learning to refine forecasts and tailors alerts, boosting preparedness while stressing equity and bridging the digital divide.
  • International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
  • World Meteorological Organization (WMO)
  • United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR)
  • International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC)
Case study
Africa
Horn of Africa: Systems thinking and foresight chart a path to drought-free, food-secure futures
UNDP, IGAD & AUC convened 40 experts to map drought-food-insecurity drivers in Ethiopia-Kenya-Somalia. Foresight labs produced a systems map, solution pathways and DREAM concept, steering UNDP’s 2025 Drought-Resilience Strategy.
  • United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
Case study
Mongolia
Mongolia: Child money programme expansion during COVID-19
During COVID-19, Mongolia quintupled Child Money Programme payments, rapidly reaching 1.2 million children via existing delivery systems—softening food insecurity, reducing poverty and proving the power of adaptive social-protection safety nets.
  • United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)
  • International Labour Organization (ILO)
  • Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
  • United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
  • United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)
Case study
Republic of Moldova
Moldova: Disaster-resilience scorecards guide urban planning and budgeting in five cities
Five Moldovan cities used UNDRR’s MCR2030 Disaster Resilience Scorecards and participatory workshops to map risks, issue four mayor-endorsed resilience reports and trigger Chișinău’s 2024-2030 Resilience Strategy, aligning city budgets with DRR.
  • United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR)
  • International Organization for Migration (IOM)
  • United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN WOMEN)
Case study
Dominica
Dominica: Urban resilience and risk-informed planning transform Roseau after Hurricane Maria
Roseau’s Enhancement Project maps fire & flood hazards, sets up a City Resilience Platform and resilient-infrastructure plan, aligning with Dominica’s goal to be the world’s first climate-resilient nation by 2030.
  • United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
Case study
Serbia
Serbia: Digital Disaster Risk Register links geospatial data to risk-informed planning and investment
Serbia’s Disaster Risk Register—built by SEM, RGA and UNDP—integrates national spatial-data layers on floods, landslides, quakes, fires and health. Live since 2022, it guides risk-based urban planning, emergency response and attracts private investment.
  • United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
  • World Health Organization (WHO)
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