Disaster Resilience News

Please find below links to some aspects of disaster resilience that were in the news recently…

Recent emergencies/disasters

Catastrophic floods in Italy force thousands of people to leave their homes https://www.cnbc.com/2023/05/18/catastrophic-floods-in-italy-force-thousands-of-people-to-evacuate.html

More than 450 fatalities in Myanmar after Tropical Cyclone “Mocha” makes landfall https://watchers.news/2023/05/18/tropical-cyclone-mocha-myanmar-damage-fatalities-may-2023/

Bosnia and Herzegovina – Flooding Rivers Damage Homes and Impact Livelihoods https://floodlist.com/europe/bosnia-herzegovina-floods-may-2023

Somalia – Flooding Displaces Thousands, Prompts Urgent Humanitarian Response https://floodlist.com/africa/somalia-floods-may-2023

Mexican volcano spews smoke into starry sky https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-latin-america-65671578

Intense eruption at Popocatepetl, ash to 10 km (32 000 feet) a.s.l., Mexico https://watchers.news/2023/05/22/intense-eruption-at-popocatepetl-ash-to-10-km-32-000-feet-a-s-l-mexico/

Rain, even smoke help fight wildfires in Alberta; new blaze brings evacuation in British Columbia https://apnews.com/article/canada-alberta-british-columbia-wildfires-3a988b45616aed324d265f25d164c299

Mawar closes in on category 5 strength while nearing Guam https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2023/05/mawar-closes-in-on-category-5-strength-while-nearing-guam/

Millions in Mexico warned to prepare for evacuation as Popocatépetl volcano spews ash https://edition.cnn.com/2023/05/22/americas/mexico-volcano-popocatepetl-latam-intl/index.html

Category 5 Super Typhoon Mawar rapidly intensifies to 175 mph winds https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2023/05/category-5-super-typhoon-mawar-rapidly-intensifies-to-175-mph-winds/

Volcanic activity worldwide 25 May 2023: Fuego volcano, Popocatépetl, Reventador, Sangay https://www.volcanodiscovery.com/volcano-activity/news/212210/Volcanic-activity-worldwide-25-May-2023-Fuego-volcano-Popocatepetl-Reventador-Sangay-Sakurajim.html

Extreme Weather and Climate Change

Is there warming in the pipeline? A multi-model analysis of the Zero Emissions Commitment from CO2 https://bg.copernicus.org/articles/17/2987/2020/

Transport produces a large and rising share of Australia’s harmful carbon pollution (19 percent) https://www.climatecouncil.org.au/resources/shifting-gear-the-path-to-cleaner-transport/

The nine hours in which Spain made the 100% renewable dream a reality https://english.elpais.com/spain/2023-05-19/the-nine-hours-in-which-spain-made-the-100-renewable-dream-a-reality.html

Redefining “Glacial Pace” https://eos.org/features/redefining-glacial-pace

In Years After El Niño, Global Economy Loses Trillions https://home.dartmouth.edu/news/2023/05/years-after-el-nino-global-economy-loses-trillions

Global Ocean Heat and Salt Content: Seasonal, Yearly, and Pentadal Fields https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/global-ocean-heat-content/

A multimodel analysis of post-Glasgow climate targets and feasibility challenges https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-023-01661-0

Can coal-hungry Botswana ramp up solar to meet renewables target? https://www.context.news/net-zero/can-coal-hungry-botswana-ramp-up-solar-to-meet-renewables-target

Study finds 2 billion people will struggle to survive in a warming world – and these parts of Australia are most vulnerable https://theconversation.com/study-finds-2-billion-people-will-struggle-to-survive-in-a-warming-world-and-these-parts-of-australia-are-most-vulnerable-205927

Quantifying the human cost of global warming https://www.nature.com/articles/s41893-023-01132-6

Transport Minister Michael Wood: ‘Real possibility’ some NZ roads will be abandoned https://www.nzherald.co.nz/northern-advocate/news/transport-minister-michael-wood-real-possiblity-some-roads-will-be-abandoned/ZGXBCY734VCZVCTWP6JYWBUOQQ/

What Bangladesh can teach the world about climate disaster preparation https://www.context.news/climate-risks/opinion/what-bangladesh-can-teach-us-about-climate-disaster-preparation

More nations plan for ‘health disasters’ fuelled by climate change https://www.context.news/climate-risks/more-nations-plan-for-health-disasters-fuelled-by-climate-change

Global heating will push billions outside ‘human climate niche’ https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/may/22/global-heating-human-climate-niche

Nearly 150,000 Indians have died in the past 51 years because of extreme weather: WMO https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/natural-disasters/nearly-150-000-indians-have-died-in-the-past-51-years-because-of-extreme-weather-wmo-89495

Minimizing the risk of rising sea levels https://www.uni-kiel.de/en/details/news/131-setback-zones-sea-level-rise

Were Italy’s floods caused by climate change? Experts analyse what happened as 36,000 left homeless https://www.euronews.com/green/2023/05/22/were-italys-floods-caused-by-climate-change-experts-analyse-what-happened-as-36000-left-ho

World Meteorological Congress approves Global Greenhouse Gas Watch https://public.wmo.int/en/media/press-release/world-meteorological-congress-approves-global-greenhouse-gas-watch

Adapting to the impacts of extreme heat in Bangladesh’s labour force https://www.lse.ac.uk/granthaminstitute/news/adapting-to-the-impacts-of-extreme-heat-in-bangladeshs-labour-force/

‘Gobsmacking’: Antarctic sea ice shrinks https://www.abc.net.au/radio/programs/am/-gobsmacking-antarctic-sea-ice-shrinks/102384896

World organisations, world events and world objects: how science, politics, and the mass media co-produce climate futures https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14747731.2023.2215409

The CoralHydro2k database: a global, actively curated compilation of coral δ18O and Sr ∕ Ca proxy records of tropical ocean hydrology and temperature for the Common Era https://essd.copernicus.org/articles/15/2081/2023/

How Blackouts during Heat Waves Amplify Mortality and Morbidity Risk https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.est.2c09588

Accelerating Climate Action Will Help Honduras Achieve Inclusive and Resilient Growth https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2023/05/18/acelerar-la-accion-climatica-ayudara-honduras-a-lograr-un-crecimiento-inclusivo-y-resiliente

Limiting global warming to 1.5°C would save billions from dangerously hot climate https://news.exeter.ac.uk/faculty-of-environment-science-and-economy/limiting-global-warming-to-1-5c-would-save-billions-from-dangerously-hot-climate/

Strategic city planning can help reduce urban heat island effect https://www.psu.edu/news/agricultural-sciences/story/strategic-city-planning-can-help-reduce-urban-heat-island-effect/

Recent reduced abyssal overturning and ventilation in the Australian Antarctic Basin https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-023-01667-8

Origin, importance, and predictive limits of internal climate variability https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/2752-5295/accf30

