In an interview with Charlotta Lomas, Jörn Birkmann, lead researcher at the United Nations University in Bonn and the scientific director of the World Risk Report 2014, said that it's important to look at the broader picture, in terms of adaptation to climate change.
"What we have often seen is that governments are responding to extreme events as something that comes from the outside. So you need better early warning systems, you need a better detection of hazards, of cyclones and so on...you also have to invest in how people can prepare themselves for these extreme events. Examples can include insurance regimes, social protection, access to education, access to basic infrastructure and improvement of slum areas."