The world in 2022: another year of living dangerously

The climate, pandemic and tensions between states means the year ahead is likely to be as tumultuous as the last 12 months

On the brink of a new year, the world faces a daunting array of challenges: the resurgent Covid-19 pandemic, the climate emergency, the struggle between democracy and authoritarianism, humanitarian crises, mass migration, and trans-national terrorism. There is the risk of new inter-state conflicts, exacerbated by the breakdown of the rules-based international order, and the spread of lethal autonomous weapons. All in all, for most people on Earth - and a handful in space - 2022 will be another year of living dangerously.