Forcing and impact of the Northern Hemisphere continental snow cover in 1979–2014 https://tc.copernicus.org/articles/17/2157/2023/

Sweltering heat wave hits Sri Lanka; climate change will likely bring more https://news.mongabay.com/2023/05/sweltering-heat-wave-hits-sri-lanka-climate-change-will-likely-bring-more/

Burning Hot: 50 Years of Fire Weather Across the United States https://www.climatecentral.org/climate-matters/fire-weather-2023

Disaster risk reduction

FEMA Announces Additional $160M to Build Climate and Disaster Resilience Nationwide https://www.hstoday.us/subject-matter-areas/climate-security/fema-announces-additional-160m-to-build-climate-and-disaster-resilience-nationwide/

Key Recommendations on Wildfire Prevention in the Mediterranean https://efi.int/publications-bank/key-recommendations-wildfire-prevention-mediterranean

A review of Earth Artificial Intelligence https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0098300422000036

Threatening 22 million people, Mexico’s Popocatepetl is a very closely watched volcano https://apnews.com/article/mexico-volcano-popocatepetl-scientists-baad6e912809ffa4d9586015209e0d2d

How AI is making weather forecasts more accurate https://news.northeastern.edu/2023/05/18/ai-weather-predictions/

Hazard definition and classification review https://www.undrr.org/publication/hazard-definition-and-classification-review-technical-report

A continent-wide detailed geological map dataset of Antarctica https://www.nature.com/articles/s41597-023-02152-9

The NZ regions most at risk of tsunamis https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/the-front-page-the-new-zealand-regions-most-at-risk-of-tsunami-threat/WXB5YCIWMZD75L7DXICSQK7RPE/

‘Painting with fire’: how northern Australia developed one of the world’s best bushfire management programs https://theconversation.com/painting-with-fire-how-northern-australia-developed-one-of-the-worlds-best-bushfire-management-programs-205113

Economic costs of weather-related disasters soars but early warnings save lives https://public.wmo.int/en/media/press-release/economic-costs-of-weather-related-disasters-soars-early-warnings-save-lives

Using AI, researchers have created a new tsunami warning system https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2023/04/25/new-tsunami-warning-system-uses-artificial-intelligence-ai/11715026002/

Cluster Analysis of Slope Hazard Seismic Recordings Based Upon Unsupervised Deep Embedded Clustering https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/ssa/srl/article-abstract/doi/10.1785/0220230011/622504/Cluster-Analysis-of-Slope-Hazard-Seismic

Years ago Italy created a task force entrusted with preventing flooding. Why didn’t it work? https://www.euronews.com/2023/05/22/years-ago-italy-created-a-task-force-entrusted-with-preventing-flooding-why-didnt-it-work

Tonga volcano eruption created ‘super plasma bubble’ in atmosphere, disrupting precise GPS https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2023-05-25/tonga-volcano-eruption-super-plasma-bubble-gps-atmosphere/102377782

Unpublished list reveals 3,400 San Francisco buildings may be at severe earthquake risk https://www.nbcnews.com/science/science-news/san-francisco-concrete-building-list-sf-risk-earthquake-retrofit-cost-rcna84497

“Beyond Adaptation”: Coming to Terms with Loss & Damage https://www.climatepolicyinitiative.org/beyond-adaptation-coming-to-terms-with-loss-damage/

Application of MEMS Data to Fast Inversion of Rupture Process: Tests with Recordings from the IRREEW Network https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/ssa/srl/article-abstract/doi/10.1785/0220220369/623067/Application-of-MEMS-Data-to-Fast-Inversion-ofredirectedFrom=fulltext

Emergency management

Elite smokejumpers serve as a first line of wildfire response https://lailluminator.com/2023/05/20/boises-elite-smokejumpers-serve-as-a-first-line-of-wildfire-response/

Public Submissions – Independent Review of Commonwealth Disaster Funding https://nema.gov.au/about-us/governance-and-reporting/reviews/Independent-Review-Disaster-Funding-Public-Submissions

As FEMA struggles to keep up with climate disasters, extremist groups see an opportunity https://grist.org/extreme-weather/boots-on-the-ground-fema-oath-keepers-natural-disaster/

Eruption of Tonga underwater volcano found to disrupt satellite signals halfway around the world https://www.nagoya-u.ac.jp/researchinfo/result-en/2023/05/20230523-01.html

Bases take part in RoC multi-national firefighting exercise https://cyprus-mail.com/2023/05/25/bases-take-part-in-roc-multi-national-firefighting-exercise/

Disaster education, communications and engagement

Pyrosketchology is an approach for building awareness of the fire environment through observations, sketching and nature journaling practices https://www.pyrosketchology.com/

Challenges, Strategies, and Impacts of Doing Citizen Science with Marginalised and Indigenous Communities: Reflections from Project Coordinators https://theoryandpractice.citizenscienceassociation.org/articles/10.5334/cstp.514/

US Fire and Smoke Map https://fire.airnow.gov/

Helping more people stay safe with flood forecasting https://blog.google/outreach-initiatives/sustainability/flood-hub-ai-flood-forecasting-more-countries/

Social media-based urban disaster recovery and resilience analysis of the Henan deluge https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11069-023-06010-0#Bib1

Continental US Hurricane Strikes Poster https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/pub/data/images/US_Hurricane_Strikes/Continental_US_Hurricane_Strikes_1950-2022_Poster.pdf

Psychology and disasters

Mental Health and Trauma https://disasterphilanthropy.org/resources/mental-health/

Why Some People Expect Catastrophes in Everyday Situations https://theswaddle.com/why-some-people-expect-catastrophes-in-everyday-situations/

Sociology and disasters

Uneven paths: Soft Policy’s benefits to recovery in Louisiana Parishes after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita https://www.researchgate.net/publication/362790569_Uneven_paths_Soft_Policy’s_benefits_to_recovery_in_Louisiana_Parishes_after_Hurricanes_Katrina_and_Rita

Secession by flooding: How rain is dividing up our good country Uganda https://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/tea/oped/comment/how-rain-is-dividing-up-our-good-country-4241456

As world’s poor face ‘compounding crises’, what could curb risks? https://www.context.news/climate-risks/as-worlds-poor-face-compounding-crises-what-could-curb-risks

Children in East Asia and the Pacific face the greatest exposure to multiple climate disasters https://www.unicef.org/eap/press-releases/children-eap-hardest-hit-climate-crisis

Household Flood Severity and Migration Extent in Central Java: Analysis of the Indonesian Family Life Survey https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/20/9/5706

Please find below links to some aspects of disaster resilience that were in the news recently…

Recent emergencies/disasters

Myanmar, Bangladesh and India – Thousands Evacuate as Powerful Tropical Cyclone ‘Mocha’ Makes Landfall https://floodlist.com/asia/myanmar-bangladesh-india-cyclone-mocha-may-2023

Croatia – Flooding in Multiple Counties After Record Rain, Authorities on Alert as Rivers Rise https://floodlist.com/europe/croatia-floods-may-2023

