![cover image](https://wikiwandv2-19431.kxcdn.com/_next/image?url=https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cb/Impact_event.jpg/640px-Impact_event.jpg&w=640&q=50)
Global catastrophic risk
Hypothetical global-scale disaster risk / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"Existential threat" and "Doomsday scenario" redirect here. For other uses, see Doomsday (disambiguation).
Not to be confused with Global Catastrophic Risks (book).
For broader coverage of this topic, see Human extinction.
A global catastrophic risk or a doomsday scenario is a hypothetical event that could damage human well-being on a global scale,[2] even endangering or destroying modern civilization.[3] An event that could cause human extinction or permanently and drastically curtail humanity's existence or potential is known as an "existential risk".[4]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cb/Impact_event.jpg/320px-Impact_event.jpg)
In the 21st century, a number of academic and non-profit organizations have been established to research global catastrophic and existential risks, formulate potential mitigation measures and either advocate for or implement these measures.[5][6][7][8]