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Report Home

  • Report Highlights
    • Global Risks Landscape 2015
    • Global Risks 2015 Interconnections Map
    • Risks-Trends 2015 Interconnections Map
    • Executive Opinion Survey 2014
    • Regional Risks Preparedness
  • Blogs and Opinions
  • Shareable Infographics
  • Video
  • Press Releases
  • [–divider–]
  • Preface
  • Foreword
  • Executive Summary
  • Introduction
  • Part 1 – Global Risks 2015
    • Introduction
    • Fragile Societies under Pressure
    • Growing Worries about Conflict
    • Economic Risks: Out of the Spotlight?
    • Environment – High Concern, Little Progress
    • Technological Risks: Back to the Future
    • Preparedness at the Regional Level Is Different
    • Conclusion
    • References
  • Part 2: Risks in Focus
    • 2.1 Introduction
    • 2.2 Global Risks Arising from the Accelerated Interplay between Geopolitics and Economics
    • 2.3 City Limits: The Risks of Rapid and Unplanned Urbanization in Developing Countries
    • 2.4 Engineering the Future: How Can the Risks and Rewards of Emerging Technologies Be Balanced?
    • 2.5 Conclusion
    • References
  • Part 3: Good Practices on Risk Management and Risk Resilience
    • Introduction
    • Practice 1: Interdisciplinary Science for Managing Water Resources and Improving Long-Term Water Security
    • Practice 2: Resilient America Roundtable
    • Practice 3: ZÜRS Public – Increasing Awareness of Flood Risk in Saxony
    • Conclusion
    • References
  • Conclusion
  • Appendices
    • Appendix A: Description of Global Risks and Trends 2015
    • Appendix B: The Global Risks Perception Survey 2014 and Methodology
    • Appendix C: The Executive Opinion Survey and Views of the Business Community on the Impact of Global Risks on Their Business
    • References
  • Acknowledgements
Global Risks 2015 Home
  • Report Home
  • Report Highlights
    • Global Risks Landscape 2015
    • Global Risks 2015 Interconnections Map
    • Risks-Trends 2015 Interconnections Map
    • Executive Opinion Survey 2014
    • Regional Risks Preparedness
  • Blogs and Opinions
  • Shareable Infographics
  • Video
  • Press Releases
  • [–divider–]
  • Preface
  • Foreword
  • Executive Summary
  • Introduction
  • Part 1 – Global Risks 2015
    • Introduction
    • Fragile Societies under Pressure
    • Growing Worries about Conflict
    • Economic Risks: Out of the Spotlight?
    • Environment – High Concern, Little Progress
    • Technological Risks: Back to the Future
    • Preparedness at the Regional Level Is Different
    • Conclusion
    • References
  • Part 2: Risks in Focus
    • 2.1 Introduction
    • 2.2 Global Risks Arising from the Accelerated Interplay between Geopolitics and Economics
    • 2.3 City Limits: The Risks of Rapid and Unplanned Urbanization in Developing Countries
    • 2.4 Engineering the Future: How Can the Risks and Rewards of Emerging Technologies Be Balanced?
    • 2.5 Conclusion
    • References
  • Part 3: Good Practices on Risk Management and Risk Resilience
    • Introduction
    • Practice 1: Interdisciplinary Science for Managing Water Resources and Improving Long-Term Water Security
    • Practice 2: Resilient America Roundtable
    • Practice 3: ZÜRS Public – Increasing Awareness of Flood Risk in Saxony
    • Conclusion
    • References
  • Conclusion
  • Appendices
    • Appendix A: Description of Global Risks and Trends 2015
    • Appendix B: The Global Risks Perception Survey 2014 and Methodology
    • Appendix C: The Executive Opinion Survey and Views of the Business Community on the Impact of Global Risks on Their Business
    • References
  • Acknowledgements

Acknowledgements

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The Global Risks 2015 report synthesizes the insights, ideas and contributions of many individuals through workshops, group calls and research. The World Economic Forum and the Global Risks 2015 report team is grateful to all who took part in the challenge to think hard about global risks. Without their dedication, guidance and support, it would not have been possible to develop this report.

The World Economic Forum would like to thank our Strategic Partners Marsh & McLennan Companies and Zurich Insurance Group for their guidance, input and support. We also thank our academic advisers, the National University of Singapore, the Oxford Martin School at the University of Oxford and the Wharton Risk Management and Decision Processes Center at the University of Pennsylvania.

