Lloyd’s Register Foundation announces more funding to put World Risk Poll into action

Five new projects are putting the findings of the 2021 World Risk Poll into action. Through impactful research and practical interventions, these global initiatives will harness Poll data to tackle some of the world’s biggest safety challenges. This follows the seven projects already funded in May 2023.  

• Contextualizing disaster resilience in archipelagic environments: Catanduanes State University will conduct secondary analysis of the World Risk Poll resilience data in the Philippines, comparing local risk data and geographic risk information to support evidence-based decision making for disaster preparedness for the island of Catanduanes. 
• Harnessing the hidden double dividend of safety: Researchers from Northumbria University will use the Poll data to understand how improving people’s safety can also lead to positive individual health behaviour changes – a concept known as the ‘double dividend’ of safety. A unique new tool will identify which countries and risks, as outlined in the Poll, can benefit from this methodology.  
• Indigenous inclusion for informed disaster risk reduction decision-making in Bolivia: Using World Risk Poll data, this project led by Practical Action, in collaboration with CLEAR Global and the University of Edinburgh, will support the integration of indigenous knowledge into global datasets and decision-making frameworks, promoting equitable risk communication, and empowering indigenous communities across Bolivia with more inclusive early warning systems, disaster risk reduction and policymaking.
• Risk and safety in urban digital governance and AI-based planning: Researchers from The University of Auckland will use the Poll data to investigate regional attitudes and concerns towards urban digital governance, driven by AI and data-driven decision making, in New Zealand’s major cities.  
• Policy-making for a more resilient world: This project, led by IfM Engage, will explore the link between socio-economic resilience and industrialisation. By leveraging World Risk Poll data, researchers will seek to identify critical risk areas that require policy action and intervention, focussing on informing global digital technology, industrial and labour policy.  

The projects were selected following a competitive call for funding on the basis of their potential to use the World Risk Poll data to improve people’s safety, and alignment with the Foundation’s charitable mission. 

Nancy Hey, Director of Evidence and Insight at Lloyd’s Register Foundation, said: "The World Risk Poll was created to make a real difference to the safety of people and communities around the world. We are delighted that this unique dataset is now being used to directly impact people’s lives across the wide range of risks and hazards identified by the Poll. 

Today, the Foundation has announced a further five new projects which are working towards this ambition. From promoting equitable risk communication to investigating attitudes towards urban digital governance – each programme showcases the potential of the Poll to inform research and interventions to tackle the world’s greatest safety challenges.  

We look forward to seeing the valuable insights these projects produce, and the impact they have on the communities they are working with.” 

Lloyd’s Register Foundation continues to make further funding available for organisations who can use our 2023 World Risk Poll data for further research and practical interventions to improve safety. 

We are currently welcoming Expressions of Interest for our next phase of funding.  More details on the criteria of the call will be available in Autumn 2024. 

To follow the progress of the new funded projects, sign up for news updates from Lloyd’s Register Foundation and the World Risk Poll, or follow Lloyd’s Register Foundation on X and LinkedIn. 

Header image accreditation: Shutterstock/ymphotos