G20 leaders signal strong commitment to disaster risk reduction and resilience

The first-ever G20 Summit held on African soil has placed disaster risk reduction (DRR) and resilience squarely at the centre of global economic decision-making. Meeting in Johannesburg, G20 Leaders adopted a historic Leaders’ Declaration calling for stronger, coordinated efforts to reduce disaster risk, expand anticipatory action, and invest in long-term resilience.

The Declaration acknowledges the rising frequency and severity of disasters, driven by climate change, environmental degradation, and growing socio-economic vulnerability. Leaders emphasized that these shocks continue to reverse development gains, disproportionately affecting Small Island Developing States (SIDS), Least Developed Countries (LDCs), and people already living in vulnerable conditions. 

A clear call to accelerate global investment in risk reduction

G20 Leaders underscored that investing in resilience is essential for sustainable development, urging governments, international financial institutions, and the private sector to scale up ex-ante financing and expand access to affordable, inclusive risk-reduction instruments. These include parametric insurance, risk pools, contingent credit, catastrophe bonds, and adaptive social protection systems.

The G20 also formally endorsed the High-Level Voluntary Principles for Investing in DRR, developed under the G20 Working Group on DRR, for which UNDRR serves as Secretariat.

"The adoption of the principles is a significant achievement, their implementation is what matters," said Kamal Kishore, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction, thanking South Africa for its for its successful Presidency.

Leaders encouraged members to integrate the Principles into national and sub-national planning, financial systems, and sectoral strategies to ensure that risk considerations inform all investment decisions.

They further recognized the Recovery Readiness Assessment Framework, developed under the South Africa Presidency, as a valuable voluntary tool for strengthening proactive, inclusive, and sustainable recovery planning—ensuring that countries are better prepared to recover quickly and equitably when disasters strike.

UNDRR and South Africa convene high-level side event

On the margins of the Summit, the Government of South Africa and UNDRR convened an official G20 side event bringing together G20 negotiators, senior government officials, development banks, private-sector representatives, and senior DRR practitioners. The event highlighted real-world applications of the DRR Investment Principles, demonstrating how they can guide public spending, strengthen fiscal resilience, and ensure more equitable recovery planning.

A strong signal of global leadership

The Declaration reaffirms the importance of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction and its alignment with the 2030 Agenda, the Paris Agreement, and Africa’s development priorities. Leaders emphasized the need to accelerate national implementation—especially in Africa—while recognizing the urgent need for universal access to early warning systems through the UN’s Early Warnings for All initiative.

The G20’s strong endorsement of prevention, resilience, and DRR financing marks a significant step forward in global economic governance. “When we began our Presidency, we pledged to mobilise the G20 to strengthen disaster resilience and response” noted President Cyril Ramaphosa in his closing remarks. As disaster risks intensify, the commitments adopted in Johannesburg set a clear direction: risk-informed development is no longer optional—it is essential for shared prosperity.