Nahuel Arenas, Chief of the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) for the Americas and the Caribbean, will present key findings from the Regional Assessment Report on Disaster Risk in Latin America and the Caribbean (RAR24) and discuss effective investment and financing of disaster risk reduction (DRR). With global average annual losses from disasters potentially reaching 700 billion US dollars in infrastructure alone, investments continue to prioritize response and reconstruction over risk reduction. How can we make financing more strategic to protect economies and communities? This session will explore practical pathways to optimize funding for disaster resilience and long-term sustainability.