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​​Imagine you are a city official who wants to ensure all future infrastructure and urban development in your city is climate- and disaster-sensitive. The first step is to understand the natural hazards of today and tomorrow—flood, storm surge, sea level rise, etc.—and how they could impact your city.

Disaster losses can have a severe impact on the economies of small island nations. In 2004, after Hurricane Ivan hit Grenada, a state of only 133 square miles in size, total damages were estimated around US$900 million, equivalent to 200% of national GDP at the time. While Grenada’s experience is extreme, SIDS across the world have suffered disaster impacts which reached significant losses in terms of their GDP.

A commitment to building resilience, paired with accurate and actionable risk information, can help bring about a safer world before costly disasters, often with substantial losses in lives and livelihoods, impact our most vulnerable communities.