Rising inequality and social polarization are set to shape worlddevelopments for the next decade after contributing to Britain'sdecision to leave the European Union and the ballot-box success ofU.S. President-elect Donald Trump, the World Economic Forumsaid.

Climate change was underlined as the third major global trend inthe WEF's annual assessment of global risks, released Wednesday inLondon. It said world leaders must work together to avoid “furtherhardship and volatility in the coming decade.”

“There's a wide array of potential threats; growing social andpolitical turmoil, potential business interruptions which couldstem from inter-state conflict, from social instability, terroristattacks,” John Drzik, president of global risk at Marsh USA Inc.,which contributed to the study, said in an interview. “This wholesocial and political context creates the potential fordisruption.”