Ethiopia – Flooding Continues in Several Regions, Displacing Thousands and Threatening Food Security https://floodlist.com/africa/ethiopia-floods-may-2023

Devastating floods in Italy claim lives and leave thousands homeless https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/may/17/italy-storms-people-dead-thousands-evacuated-emlia-romagna

B.C. residents pack bags as wildfires rage https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/british-columbia/article-bc-residents-pack-bags-as-wildfires-rage/

Italy – (Updated) 8 Dead After More Flooding in Emilia-Romagna https://floodlist.com/europe/italy-floods-emiliaromagna-marche-may-2023

Volcanic activity worldwide 17 May 2023: Fuego volcano, Popocatépetl, Semeru, Reventador https://www.volcanodiscovery.com/volcano-activity/news/211603/Volcanic-activity-worldwide-17-May-2023-Fuego-volcano-Popocatepetl-Semeru-Reventador-Sakurajim.html

Bosnia and Herzegovina – Flooding Rivers Damage Homes and Impact Livelihoods https://floodlist.com/europe/bosnia-herzegovina-floods-may-2023

Somalia – Flooding Displaces Thousands, Prompts Urgent Humanitarian Response https://floodlist.com/africa/somalia-floods-may-2023

Extreme Weather and Climate Change

Flood risks remain as B.C. heat wave smashes temperature records https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/bc-heat-wave-temp-record-1.6843412

Hybrid forecasting: blending climate predictions with AI models https://hess.copernicus.org/articles/27/1865/2023/

Oceans have been absorbing the world’s extra heat. But there’s a huge payback https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/may/15/oceans-have-been-absorbing-the-worlds-extra-heat-but-theres-a-huge-payback

HEAT.gov National Integrated Heat Health Information System https://www.heat.gov/

Change in Antarctic ice shelf area from 2009 to 2019 https://tc.copernicus.org/articles/17/2059/2023/

The effect of uncertainties in natural forcing records on simulated temperature during the last millennium https://cp.copernicus.org/articles/19/959/2023/

Green energy flag-bearer South Australia says gas must ‘stand behind’ renewable switch https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-05-16/no-green-energy-transition-without-gas-says-south-australia/102351232

The Link Between the Madden-Julian Oscillation and Rainfall Trends in Northwest Australia https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2022GL101799

Exploring risks and benefits of overshooting a 1.5 °C carbon budget over space and time https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/accd83

Coping with climate shocks: Ecosystems versus economic systems https://www.brookings.edu/blog/future-development/2023/05/15/coping-with-climate-shocks-ecosystems-versus-economic-systems/

U.S. heat wave frequency and length are increasing https://www.globalchange.gov/browse/indicator-details/3983

May 2023 ENSO update: El Niño knocking on the door https://www.climate.gov/news-features/blogs/may-2023-enso-update-el-ni%C3%B1o-knocking-door

World’s biggest carbon capture plant running at one third capacity, Chevron Australia reveals https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-05-17/chevron-australia-carbon-capture-storage-gorgon-third-capacity/102357652

French activists protest climate crisis with fire https://thebulletin.org/2023/05/french-activists-protest-climate-crisis-with-fire/

Global warming to bring record hot year by 2028 – probably our first above 1.5°C limit https://theconversation.com/global-warming-to-bring-record-hot-year-by-2028-probably-our-first-above-1-5-c-limit-205758

Taking the Pulse of Global Change with World Heritage Data Sets https://eos.org/opinions/taking-the-pulse-of-global-change-with-world-heritage-data-sets

April Heat Wave in South Asia Made 30 Times More Likely by Climate Change https://e360.yale.edu/digest/april-2023-heat-wave-india-thailand-climate-change

Managing wildfires in the context of climate change https://www.oecd.org/climate-change/wildfires/

Global temperatures set to reach new records in next five years https://public.wmo.int/en/media/press-release/global-temperatures-set-reach-new-records-next-five-years

Heat Waves: A Growing Threat to Society and the Environment https://eos.org/editors-vox/heat-waves-a-growing-threat-to-society-and-the-environment

El Niño and La Niña have become more extreme and frequent because of climate change, study finds https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-05-18/el-nino-la-nina-more-extreme-climate-change-csiro/102341468

Disaster risk reduction

Addressing water-related conflict and disasters https://www.unep.org/explore-topics/water/what-we-do/addressing-water-related-conflict-and-disasters

Research aims to improve predictions of heavy rainfall events https://phys.org/news/2023-05-aims-heavy-rainfall-events.html

Flood gauges to be upgraded as part of $263 million disaster warning network https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-05-15/flood-warning-network-federal-funding-disaster-areas/102345706

Your guide to the High-Level Meeting of the UNGA on the Midterm Review of the Implementation of the Sendai Framework for DRR https://www.gndr.org/your-guide-to-the-high-level-meeting-of-the-unga-on-the-midterm-review-of-the-implementation-of-the-sendai-framework-for-drr/

Public review of the Words into Action guide on Multi-Hazard Early Warning Systems https://www.preventionweb.net/news/public-review-words-action-guide-multi-hazard-early-warning-systems

Lateral Variations of Attenuation in the Crust of Alaska Using LgQ Tomography https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/ssa/bssa/article-abstract/doi/10.1785/0120220164/621669/Lateral-Variations-of-Attenuation-in-the-Crust-of

Anthropogenic factors on the West African coast are contributing more than global climate change to the rapid increase in vulnerability and flood risks in the region https://en.ird.fr/socio-economic-development-west-african-coast-key-factor-increasing-flood-risks

New tool could help track deadly eruption hazard https://www.canterbury.ac.nz/news/2023/new-tool-could-help-track-deadly-eruption-hazard.html

Panta Rhei benchmark dataset: socio-hydrological data of paired events of floods and droughts https://essd.copernicus.org/articles/15/2009/2023/

Integrated field, model, and theoretical advances inform a predictive understanding of transport and transformation in the critical zone https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0022169423005954

Analysis of spatial and temporal trend of hydro-climatic parameters in the Kilombero River Catchment, Tanzania https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-35105-8

Water conservation suffers as reservoir operation and floodplain development become entrenched in a vicious cycle https://www.globalwaterforum.org/2023/05/17/water-conservation-suffers-as-reservoir-operation-and-floodplain-development-become-entrenched-in-a-vicious-cycle/

One in six properties in England will be affected by flood risk by 2050, study suggests https://www.bayes.city.ac.uk/news-and-events/news/2023/may/one-in-six-properties-in-england-will-be-affected-by-flood-risk-by-2050-study-suggests

Floodplains most sensitive to extreme magnitude events have a tendency for populations to be most densely settled in these rarely flooded zones https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-023-38297-9

Countries most exposed to individual and concurrent extremes and near-permanent extreme conditions at different global warming levels https://esd.copernicus.org/articles/14/485/2023/

Continuously Updated Digital Elevation Models (CUDEMs) to Support Coastal Inundation Modeling https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/15/6/1702

