The World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Global Risks Report 2025 has identified extreme weather events as the most significant long-term risk for the next decade.

• The top risks in the Global Risks Report include state-based armed conflict, extreme weather events, geoeconomic confrontation, and misinformation, which destabilize global systems. 
• The report, released ahead of the WEF Annual Meeting 2025 in Davos, underscores the necessity for global collaboration to address environmental challenges.

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About Global Risks Report 2025

• It presents an analysis of the most pressing global risks anticipated over short-term (2 years) and long-term (10 years) periods.  

Key Points of the Report

• Top Risks for India: Water supply shortages, misinformation and disinformation, erosion of human rights and civic freedoms, pollution (air, water, and soil), and labour and talent shortages.
  • As a significant global player, India faces potential disruptions to its trade routes and energy security from ongoing instability in regions critical to its interests.
• State-based armed conflict: The report warned that state-based armed conflict is the most immediate risk for 2025, reflecting deepening geopolitical fragmentation. 
• Extreme Weather Events:Ranked as the top long-term risk, these events have increased in frequency and cost, with inflation-adjusted expenses rising by nearly 77% over the past five decades.
• Short-Term Risks:In the 2025-2027 period, extreme weather ranks as the second most severe global risk, appearing among the top five risks in 28 countries, up from 24 the previous year.
• Regional Impacts: Countries like the United States face significant challenges, with wildfires in regions such as Los Angeles projected to incur losses exceeding $200 billion, potentially becoming the costliest in U.S. history.
• Broader Implications: Climate change is also influencing other global risks, including involuntary migration, which ranks as the eighth most severe short-term risk.
• Call to Action:The report emphasizes the urgent need for cooperative global efforts to tackle critical environmental issues, aligning with the WEF Annual Meeting’s theme, Collaboration for the Intelligent Age.
• Pollution: 
  • Unsustainable production and consumption patterns are driving the increasing pollution of air, water and land. 
• In 6 countries — Guatemala, Honduras, Indonesia, Italy, Malawi and Mauritius — extreme weather events have become more pressing compared to 2024.
• Mauritius and Malawi saw a notable rise from fifth to second place in their risk assessments.

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Issues and risks raised by the report

• Misinformation and disinformation lead short-term risks, posing threats to stability and eroding trust in governance, which complicates the need for cooperation in addressing global crises.
• Societal polarization and economic downturns exacerbate tensions, while biodiversity loss, human rights erosion, and inequality present long-term challenges. 
• Migration and resource shortages further disrupt societies and economies.

The report’s findings are based on a survey of over 900 global risk experts, policymakers, and industry leaders conducted in late 2024.