NEW DELHI: Africa has recorded the world’s fastest improvements in disaster resilience, a new major global study has revealed.
The research from Lloyd’s Register Foundation reveals that the African regions have made the strongest gains in people’s ability to withstand and recover from disasters and other major disruptions since 2023, according to a report in Africanews.
North Africa, for instance, recorded a ¿ve-point increase in resilience, followed by Southern Africa with four points. Eastern Africa and Central and Western Africa each improved by three points.
The gains were propelled by a mixture of expanding internet access, better household preparedness and improved financial resilience in countries including Kenya, Egypt, Uganda, Algeria and Nigeria.
The findings, however, expose a significant trial. In Central and Western Africa, few adults aႇected by disasters received any warning, raising questions about whether improvements in resilience are translating into better protection for vulnerable communities.
This is the outcome of the fourth edition of the World Risk Poll,which surveyed more than 143,000 people across 140 countriesand territories in the year 2025. Conducted by Gallup, the study examines the experiences of safety risks, also in countries where oႈcial data is limited.
Its Resilience Index measures people’s ability to absorb and recover from major shocks, using a scale of zero to 100. The assessment covers four areas: individual resilience, household preparedness, community support and wider societal conditions.
Increased internet access can help people obtain information about potential dangers, while household preparedness can improve their ability to respond when emergencies occur.
Varied gains
The researchers identi- ¿ed Algeria, Nigeria, Kenya, Egypt and Uganda among countries contributing to the regional improvements, although the factors behind the gains varied. The ¿ndings, however, do not in any way mean Africa has become the world’s most resilient continent. Rather, its regions have recorded the fastest improvements over the period examined.