As danger season begins, congress must pass stronger wildfire policies https://www.preventionweb.net/news/danger-season-begins-congress-must-pass-stronger-wildfire-policies

As we fight the Alberta and B.C. wildfires, we must also plan for future disasters https://theconversation.com/as-we-fight-the-alberta-and-b-c-wildfires-we-must-also-plan-for-future-disasters-205818

Emergency management

In war-torn northwest Syria, earthquake survivors struggle to find medical care https://www.cbsnews.com/news/earthquake-survivors-in-war-torn-northwest-syria-struggle-60-minutes-transcript-2023-04-23/

Performance of the flood warning system in Germany in July 2021 – insights from affected residents https://nhess.copernicus.org/articles/23/973/2023/

Home insurance coverage falters as California wildfires worsen https://www.context.news/climate-risks/home-insurance-coverage-falters-as-california-wildfires-worsen

High-quality satellite imagery swiftly reveals post-earthquake details https://phys.org/news/2023-05-high-quality-satellite-imagery-swiftly-reveals.html

Disaster education, communications and engagement

The Next Supercontinent https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/N/bo194844999.html

Staying Safe During Extreme Heat https://www.heat.gov/pages/planning-and-preparing

Raising Hazard Awareness at the Foot of One of the World’s Most Dangerous Volcanoes https://eos.org/articles/raising-hazard-awareness-at-the-foot-of-one-of-the-worlds-most-dangerous-volcanoes

Psychology and disasters

Mental health risks for cultural heritage professionals within the framework of disaster risk reduction: An exploratory study on the emotional impact of ruins after the 2016 earthquake in central Italy https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212420923001851

How a disaster expert prepares for the worst https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2023/05/22/lucy-easthope-profile-disaster-response

How to Be Alone: An Antidote to One of the Central Anxieties and Greatest Paradoxes of Our Time https://www.themarginalian.org/2014/09/03/how-to-be-alone-school-of-life/

Fixing broken flood gauges is important. But most of us don’t evacuate even when we know the water is coming https://theconversation.com/fixing-broken-flood-gauges-is-important-but-most-of-us-dont-evacuate-even-when-we-know-the-water-is-coming-205653

Sociology and disasters

What is social sustainability? https://elibrary.worldbank.org/doi/abs/10.1596/978-1-4648-1946-9_ch2

Extreme humid heat in South Asia in April 2023, largely driven by climate change, detrimental to vulnerable and disadvantaged communities https://www.worldweatherattribution.org/extreme-humid-heat-in-south-asia-in-april-2023-largely-driven-by-climate-change-detrimental-to-vulnerable-and-disadvantaged-communities/

Please find below links to some aspects of disaster resilience that were in the news recently…

Recent emergencies/disasters

Alberta announces state of emergency as 25,000 flee out-of-control wildfires in western Canada https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-05-07/25000-flee-wildfires-in-western-canada/102314630

DR Congo – Dozens Feared Dead After Floods Cause “Immeasurable Damage” in South Kivu https://floodlist.com/africa/dr-congo-floods-south-kivu-may-2023

Heavy rains affect nearly 500 000 people, devastate crop fields in Jiangxi, China https://watchers.news/2023/05/08/heavy-rains-affect-nearly-500-000-people-devastate-crop-fields-in-jiangxi-china/

Tornado strikes Anamur district, Turkey, injuring over a dozen people and destroying banana greenhouses https://watchers.news/2023/05/08/tornado-strikes-anamur-district-turkey-injuring-over-a-dozen-people-and-destroying-banana-greenhouses/

Intense explosive activity, multiple pyroclastic flows trigger evacuations around Fuego volcano, Guatemala https://watchers.news/2023/05/05/intense-explosive-activity-multiple-pyroclastic-flows-trigger-evacuations-around-fuego-volcano-guatemala/

DR Congo – Death Toll From South Kivu Floods Rises to Almost 400 https://floodlist.com/africa/dr-congo-floods-south-kivu-may-2023-update

Swiss village of Brienz told to flee imminent monster rockslide https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-65533681

DR Congo – Many Feared Missing After Landslide in North Kivu https://floodlist.com/africa/dr-congo-landslide-north-kivu-may-2023

New Zealand – More Floods in Auckland After 50mm of Rain in 1 Hour https://floodlist.com/australia/new-zealand-floods-auckland-may-2023

Very strong M7.6 earthquake hits Tonga https://watchers.news/2023/05/10/very-strong-m7-6-earthquake-hits-tonga/

Devastating wildfires engulf southern Russia, claiming lives and property https://watchers.news/2023/05/10/devastating-wildfires-engulf-southern-russia-claiming-lives-and-property/

Flood levels in Somerset villages ‘highest on record’ as floating cars abandoned https://www.somersetlive.co.uk/news/somerset-news/flood-levels-somerset-villages-highest-8427970

Sierra Leone – 7 Fatalities After Floods Hit Freetown https://floodlist.com/africa/sierra-leone-floods-freetown-may-2023

Volcanic activity worldwide 10 May 2023: Popocatépetl volcano, Krakatau, Semeru, Ibu, Dukono https://www.volcanodiscovery.com/volcano-activity/news/211120/Volcanic-activity-worldwide-10-May-2023-Popocatepetl-volcano-Krakatau-Semeru-Ibu-Dukono-Nevad.html

Extreme Weather and Climate Change

World Scientists’ Warning of a Climate Emergency 2022 https://academic.oup.com/bioscience/article/72/12/1149/6764747

Political strategies for climate and environmental solutions https://www.nature.com/articles/s41893-023-01109-5

How will climate change impact wildfires in Scotland? https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/23480493.will-climate-change-impact-wildfires-scotland/

April Mediterranean heatwave ‘almost impossible’ without climate crisis https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/may/05/april-mediterranean-heatwave-almost-impossible-without-climate-crisis

Solar Installation Growth Expected To Reach 700 GW By 2025 https://cleantechnica.com/2023/02/27/solar-installation-growth-expected-to-reach-700-gw-by-2025/

How will climate change affect Latin America? Scientists respond to IPCC report https://news.mongabay.com/2023/05/how-will-climate-change-affect-latin-america-scientists-respond-to-ipcc-report/

Thermal structure of proglacial lakes in Patagonia https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/2016JF004084

As Torres Strait Islands face a ‘climate crisis’, there are calls for the government to ‘see for themselves’ https://www.sbs.com.au/language/nitv-radio/en/article/the-torres-strait-islands-are-at-the-forefront-of-the-climate-change-battle/3yie0fduv

Why making El Niño forecasts in the spring is especially anxiety-inducing https://www.climate.gov/news-features/blogs/why-making-el-ni%C3%B1o-forecasts-spring-especially-anxiety-inducing

Extreme April heat in Spain, Portugal, Morocco & Algeria almost impossible without climate change https://www.worldweatherattribution.org/extreme-april-heat-in-spain-portugal-morocco-algeria-almost-impossible-without-climate-change/

