News
On the sidelines of this week’s Murona Forum 2026 in Abu Dhabi, GFDRR Head Niels Holm-Nielsen spoke to the National News, a leading publication in the United Arab Emirates, on how rapid urbanization and population shifts are amplifying the impacts of severe weather. Niels emphasized that GFDRR remains as committed as ever to support countries as they strive to reduce their vulnerability to natural hazards and climate change.
The Murona Forum 2026 was organized by the Emergencies, Crises and Disasters Management Centre Abu Dhabi (ADCMC). GFDRR and ADCMC will be co-hosting the Understanding Risk Global Forum 2026 (UR26) in Abu Dhabi on October 19-23, 2026.
Cyclone Ditwah, which struck Sri Lanka in late November, has caused an estimated US$4.1 billion in direct physical damage to buildings and contents, agriculture and critical infrastructure, according to a World Bank Group Global Rapid Post-Disaster Damage Estimation (GRADE) report released today. This damage is equivalent to about 4 percent of Sri Lanka’s GDP. The cyclone, among the most intense and destructive in Sri Lanka’s recent history, severely affected close to 2 million people and 500,000 families across all 25 districts, disrupting livelihoods, essential services, and the broader economy.
The Emergencies, Crises and Disasters Management Centre Abu Dhabi (ADCMC) announced that Abu Dhabi will host the 9th edition of the Understanding Risk Global Forum 2026 (#UR26), organized in collaboration with the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR) of the World Bank. Read the press release in English or Arabic.
The World Bank, in coordination with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), estimate that the physical damage to Jamaica caused by Hurricane Melissa totals US$8.8 billion — equivalent to 41 percent of the country’s 2024 GDP— making it the costliest hurricane in Jamaica’s recorded history. The Global Rapid Damage Estimation (GRADE), conducted immediately after the hurricane, assessed physical damage across residential, non-residential, infrastructure, and agricultural sectors. It does not include broader economic losses, which are expected to be even more significant.