Website Display
Search Website
News & Articles
GAME INDUSTRY TRENDS ANALYSIS 2024
.jpg)
Extreme Weather And Conflict Dominate Global Risks Report
Extreme weather and conflict dominate Global Risks Report
By Glenneis Kriel | 27 January 2025 | 5:00 am
The World Economic Forum’s Global Risks Report shows that respondents are concerned about extreme weather and conflict in the present, short and long terms.
The World Economic Forum’s Global Risks Report shows that respondents are concerned about extreme weather and conflict in the present, short and long terms. Photo: Pexels | Frederic Hancke
The World Economic Forum’s recently released Global Risks Report for 2025 paints a “bleak outlook” for the present, short term and long term. Extreme weather events and conflict take top spots in all three categories.
Of the 900 expert insights captured from across the world in the World Global Risks Perception Survey, more than 52% anticipate an unsettled global outlook over the next two years, 31% a turbulent outlook, and 5% a stormy outlook, the Global Risks Report said.
The outlook deteriorates over the 10-year period, with 62% of respondents expecting stormy or turbulent times.
In the present risk landscape, state-based armed conflict was ranked the biggest current risk, followed by extreme weather events. Geo-economic confrontation took third place, followed by misinformation and disinformation and societal polarisation.
In the short term, misinformation and disinformation ranked as the top threat for the second consecutive year, followed by extreme weather events, state-based armed conflict, societal polarisation, and cyber espionage.
Other societal risks ranked in the top 10 included pollution in the sixth spot, followed by inequality; involuntary migration or displacement; geo-economic confrontation; and erosion of human rights and/or civic freedoms at number 10.
In the long-term risk concerns, environmental risks dominated, with extreme weather events taking the top position, followed by biodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse; critical change to earth systems; and natural resource shortage. Pollution took the tenth spot.
In terms of technological risk concerns over the long term, misinformation and disinformation took the fifth spot; adverse outcomes of artificial-intelligence technologies the sixth spot; and cyber espionage claimed the ninth spot. Of social risks, inequality and societal polarisation took the seventh and eight positions respectively.
Paul Makube, senior agricultural economist of FNB, told Farmer’s Weekly that these risks were also applicable to South Africa.
He said that misinformation and disinformation can sow doubt among the general public about what is happening in the world and could be used to tarnish the image of products or services of a country, which could negatively impact trade.
To counteract false and misleading information, he urged agricultural companies and associations to be transparent and proactively communicate with the public and its members. These entities needed to use Internet technologies and artificial intelligence to identify this type of misinformation.
“You will need to use artificial intelligence in this battle, because misinformation needs to be addressed as soon as possible to prevent it from spreading,” he advised.
In terms of geo-political instability, he said South Africa needed to remain discrete in trade negotiations, strengthen existing relationships and develop new markets to diversify market risks.
“Countries are moving away from a free market system to a more protective trade environment. To maintain our markets, we need to ensure that we export high-quality agricultural produce that complies with export standards and ensure the produce reach their destination at the right times,” he said.
Makube said that South Africa had strong laws to protect human rights, but that poverty and inequality remained a major challenge, which led to the polarisation of society.
He said that agriculture had huge potential to address these societal challenges and ensure rural stability. To unlock this potential, however, the sector would need an enabling environment, which included improved infrastructure and roads, increased port efficiencies, the growth of markets and a more favourable economic environment.
Contact Us
