Global Supply Chain Disruptions: A Systematic Review of Risk Identification, Assessment, and Mitigation Strategies

Abstract

Global supply chains have faced unprecedented disruptions in recent years due to natural disasters, geopolitical conflicts, pandemics, and operational failures. This paper presents a systematic review and meta-analysis of supply chain risk identification, risk assessment methods, and mitigation strategies from 2000–2024. We followed PRISMA guidelines to identify relevant literature, ultimately including dozens of peer-reviewed studies and reports. The findings reveal key categories of supply chain risks – natural (environmental and pandemic-related), geopolitical (political instability, trade barriers, conflicts), and operational (internal process and infrastructure failures) – and synthesize common approaches to assess these risks (e.g. risk matrices, FMEA, AHP models). We then map a range of resilience and mitigation strategies to each risk type, including diversification of suppliers, inventory buffers, flexible sourcing, and collaborative planning. The meta-analysis indicates that proactive risk management and resilience-building measures can significantly reduce the negative impact of disruptions on firm performance. This paper contributes an integrated framework of supply chain risk categories and strategies, supported by evidence- based best practices. The review also highlights research gaps in quantifying risk impacts and calls for increased adoption of systematic risk assessment in global supply chains.