Harmful algal blooms endanger the health of both humans and animals through poor water quality and can cause economic loss to coastal communities. Such algal blooms are composed of an excess of cyanobacteria, which becomes dangerous when subjected to certain conditions, such as extended sunlight exposure, stagnant water, and the increased presence of various nutrients from fertilizers. Under such circumstances, cyanobacteria aggressively multiply, causing water to have a viscous, green appearance, discernible from space.

In Guatemala there are two volcanoes which have been more active recently: Fuego and Pacaya. These volcanoes pose a prominent threat to the lives of the inhabitants of the highly populated surrounding areas. This threat is evidenced by the 2018 eruption of Fuego, which caused the deaths of nearly 200 people, and the recent activity of Pacaya volcano since the beginning of the year, that has impacted communities located in its foothills, and which forced authorities to close Guatemala's international airport in Guatemala City due to ash fall from its activity.

The International Academy of Astronautics (IAA) successfully concluded its 7th Planetary Defense Conference on 30 April 2021.

Undoubtedly, the year 2020 will be remembered as the year when COVID-19 began to impact societies worldwide as a truly trans-boundary health hazard, manifesting the vulnerability of people in developed and in developing countries alike.  The news about the COVID-19 pandemic blurred news related to other disasters triggered by natural, technological and biological hazards.  One of those was the very large locust outbreak that began in the Horn of Africa late in 2019, and later migrated through the Middle East to Southern Asia.