The Global Risks 2015 report governance is represented by the Steering Board, the Advisory Board and the Activation Board, all of which have provided invaluable input and guidance. 

The Steering Board includes:

  • John Drzik, President, Global Risk and Specialties, Marsh, United States
  • Espen Barth Eide, Managing Director and Member of the Managing Board, World Economic Forum, Switzerland
  • Axel Lehmann, Group Chief Risk Officer, Zurich Insurance Group, Switzerland 

The Advisory Board is composed of: 

  • Rolf Alter, Director, Public Governance and Territorial Development, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Paris 
  • Mario Blejer, Vice-Chairman, Banco Hipotecario, Argentina
  • Oliver Chen, Head, Credit Modeling, Global Valuation, United Kingdom; Representing the National University of Singapore on the Advisory Board
  • Megan Clark, Chief Executive Officer, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Australia
  • Marie-Valentine Florin, Managing Director, International Risk Governance Council (IRGC), Switzerland
  • Julian Laird, Head, Policy and Development, Oxford Martin School, United Kingdom
  • Pascal Lamy, Honorary President, Notre Europe – Jacques Delors Institute, France 
  • Ursula von der Leyen, Federal Minister of Defence of Germany
  • Erwann Michel-Kerjan, Executive Director, Wharton Risk Center, The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, United States
  • Moisés Naím, Distinguished Fellow, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, UNITED STATES
  • Jonathan Ostry, Deputy Director, Research Department, International Monetary Fund (IMF), Washington DC
  • Manuel Pulgar-Vidal Otalora, Minister of Environment of Peru
  • Nouriel Roubini, Professor of Economics and International Business, Leonard N. Stern School of Business, New York University, United States
  • Anders Sandberg, James Martin Research Fellow, Future of Humanity Institute, University of Oxford, United Kingdom
  • Richard Smith-Bingham, Director, Global Risk Center, Marsh & McLennan Companies, United Kingdom
  • Michelle Tuveson, Executive Director, Centre for Risk Studies, University of Cambridge Judge Business School, United Kingdom
  • Margareta Wahlström, United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction, United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction, Switzerland
  • Steve Wilson, Chief Risk Officer, General Insurance, Zurich Insurance Group, Switzerland

The Activation Board includes:

  • Laura Castellano, Zurich Insurance Group, Switzerland
  • Jason Groves, Marsh & McLennan Companies, United Kingdom 
  • Riccardo Moretto, Zurich Insurance Group, Switzerland
  • Gregory Renand, Zurich Insurance Group, Switzerland
  • Stephen Szaraz, Marsh & McLennan Companies, United States

Global Risks 2015 Report Corporate Partners (not already listed above)

Marsh & McLennan Companies (Marsh, Oliver Wyman)

  • Shaun Lu
  • Maurits Paling
  • Mark Pollard
  • Maurizio Quintavalle
  • Thomas M. Quigley
  • Nick Studer
  • Alex Wittenberg 

Zurich Insurance Group

  • Daniel Eherer 
  • John Scott 

Global Risks 2015 Report Academic Advisers

National University of Singapore

  • Tan Chorh Chuan
  • Ho Teck Hua

Oxford Martin School, University of Oxford

  • Ian Goldin

Wharton Risk Management and Decision Processes Center, University of Pennsylvania

  • Howard Kunreuther

The project team would like to thank the following individuals for their contribution to the report: 

  • Box 1.1: Global Risks team, World Economic Forum
  • Box 1.2: Dan Smith, International Alert
  • Box 1.3: Nouriel Roubini, New York University
  • Box 1.4: Jonathan Ostry, International Monetary Fund
  • Box 1.5: Erwann Michel-Kerjan and Howard Kunreuther, The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania
  • Box 1.6: Bernice Lee, World Economic Forum
  • Box 1.7: Danil Kerimi, World Economic Forum
  • Box 2.1: Pascal Lamy, Notre Europe – Jacques Delors Institute
  • Box 2.2: Anja Kaspersen, World Economic Forum and Mark Leonard, European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR)
  • Box 2.3: Anthony Townsend, New York University
  • Box 2.4: Arnaud Bernaert and Vanessa Candeias, World Economic Forum
  • Box 2.5: Caroline Galvan, World Economic Forum
  • Box 2.6: Anders Sandberg, University of Oxford
  • Box 2.7: Marie-Valentine Florin, International Risk Governance Council
  • Box 2.8: Bernhard Petermeier, World Economic Forum and Stuart Russell, University of California, Berkeley
  • Practice on Water Management: Megan Clark and Stefan Hajkowicz, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO)
  • Practice on Resilient America: Lauren Alexander Augustine, National Academy of Sciences
  • Practice on Risk Communication: Charles Baubion and Catherine Gamper, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)

The project team would like to thank the individuals who contributed to the report by participating in the workshop on the new methodology of the Global Risks 2015 report. In addition, the project team is grateful to the individuals who took part in the interviews and group calls conducted throughout the year for their valuable inputs.

