Analyzing Disaster Trends and Implications for U.S. Military Readiness and Response

The Center for Excellence in Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance (CFE-DM) is a U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) organization of nearly 30 subject matter experts that provide academic research, civil-military coordination training, and operational insights to support decision-making before, during, and after crises. The Center is designed to bridge understanding between humanitarians, civilians, and military responders.

This research project seeks to critically evaluate claims regarding the rising frequency and severity of natural disasters by systematically analyzing historical disaster datasets in relation to demographic, economic, and environmental trends. The study will assess whether observed increases in disaster events reflect genuine accelerations or whether they are shaped by contributing factors such as population growth, urbanization, migration, and economic development, which heighten exposure, vulnerability, and response complexity. The findings will further examine the implications for the DoD’s humanitarian assistance and disaster response role, specifically whether its future involvement is likely to become more frequent, focused on more severe events, or extend into new regions, ultimately providing evidence-based recommendations to enhance DoD preparedness and strategic engagement.