IPCC data on coastal flood risk on BlueEarth https://www.deltares.nl/en/news/ipcc-data-on-coastal-flood-risk-on-blueearth

Exceptional stratospheric contribution to human fingerprints on atmospheric temperature https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2300758120

Quantifying the contribution of forcing and three prominent modes of variability to historical climate https://cp.copernicus.org/articles/19/943/2023/

Black summer bushfires may have caused rare ‘triple dip’ La Niña, study suggests https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/may/11/black-summer-bushfires-may-have-caused-rare-triple-dip-la-nina-study-suggests

Greenland glacier discovery shows sea level projections are too low https://www.axios.com/2023/05/09/northwest-greenland-petermann-glacier-sea-level

Climate Change Tracker https://climatechangetracker.org/

Record number of serious outdoor fires tackled in England in summer 2022 https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/may/11/firefighters-in-england-called-to-record-number-of-serious-outdoor-blazes-last-summer

May 2023 ENSO update: El Niño knocking on the door https://www.climate.gov/news-features/blogs/may-2023-enso-update-el-ni%C3%B1o-knocking-door

The UN Campaign for Individual Action https://www.un.org/actnow

Climate Central analysis shows that human-caused climate change made the record-breaking spring heat forecast in parts of the western U.S. and Canada up to 5 times more likely https://www.climatecentral.org/climate-shift-index-alert

Global Mean Sea Level rise rate https://sealevel.colorado.edu/

Disaster risk reduction

Deterministic & probablistic risk https://www.preventionweb.net/understanding-disaster-risk/key-concepts/deterministic-probablistic-risk

Qualitative assessment of resilience in construction projects https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/CI-10-2022-0265/full/html

When it rains, it really does pour https://www.canterbury.ac.nz/news/2023/when-it-rains-it-really-does-pour.html

Europe’s advanced new weather satellite will support Early Warnings for All https://public.wmo.int/en/media/news/europe%E2%80%99s-advanced-new-weather-satellite-will-support-early-warnings-all

Beyond avoided losses: capitalizing on the secondary benefits of investments in urban flood protection https://www.preventionweb.net/news/beyond-avoided-losses-capitalizing-secondary-benefits-investments-urban-flood-protection

Lismore floods aftermath debate asks if land management could slow flow of water https://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2023-05-08/lismore-flood-aftermath-could-land-management-slow-water-flow-/101881144

The US National Risk Index has undergone a large data update, which changes the way FEMA assesses risk https://hazards.fema.gov/nri/

The Destructive Earthquake Doublet of 6 February 2023 in South‐Central Türkiye and Northwestern Syria: Initial Observations and Analyses https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/ssa/tsr/article/3/2/105/623200/The-Destructive-Earthquake-Doublet-of-6-February

Risk, Reward, and Resilience Framework: Integrative Policy Making in a Complex World https://academic.oup.com/jiel/advance-article/doi/10.1093/jiel/jgad009/7071723

GEB v0.1: a large-scale agent-based socio-hydrological model – simulating 10 million individual farming households in a fully distributed hydrological model https://gmd.copernicus.org/articles/16/2437/2023/

NT water allocation draft risks ‘irreversible damage’ to country and culture, critics say https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-05-09/traditional-owners-condemn-latest-draft-nt-water-allocation-plan/102316084

Providing weekly forecast estimates of the magnitude and timing of annual production and fuel across coterminous U.S. rangelands https://toolkit.climate.gov/tool/fuelcast

When impervious cover doesn’t predict urban runoff: Lessons from distributed overland flow modeling https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S002216942300481X

Tjuwanpa Women Rangers’ Burning Story https://www.indigenousdesertalliance.com/stories/tjuwanpa-women-rangers-burning-story

High-Level Meeting on the Midterm Review of the Sendai Framework https://sendaiframework-mtr.undrr.org/high-level-meeting-midterm-review-sendai-framework-disaster-risk-reduction-2015-2030

Emergency management

‘It’s still killing and it’s still changing.’ Ending COVID-19 states of emergency sparks debate https://www.science.org/content/article/who-ends-pandemic-emergency-covid-19-deaths-fall

Alberta wildfire evacuees frustrated by a lack of information and timelines for return https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/alberta-wildfire-evacuees-frustrated-by-a-lack-of-information-and-timelines-for-return-1.6835570

Disaster education, communications and engagement

How to create local climate change projects with your students https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/article/climate-change-education-resources-/

WildfireSAFE Mobile Application https://globalcmrpt.wordpress.com/2023/05/05/wildfiresafe-mobile-application/

Video: Hidden Volcano Abyss https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/video/hidden-volcano-abyss/

‘Like Nagasaki’: devastating wildfires will only get worse, new book warns https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/may/10/fire-weather-john-valliant-new-book-alberta-wildfire

Psychology and disasters

Solidarity under heterogenous adaptation costs: Experimental evidence on coping after climate hazards https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0095069623000426

Better prepared but less resilient: the paradoxical impact of frequent flood experience on adaptive behavior and household resilience https://nhess.copernicus.org/preprints/nhess-2023-64/nhess-2023-64.pdf

Mental health of vulnerable groups experiencing a drought or bushfire: A systematic review https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/global-mental-health/article/mental-health-of-vulnerable-groups-experiencing-a-drought-or-bushfire-a-systematic-review/1210CEB039D453C489F78F720BD11A00

Sociology and disasters

Post-Disaster Recovery Challenges of Public Housing Residents: Lumberton, North Carolina After Hurricane Matthew https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/10780874231167570

CAPE Vulnerability Index https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09540261.2020.1738093

Understanding how people’s lives are impacted by gender norms, roles and relations within a given culture and society is critical to understanding and reducing disaster risk https://www.undrr.org/gender

Community coherence during COVID-19 -a pilot study https://www.researchgate.net/publication/370591235_Community_coherence_during_COVID-19_-a_pilot_study

Fostering Socio-Ecological Resilience to Wildfire by Interconnecting Knowledge Systems at Cal Poly Humboldt https://digitalcommons.humboldt.edu/hjsr/vol1/iss45/6/

From labelling weakness to liberatory praxis: a new theory of vulnerability for disaster studies https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/DPM-10-2022-0208/full/html

In the Arena: Contesting Disaster Creation in Cities https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/disa.12588

Residual Governance: How South Africa Foretells Planetary Futures https://www.dukeupress.edu/residual-governance

Capacitating urban governance and planning systems to drive transformative resilience https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2210670723002482

Please find below links to some aspects of disaster resilience that were in the news recently…

Recent emergencies/disasters

Rainy season ravages Ecuador, leaves 79 people dead, 39 missing and 14 184 homes damaged https://watchers.news/2023/04/28/rainy-season-ravages-ecuador-leaves-79-people-dead-39-missing-and-14-184-homes-damaged/

Uganda – Deadly Floods and Landslides in Kasese, Mbale and Rukungiri https://floodlist.com/africa/uganda-floods-kasese-mbale-rukungiri-april-2023