The participants in the workshop on the methodology of the Global Risks 2015 report were:

Christoph Bleiker, ABB; Natalie Day, University of Sussex; Michael Furrer, Holcim; Evgueni Ivantsov, European Risk Management Council; Randolph Kent, King’s College London; Nicholas Mueller, Swiss Federal Chancellery; Richard Stoffelen, Holcim; William Sutherland, University of Cambridge; Chadia Wannous, UN System Influenza Coordination (UNSIC), UNDP.

The individuals who took part in the interviews and group calls were:
Nayef Al-Rodhan, University of Oxford; Ian Anthony, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute; John Beard, World Health Organization; Adam Blackwell, Organization of American States; Antoine Bommier, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Risk Center; William Boulding, Duke University; Ian Bremmer, Eurasia Group; Milan Ćirković, University of Novi Sad; Belisario Contreras, Organization of American States (OAS); Mike Douglass, National University of Singapore; Carl Ganter, Circle of Blue; Donald Hanna, Roubini Global Economics ; Ghassan Hasbani, Graycoats ; Göran Hultin, Caden Corporation; Vincenzo Iozzo, Trail of Bits; Eugene Kaspersky, Kaspersky Lab; Michael Keith, University of Oxford; Felipe Larraín Bascuñán, Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile; Robert Lawrence, Harvard University; Lee Sang Yup, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST); Mark Leonard, European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR); Li Tie, China Center for Urban Development; Masse Lo, Greenpeace; Maleeha Lodhi, Jang Group of Newspapers; Herbert M’cleod, Office of the President of Sierra Leone; Nicholas Mueller, Swiss Federal Chancellery ; Mike Muller, National Planning Commission; Suzanne Nora Johnson, Brookings Institution; S. Jay Olshansky, University of Illinois; Rodrigo Pérez Mackenna, Ministry of Housing and Urban Development of Chile; Abhilash Panda, United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR); Qian Qiyu, Nanyang Technological University; Guha Ramasubramanian, Wipro; Martin Rees, University of Cambridge; Ortwin Renn, University of Stuttgart; Stuart Russell, University of California, Berkeley; Razeen Sally, National University of Singapore; Dennis Snower, Kiel Institute for the World Economy; Shoji Takenaka, Toshiba Corporation; Coen Teulings, University of Amsterdam; Siddharth Tiwari, International Monetary Fund (IMF); Anthony Townsend, New York University; Dmitri Trenin, Carnegie Moscow Center; Adair Turner, Institute for New Economic Thinking (INET); and Stephen Walt, Harvard Kennedy School of Government.

The project team would like to thank the Members of the Global Agenda Council on Risk & Resilience and the Global Agenda Council on Geo-economics for their contribution. 

Global Agenda Council on Risk & Resilience: Valerie Amos, United Nations; Lauren Alexander Augustine, National Academy of Sciences; Stanley M. Bergman, Henry Schein; Michael Berkowitz, Rockefeller Foundation; Macharia Edwin, Dalberg Global Development Advisers; Victor Meyer, Deutsche Bank; Kirstjen Nielsen, Homeland Security Policy Institute; Satoru Nishikawa, Japan Water Agency (JWA); Yuichi Ono, Tohoku University; Sara Pantuliano, Overseas Development Institute; Joe Ruiz, The UPS Foundation; Armen Sarkissian, Eurasia House International; Shi Peijun, Beijing Normal University (BNU); Dan Smith, International Alert; Elizabeth Hausler Strand, Build Change; Jaan Tallinn, Centre for the Study of Existential Risk; Michael Useem, Wharton School; Margareta Wahlström, United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction; Nick Wildgoose, Zurich Insurance Group; Alexander Wolfson, Citi.

