On an everyday basis, we navigate what can be best described as an unpredictable world. There are advantages to be alive in 2018 and progress to be enjoyed in 2019, but there are also a number of global risks that should be considered. The threats and risks that the world faces ultimately trickles down and threatens individuals in big and small ways. Understanding the risks and threats the world faces is one way to be prepared for dire times. Often preparation may not suffice to protect us from these threats. However, awareness of the world around us is of paramount importance. So, this time we present you ten risks the world will probably continue to face this year. Read further to know more.
10 Terrorism is a Major Threat
Terrorist attacks are a major risk in 2019. While 2018 was a rather fruitful year in the fight against terrorism with the removal of ISIS from Iraq and Syria, reports suggest that this terrorist organization could rebind to strike the players that were responsible for their defeat. News reports coming in from Russia suggest that Russian intelligence is predicting ISIS attacks during the FIFA Tournament that is to be hosted by Russia in 2018. Fortunately, the Russian leadership is taking concrete steps to minimize this threat. As we live in a world that is not completely free of religious and ideological fundamentalists, the threat of terrorist attacks in any part of the world will continue to be a risk we have to live with the coming year.
9 China is a Global Risk
While we may be simply overreacting and refusing to give China its due as a rapidly developing nation going about its own business, the combination of power, money and a repressive government is most often considered a threat by a largely democratized world. Experts fear an overreaction from China which is faced with provocations and threats in the East China Sea, Hong Kong, and Taiwan and from neighboring countries like Japan and North Korea, may prove detrimental on a regional or even global level. This can be boiled down to insecurity in regards to China’s rise as a superpower or may even prove to be a real global risk in 2019.
8 Donald Trump is a Global Risk in 2019
Donald Trump’s increasingly hostile policies towards America’s traditional allies are being considered a global risk that has both governments and commoners around the world worried. The breakdown of fundamentally accepted norms of trade and cooperation between the US and other nations is bound to have some adverse consequences. So, it’s safe to say that at this moment in time, Donald Trump is being considered a global risk in 2019.
7 Nuclear War is Talking Point
The last time nuclear weapons were used was during the 2nd World War, and since then we have mostly forgotten about the risk of nuclear war until 2018. North Korea is threatening to annihilate The United States using nuclear weapons, and the US is reacting with threats of their own. This could all be one big case of barking dogs seldom bite, or nuclear war could be a serious risk that we face in 2019. One way or the other, current events have us talking about this possibility.
6 Climate Change
Steps have been taken to reduce global warming and our carbon footprints, but it’s unfortunately not enough. Under such conditions, climate change and its effects is a genuine threat in 2019. Scientific research suggests that climate change could very well be a major cause of drought, flooding, tsunamis, and hurricanes. We have made great progress in understanding the causes of natural calamities, but not much is being done to solve the problem.
5 Threats to Democracy
Reports of Russian influence on the American and Ukrainian elections in recent years have proven that democracy around the world faces some real threats and risks in 2023. The fact that the internet and misinformation are being proactively used to influence elections is a clear threat to democracy which erodes a nation’s ability to elect a leader based on truths instead of misinformation and conspiracy theories. This leads us to the risk of social media and the misinformation being perpetuated in 2019.
4 Social Media is Risky in 2019
As mentioned earlier social media was used as a tool to undermine democracy in 2018, and we are bound to see more risks owing to the influence of social media and the misinformation perpetrated on these platforms in 2019. Social Media has already proven to be an effective platform for all kinds of extreme propaganda in 2018 and has often been used as a recruiting tool by devious organizations. We are bound to continue to face these risks in 2019 unless social media platforms aren’t strictly self-regulated by the tech giants that own them.
3 North Korea is a Potential Risk
The escalating tensions in North Korea and its fraught relationships with some of its neighbors and the US is a risky proposition in 2019. North Korea is also a perpetual threat to itself due to the absence of a stable government with a pro-people agenda. Dictatorship has rarely proven to be an effective means of governance, and human rights watchdogs have been documenting the fraught atmosphere in North Korea for a while now.
2 Economic Threats in 2019
The world is facing major economic hurdles due to unstable governments around the world, and we are quite sure that this will continue to be a problem in 2019. Countries like Turkey, South Africa, and Pakistan are just a few examples of poor economic conditions due to unstable governments or bad governance. An economic meltdown in any part of the world has a ripple effect on the economy of many other countries. Hence this is one real risk we will continue to face.
1 Information Security Threats in 2019
Even as we have moved into a digitalized era, there is always a threat to information security around the world. All our personal information including access to money has been digitalized, and hackers will continue to be a threat in 2019.