Pakistan – Deadly Floods in Balochistan Province https://floodlist.com/asia/pakistan-floods-balochistan-april-2023

Kenya – Floods Displace Thousands of Households in Mandera and Kisumu https://floodlist.com/africa/kenya-floods-kisumu-mandera-april-2023

Destructive floods and landslides hit Rwanda, leaving over 100 fatalities https://watchers.news/2023/05/03/destructive-floods-and-landslides-hit-rwanda-leaving-over-100-fatalities/

Widespread floods hit Emilia-Romagna, Italy https://watchers.news/2023/05/03/widespread-floods-hit-emilia-romagna-italy/

Canada – Two Missing After Floods in Quebec https://floodlist.com/america/canada-floods-quebec-may-2023

Updated: Uganda – Deadly Floods and Landslides in Kasese, Mbale and Rukungiri https://floodlist.com/africa/uganda-floods-kasese-mbale-rukungiri-april-2023

Residents of Baie-Saint-Paul, Que., face flooded basements, washed out roads and a huge cleanup https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/flood-baie-saint-paul-residents-cleaning-1.6829490

Rwanda – Death Toll Rises as Flooding Continues https://floodlist.com/africa/rwanda-floods-may-2023-update

Volcanic activity worldwide 4 May 2023: Fuego volcano, Popocatépetl, Semeru, Katla, Reventador https://www.volcanodiscovery.com/volcano-activity/news/210730/Volcanic-activity-worldwide-4-May-2023-Fuego-volcano-Popocatepetl-Semeru-Katla-Reventador-Rua.html

Extreme Weather and Climate Change

Australia’s adoption of electric vehicles has been maddeningly slow, but we’re well placed to catch up fast https://theconversation.com/australias-adoption-of-electric-vehicles-has-been-maddeningly-slow-but-were-well-placed-to-catch-up-fast-203923

‘Endless record heat’ in Asia as highest April temperatures recorded https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/apr/27/endless-record-heat-asia-highest-april-temperatures

Researchers from ISGlobal and LSHTM Call for Incorporating Heat Stress Indices into Communication of Dangerous Heat Waves https://www.isglobal.org/en/-/isglobal-y-lshtm-piden-incorporar-indices-de-estres-termico-en-la-comunicacion-de-olas-de-calor

Indigenous knowledge can help address climate change https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/8177644/indigenous-knowledge-can-help-address-climate-change/

How Sicily Is Tackling Wildfires Amid a Global Climate Crisis https://towardfreedom.org/story/archives/europe/how-sicily-is-tackling-wildfires-amid-a-global-climate-crisis/

In the Pacific Northwest, 2021 Was the Hottest Year in a Millennium https://eos.org/articles/in-the-pacific-northwest-2021-was-the-hottest-year-in-a-millennium

Sizzling Cities: Planning for urban heat resilience in South Asia https://blogs.worldbank.org/endpovertyinsouthasia/sizzling-cities-planning-urban-heat-resilience-south-asia

Wildfires, Global Climate Change, and Human Health https://www.nejm.org/doi/10.1056/NEJMsr2028985

Hawaiʻi Sea Level Rise Viewer https://toolkit.climate.gov/tool/hawai%CA%BBi-sea-level-rise-viewer

Remarkable new tech has revealed the ancient landscape of Arnhem Land that greeted Australia’s First Peoples https://theconversation.com/remarkable-new-tech-has-revealed-the-ancient-landscape-of-arnhem-land-that-greeted-australias-first-peoples-201394

Climate change and crumbling infrastructure create a ‘perfect storm’ for Americans living in flood zones https://thehill.com/opinion/energy-environment/3978721-climate-change-and-crumbling-infrastructure-create-a-perfect-storm-for-americans-living-in-flood-zones/

Disaster risk reduction

Earthquake research shaking up tailings dam safety https://newsroom.unsw.edu.au/news/science-tech/earthquake-research-shaking-tailings-dam-safety

Projected losses from a major California earthquake soar. What’s behind seismic inflation? https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-04-30/major-california-earthquake-cost

What are overlooked disasters and why we shouldn’t miss them https://ehs.unu.edu/news/news/expert-qa-what-are-overlooked-disasters-and-why-we-shouldnt-miss-them.html

Historic flooding in Fort Lauderdale was a sign of things to come – a look at who is most at risk and how to prepare https://theconversation.com/historic-flooding-in-fort-lauderdale-was-a-sign-of-things-to-come-a-look-at-who-is-most-at-risk-and-how-to-prepare-204101

Spreading like wildfire: the rising threat of extraordinary landscape fires https://www.preventionweb.net/publication/spreading-wildfire-rising-threat-extraordinary-landscape-fires

Five recommendations for integrating equity into benefit-cost analysis for flood risk management https://www.preventionweb.net/news/five-recommendations-integrating-equity-benefit-cost-analysis-flood-risk-management

Using Cave Formations to Investigate Ancient Wildfires https://eos.org/editors-vox/using-cave-formations-to-investigate-ancient-wildfires

Designing inclusive, accessible early warning systems: Good practices and entry points https://www.preventionweb.net/publication/designing-inclusive-accessible-early-warning-systems-good-practices-and-entry-points

Deadly volcanic flow insights could aid forecasting https://www.ed.ac.uk/news/2023/deadly-volcanic-flow-insights-aid-forecasting

Emergency management

The role of access to finance in disaster recovery: Evidence from coastal communities in India https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/1477-9552.12541

Cyclone Gabrielle: Civil Defence’s emergency response in Hawke’s Bay to be reviewed https://www.nzherald.co.nz/hawkes-bay-today/news/cyclone-gabrielle-civil-defences-emergency-response-in-hawkes-bay-to-be-reviewed/2HU2ZKUZ6NCATO4CEOWUAAAFRA/

‘We only got 30 minutes’: Entire Indigenous community flees northern Alberta wildfire https://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/we-only-got-30-minutes-entire-indigenous-community-flees-northern-alberta-wildfire-1.6384541

Nearly $4 Billion in Flood Insurance Payments Reach Policyholders After Hurricane Ian https://www.fema.gov/press-release/20230504/nearly-4-billion-flood-insurance-payments-reach-policyholders-after

Disaster education, communications and engagement

The Role of Virtual Communication in Building an Intertwined Relation Between Business Resilience and Community Resilience during the COVID-19 Pandemic https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/00027642231164043

Climate Data Primer https://www.climate.gov/maps-data/climate-data-primer

Hurricane preparedness https://www.usgs.gov/special-topics/hurricanes/science

Psychology and disasters

Residents of Quebec town still struggle with aftermath of 2019 dike break, flooding https://montreal.ctvnews.ca/residents-of-quebec-town-still-struggle-with-aftermath-of-2019-dike-break-flooding-1.6377363

