Systemic risk

In Limbe, Cameroon, flooding is not just caused by heavy rainfall. Rather from a complex interplay of land-use decisions, poor waste management, weak governance and a lack of infrastructure. Tackling this requires a systems‑thinking approach.

Flooding is a complex phenomenon, with a wide range of causes that go far beyond rising sea levels. In Europe alone, floods can stem from coastal storms, overflowing rivers, heavy snowmelt, or flash floods triggered by intense thunderstorms.

From city transit to cross-country freight, Australia’s rail system is straining as the infrastructure ages and climate extremes grow more intense and frequent. Much of Australia’s rail backbone was built decades ago.

This study combined hydroclimatic hazard impact and supply-driven input-output models to develop an integrated approach for estimating the cascading impacts on food, electricity, and water supplies associated with drought, flood, and heatwave hazards.

By assessing two recent global food and energy systemic crises, the authors propose a methodological framework applicable to assessing systemic risks in a polycrisis context, drawing from and building on existing approaches.

Forest fires are a difficult cycle to break: A tiny spark has the potential to transform into a raging fire, exacerbating climate change and making future fires more likely.

Solutions that are inspired and supported by nature, which are cost-effective, simultaneously provide environmental, social and economic benefits and help build resilience.