Global Risk Report 2010

The World Economic Forum has published Global Risk Report 2010. The document provides political and business leaders with a framework for further discussion of a risk landscape that is increasingly complex and urges a consideration of the longer term, global implications of risks in areas beyond their immediate focus. The key findings are as follows:

• The events of the past year have revealed a fundamental need to change thinking on global risks and how they are managed. With unprecedented levels of interconnectedness between all areas of risk, the report stresses that the need to combat governance gaps globally is greater than ever. It argues that this can only be addressed by an overhaul of current values and behaviours by decision-makers to improve coordination and supervision.
• Fiscal crises and unemployment, underinvestment in infrastructure – especially in energy and agriculture – and chronic disease are identified as the pivotal areas of risk over the next years.
• Other risks identified as equally systemic in nature, and requiring better global governance, are transnational crime and corruption, biodiversity loss and cyber-vulnerability.