Global Agenda Council on Geo-economics: Sanjaya Baru, International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS); Karan Bhatia, General Electric Company; Ian Bremmer, Eurasia Group; Michael Fullilove, Lowy Institute for International Policy; Nik Gowing, BBC World News; Sergei Guriev, Fondation Nationale des Sciences Politiques (Sciences Po); Victor Halberstadt, Leiden University; Parag Khanna, New America Foundation; Hina Rabbani Khar; Felipe Larraín Bascuñán, Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile; Paul A. Laudicina, A.T. Kearney; Mark Leonard, European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR); Michael Levi, Council on Foreign Relations; Kishore Mahbubani, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore; Takashi Mitachi, The Boston Consulting Group; Linah K. Mohohlo, Bank of Botswana; Moisés Naím, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace; Pan Wei, Peking University; Volker Perthes, Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik (SWP); Douglas A. Rediker, Peterson Institute for International Economics; Ghassan Salamé, Paris School of International Affairs (PSIA), Institut d’Etudes Politiques; Dmitri Trenin, Carnegie Moscow Center; Yulia Tseplyaeva, Sberbank; Wu Xinbo, Fudan University.

At the World Economic Forum 

Founder and Executive Chairman 

Klaus Schwab 

Management Committee 

David Aikman, Jennifer Blanke, Espen Barth Eide, Paolo Gallo, Julien Gattoni, Lee Howell, Jeremy Jurgens, Helena Leurent, Adrian Monck, Gilbert Probst, Philipp Rösler, Rick Samans, Jim Hagemann Snabe, Murat Sonmez, Jean-Luc Vez, Dominic Kailash Nath Waughray and Alois Zwinggi.

The Global Risks 2015 report Project Team

Margareta Drzeniek Hanouz, Lead Economist, Director; Ciara Browne, Director; Attilio Di Battista, Junior Quantitative Economist; Gaëlle Dreyer, Project Associate; Caroline Galvan, Economist, Senior Manager; Thierry Geiger, Economist, Associate Director; and Tania Gutknecht, Community Manager.

The Global Competitiveness and Risks Team 

Roberto Crotti, Quantitative Economist, Manager and Cecilia Serin, Senior Associate.

The Global Risks 2015 report Public Engagement Team

Oliver Cann, Director; and Amélie Weinzierl, Media Relations Associate

Production Team 

Ann Brady, Associate Director; David Bustamante, Senior Manager; Marta Chierego, Associate Director; Kamal Kimaoui, Director; Fabienne Stassen, Freelance Editor; Moritz Stefaner, Freelance Information Visualizer; and Andrew Wright, Freelance Writer.

Online Report: Design Resources Limited

The project team expresses its gratitude to the colleagues from the World Economic Forum who provided advice and feedback throughout the development of the Global Risks 2015 report: 

Marisol Argueta de Barillas, Mercedes Aubert, Adeyemi Babington-Ashaye, Arnaud Bernaert, Peter Bisanz, Andrew Bishop, Carl Björkman, Roberto Bocca, Annika Brack, Giancarlo Bruno, Sebastian Buckup, Michael Buehler, Vanessa Candeias, Oliver Cann, Andrew Chakhoyan, Alice Charles, Jonathon Cini, Gemma Corrigan, Alexander Crueger, Piers Cumberlege, Nicholas Davis, Isabel de Sola, Elaine Dezenski, Michael Drexler, Miroslav Dusek, John Dutton, Rim El Habibi, Diana El-Azar, David Gleicher, Fernando Gomez, Rigas Hadzilacos, Andrew Hagan, Natalie Hatour, William Hoffman, Antonio Human, Gretchen Jonker, Elsie Kanza, Anja Kaspersen, Danil Kerimi, Marina Krommenacker, James Landale, Trudi Lang, Martina Larkin, Bernice Lee, Alan Marcus, Viraj Mehta, Liana Melchenko, Stephan Mergenthaler, Sven Merten, Tanya Milberg Alex Mung, Derek O’Halloran, Sushant Palakurthi Rao, James Pennington, Bernhard Petermeier, Benjamin Prampart, Kiana Ranjbar, Pedro Rodrigues De Almeida, Mel Rogers, Philipp Rösler, Shubhra Saxena Kabra, Olivier Schwab, Sandeep Sharma, Paul Smyke, Jim Snabe, Marie Sophie Müller, Akira Tsuchiya, Kristel van der Elst, Regula Waltenspuel, Bruce Weinelt, Amelie Weinzierl, Susanne Weissbaecker, Tiffany West, Olivier Woeffray, Alex Wong, Johnson Yeh and Saadia Zahidi.

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