Chapter 10: Supporting children and families affected by disasters https://www.cambridge.org/highereducation/books/working-with-families-experiencing-vulnerability/687E4FD8463A4A0E02D96C00BE88BF2B/supporting-children-and-families-affected-by-disasters/A10973A4E53188536515933CF90238B6

Building resilience to the mental health impacts of climate change in rural Australia https://www.sydney.edu.au/sydney-environment-institute/news/2023/05/01/building-resilience-to-the-mental-health-impacts-of-climate-chan.html

Community experiences of the 2022 Australian floods https://www.naturalhazards.com.au/floods2022

Cumulative and compounding effects of pre-pandemic vulnerabilities and pandemic-related hardship on psychological distress among pregnant individuals https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0163834323000750

Who helps the helpers? Earthquakes put spotlight on aid workers’ needs https://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/news-feature/2023/05/04/syria-turkiye-turkey-earthquakes-spotlight-aid-workers-need

Sociology and disasters

Three A’s of social capital in crises: Challenges with the availability, accessibility and activatability of social support https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S221242092300184X

New Report Shows Extreme Heat Impacts Lower Income, More Racially Diverse Residents Most https://www.gonzaga.edu/news-events/stories/2023/4/11/climate-center-heat-map-race-implications

Valuing adaptive programming: a study of resilience processes and outcomes https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0149718923000770

The blame game: disaster, queerness and prejudice https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/DPM-11-2022-0222/full/html

Spinning in circles? A systematic review on the role of theory in social vulnerability, resilience and adaptation research https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0959378023000389

Migration is a development challenge https://www.worldbank.org/en/publication/wdr2023

How India’s caste system keeps Dalits from accessing disaster relief https://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/news-feature/2022/11/29/India-Dalits-disaster-relief-aid

Please find below links to recent disaster resilience news…

Recent emergencies/disasters

Two destructive tornadoes hit New Zealand https://watchers.news/2023/04/10/two-destructive-tornadoes-hit-new-zealand/

Burundi – Damage and Fatalities After Floods in 4 Provinces https://floodlist.com/africa/burundi-rwanda-floods-april-2023

Massive eruption at Sheveluch volcano produces strongest ashfall in 60 years, Russia https://watchers.news/2023/04/11/massive-eruption-at-sheveluch-volcano-produces-strongest-ashfall-in-60-years-russia/

Cyclone Ilsa: Powerful storm hits Western Australia https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-65259342

Volcanic activity worldwide 11 Apr 2023: Santiaguito volcano, Fuego, Popocatépetl, Semeru https://www.volcanodiscovery.com/volcano-activity/news/208967/Volcanic-activity-worldwide-11-Apr-2023-Santiaguito-volcano-Fuego-Popocatepetl-Semeru-Shiveluc.html

USA – Flash Floods in South Florida After 650mm of Rain in 24 Hours https://floodlist.com/america/usa/floods-fort-lauderdale-florida-april-2023

Iran – 3 Killed, Hundreds Displaced After Floods in North West https://floodlist.com/asia/iran-floods-april-2023

Philippines – 5 Dead, 1 Missing After Floods and Storms in South https://floodlist.com/asia/philippines-floods-davao-april-2023

Extreme Weather and Climate Change

Wind and solar power generators wait in yearslong lines to put clean electricity on the grid, then face huge interconnection fees they can’t afford https://www.cnbc.com/2023/04/06/outdated-us-energy-grid-tons-of-clean-energy-stuck-waiting-in-line.html

Heat-driven shifts in wind patterns could increase hurricane risks along US coastlines, researchers say https://abcnews.go.com/US/heat-driven-shifts-wind-patterns-increase-hurricane-risks/story

‘Headed off the charts’: world’s ocean surface temperature hits record high https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/apr/08/headed-off-the-charts-worlds-ocean-surface-temperature-hits-record-high

Washington state’s 2021 heat wave contributed to 159 excess injury deaths over three weeks https://www.washington.edu/news/2023/04/06/washington-states-2021-heat-wave-contributed-to-159-excess-injury-deaths-over-three-weeks/

“We must work for water, for water to work for us” – UN Climate Change Executive Secretary addresses water-climate challenge https://unfccc.int/news/we-must-work-for-water-for-water-to-work-for-us-un-climate-change-executive-secretary-addresses

Climate models warn of possible ‘super El Niño’ before end of year https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/apr/12/climate-models-warn-of-possible-super-el-nino-before-end-of-year

The suite of substances that can tackle carbon dioxide https://cosmosmagazine.com/science/electrocatalysts-carbon-dioxide-bonds/

NOAA says methane is now over 2.5 times pre-industrial levels https://cosmosmagazine.com/earth/noaa-methane-climate-carbon-dioxide/

Does climate breakdown mean we’re doomed? No: if we’re brave, big change can happen fast https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/apr/11/climate-breakdown-climate-crisis-solutions-idea

Global warming is disrupting an Antarctic current system that life on Earth relies on https://www.salon.com/2023/04/11/global-warming-is-disrupting-an-antarctic-current-system-that-life-on-earth-relies-on/

Getting real: what would serious climate action look like? https://www.sgr.org.uk/resources/getting-real-what-would-serious-climate-action-look

Simulated volcanic eruptions may be blowing up our ability to predict near-term climate https://news.ucar.edu/132890/predictive-power-climate-models-may-be-masked-volcanoes

New study reveals ‘invisible’ glacier loss in the greater Himalaya https://news.st-andrews.ac.uk/archive/new-study-reveals-invisible-glacier-loss-in-the-greater-himalaya/

How cities use energy to regulate temperature – just like mammals https://news.arizona.edu/story/how-cities-use-energy-regulate-temperature-%E2%80%93-just-mammals

Disaster risk reduction

Machine Learning Model Doubles Accuracy of Global Landslide ‘Nowcasts’ https://www.nasa.gov/feature/esnt/2021/machine-learning-model-doubles-accuracy-of-global-landslide-nowcasts

Characterising the coincidence of soil moisture – precipitation extremes as a possible precursor to European floods https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0022169423003876

Novel Google Maps and Google Earth application for chemical industry disaster risk assessment during complex emergencies in Eastern Ukraine https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-31848-6

Why are earthquakes unpredictable? https://www.aa.com.tr/en/analysis/opinion-why-are-earthquakes-unpredictable/2868166

Addressing challenges in uncertainty quantification: the case of geohazard assessments https://gmd.copernicus.org/articles/16/1601/2023/

After years of large cyclones, some Vanuatu residents believe they are more prepared than ever for future disasters https://www.abc.net.au/pacific/programs/pacific-prepared/vanuatu-cyclones/102197106

Is an active hurricane season ahead for 2023? AccuWeather issues early forecast https://www.silive.com/weather/2023/04/is-an-active-hurricane-season-ahead-for-2023-accuweather-issues-early-forecast.html

Babbling brook to thunderous torrent: Using sound to monitor river stage https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/esp.5199

One Surface Model to Rule Them All? https://eos.org/articles/one-surface-model-to-rule-them-all

