In 2019, the International Science Council (ISC) and the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) invited the Integrated Research for Disaster Risk program (IRDR) to lead on the development of a global research agenda for risk-informed development to guide impactful international disaster risk research and its funding. Since then, the COVID-19 pandemic has laid bare the integrated nature of human development and planetary health, brought renewed urgency to tackling the underlying drivers of risks at different scales, and demonstrated the vital role of science in coping with and preventing future crises. This research agenda has been launched as A Framework for Global Science - In Support of Risk-informed Sustainable Development and Planetary Health.

As part of the development process for this new research agenda, this paper provides context, baseline information and a ‘state of knowledge’ on disaster risk science. Specifically, this paper aims to i) trace the development and evolution of relevant concepts and frameworks, ii) outline the application of relevant methods, tools and approaches, and iii) highlight emerging gaps in data, information, and knowledge.

Citation of this publication: Tran, M. and Boyland, M.(2022). The State of Knowledge on Disaster Risk. IRDR Working Paper Series, 24 pages. doi: 10.24948/2021.10