Highlights and images for 2 June 2025

Disaster displacement is on the rise around the world. The year 2024 saw the highest number of people newly displaced within a single year, according to Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) research. It was also the hottest year on record, bringing increased risk of disasters such as floods, fires, and tropical storms. Under current climate conditions, an average of 32 million displacements occur in any given year. IDMC anticipates that, even under an “optimistic” scenario of 1°C of temperature rise, there will be twice as many global displacements by the year 2100. Under a “pessimistic” scenario of 5°C, this figure would increase significantly. 

Want to dig deeper into today's talks? Read the full Earth Negotiations Bulletin daily report.

To discuss strategies and solutions for disaster risk reduction (DRR), the Eighth Global Platform on Disaster Risk Reduction (GPDRR) convened two preparatory days in the lead-up to the official programme on Wednesday. On the first day, two conferences began in parallel: the Third Stakeholder Forum on DRR and the Global Early Warning For All Stakeholder Forum (EW4All).

During the opening of the Stakeholder Forum at the Geneva International Conference Centre (CICG), Mirjam Macchi, Swiss Development Corporation, recalled the devastating impacts of the glacial landslide caused by melting permafrost, which buried the village of Blatten, Switzerland, in May. The incident was a stark reminder that the impacts of climate change, she observed, are not some future scenario, but are taking place here and now. At the same time, Macchi and other speakers noted signs of hope that, with adequate preparation, resilience can truly begin “with the people.”

At the EW4All conference, which took place at the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) building, speakers highlighted good practices in early warning across the regions of the world. They discussed prospects for co-ownership of strategies with local communities, in addition to co-design approaches. 

The dominant theme of the day was that of governments and communities working together. Sub-themes that emerged throughout the day were the value of inclusive DRR, traditional knowledge, and localization. Indigenous Peoples’ knowledge, some speakers noted, can help predict and prepare for lean times, complementing the use of sophisticated technology. Combinations of gray and green infrastructure also offer durable solutions: for example, private equity specialist Emma Haight of Impact Sync described the adoption of a green sewer design, first developed in Washington DC, which proved so successful that the design was replicated in London, UK, Cape Town, South Africa, and Quito, Ecuador, yielding long-term asset value.

Conference rooms around the venues were packed to overflowing, a testament to participants’ interest in stories such as these. Tanjir Hossain, moderator of the Stakeholder Forum’s opening session, reminded everyone that these preparatory days provide a less formal space for governments, scientists, and representatives of at-risk communities to speak about the issues: “Our role is to bring knowledge and expertise and say things about what is happening on the ground.”