Early Warning Systems and Their Role in Disaster Risk Reduction https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-030-98989-7_2

Kontur is a geospatial data and real-time risk management solutions provider for business, government and humanitarian organizations https://data.humdata.org/organization/kontur

Can artificial intelligence predict weather months in advance? https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/apr/13/can-artificial-intelligence-predict-weather-months-in-advance

Memphis area seeing an increase in days with the possibility of tornadoes, study finds https://www.localmemphis.com/article/tech/science/climate-science/memphis-tornado-increasing-alley-more-storm-climate-change-arkansas-tennessee-mississippi/522-526654e5-0e34-4c8c-beb9-9b2a4ccc084b

Project SIREN – Crowd-Sourcing to Save 70 Years of Italian Hydrological Measurements https://floodlist.com/europe/project-italy-hydrological-measurements

Cities will need more resilient electricity networks to cope with extreme weather https://www.lunduniversity.lu.se/article/cities-will-need-more-resilient-electricity-networks-cope-extreme-weather

Addressing challenges in uncertainty quantification: the case of geohazard assessments https://gmd.copernicus.org/articles/16/1601/2023/

Severe Storm, Supercell, and Tornado Trends https://www.climatecentral.org/climate-matters/severe-storm-supercell-and-tornado-trends-2023

Emergency management

Federal government to pay 100% of Arkansas’ tornado costs for 30 days, Sanders says https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2023/apr/08/federal-government-to-pay-100-of-arkansas-tornado-costs-for-30-days-sanders-says/

Severe Tropical Cyclone Ilsa makes landfall on WA’s Kimberley-Pilbara coast as category five system https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-04-14/tropical-cyclone-ilsa-landfall-western-australia-category-five/102219844

Anatomy of monster storm: how Cyclone Ilsa is shaping up to devastate the WA coast https://theconversation.com/anatomy-of-monster-storm-how-cyclone-ilsa-is-shaping-up-to-devastate-the-wa-coast-203678

Disaster education, communications and engagement

10 questions to ask when reporting on natural disasters https://ijnet.org/en/story/10-questions-ask-when-reporting-natural-disasters

Digitalization in Disaster Risk Reduction: The Use of Smartphones to Enhance the Safety of Informal Settlements in Iringa, Tanzania https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13753-023-00483-0

Be Ready for Earthquakes: California’s April Earthquake Preparedness Month https://www.newsbreak.com/news/2989743735681-be-ready-for-earthquakes-californias-april-earthquake-preparedness-month

Global training in disaster risk reduction https://www.preventionweb.net/event-type/training

We need your help! Gender and Sexual Minorities in Disasters Reference Guide https://www.grripp.net/post/gender-and-sexual-minorities-drr-reference-guide

Preparing for hurricane season: Lessons learned from risk communication to behavioral change https://blogs.worldbank.org/latinamerica/preparing-hurricane-season-caribbean

Psychology and disasters

Lucy Easthope: “We are all disaster survivors now” https://www.newstatesman.com/ideas/interviews-and-profiles/2023/03/lucy-easthope-interview-disaster-survivors

What I Saved from the Disaster https://thetyee.ca/News/2023/04/10/What-I-Saved-From-Disaster/

Climate Anxiety and High School: How Young People Are Coping https://www.teenvogue.com/story/climate-anxiety-high-school

Sociology and disasters

Uneven paths: Soft Policy’s benefits to recovery in Louisiana Parishes after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301479722012956

Governance of Disaster Management https://link.springer.com/referenceworkentry/10.1007/978-3-030-66252-3_3314

When the Water Rises: Lives and Livelihoods of Flood-Prone Communities of Sierra Leone https://storyteller.iom.int/stories/when-water-rises-lives-and-livelihoods-flood-prone-communities-sierra-leone

Flooded City: Affects of (Slow) Catastrophe in Post-Harvey Houston https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/722270

Repetitive floods intensify outmigration and climate gentrification in coastal cities https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/ab6668

Stratifying Disaster: State Aid, Institutional Processes, and Inequality in American Communities https://academic.oup.com/sf/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1093/sf/soad050/7111727

Please find below links to some aspects of disaster resilience that were in the news recently…

Recent emergencies/disasters

Death toll from US tornadoes rises to 26 as clean-up efforts begin https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-04-02/tonadoes-death-toll-rises-in-united-states/102176792

Very strong M7.0 earthquake hits Papua New Guinea https://watchers.news/2023/04/02/very-strong-m7-0-earthquake-hits-papua-new-guinea/

Indonesia – Floods in Central Kalimantan Damage 4,000 Homes https://floodlist.com/asia/indonesia-floods-central-kalimantan-april-2023

Latvia – Augšdaugava Communities Isolated After Daugava River Floods https://floodlist.com/europe/latvia-augsdaugava-daugava-river-floods-april-2023

Pakistan – 11 Dead as Rain and Flash Floods Cause Houses to Collapse in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa https://floodlist.com/asia/pakistan-khyber-pakhtunkhwa-floods-march-april-2023

Democratic Republic of the Congo – 20 Killed in North Kivu Landslide https://floodlist.com/africa/democratic-republic-of-the-congo-20-killed-in-north-kivu-landslide

Ethiopia – 240,000 Impacted by Heavy Rains and Floods, 29 Dead, Says UN https://floodlist.com/africa/ethiopia-floods-march-april-2023

Kenya – More Fatalities After Floods in South https://floodlist.com/africa/kenya-more-fatalities-after-floods-in-south

Italy – Deadly Flash Floods in Calabria https://floodlist.com/europe/italy-flash-floods-calabria-april-2023

Extreme Weather and Climate Change

Australia has a carbon price for industry – and it may infuse greater climate action https://reneweconomy.com.au/australia-has-a-carbon-price-for-industry-and-it-may-infuse-greater-climate-action/

‘Slipping through our fingers’: New Zealand scientists distraught at scale of glacier loss https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/apr/01/slipping-through-our-fingers-new-zealand-scientists-distraught-at-scale-of-glacier-loss

Back-to-Back Hurricanes Could Become Common by 2100 https://eos.org/articles/back-to-back-hurricanes-could-become-common-by-2100

‘Losing your home is a massive thing’: how the climate crisis came to Norfolk https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/apr/03/losing-your-home-is-a-massive-thing-how-the-climate-crisis-came-to-norfolk

‘Tornado alley’ is shifting farther into the US east, climate scientists warn https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/apr/04/us-tornadoes-global-heating-climate-science?CMP=share_btn_tw

Climate risks could prompt a rethink of planned SEQ dam upgrades https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/politics/queensland/climate-risks-could-prompt-a-rethink-of-planned-seq-dam-upgrades-20230329-p5cwfk.html

Underestimated mass loss from lake-terminating glaciers in the greater Himalaya https://www.nature.com/articles/s41561-023-01150-1

For Uganda’s Vanishing Glaciers, Time Is Running Out https://e360.yale.edu/features/rwenzoris-mount-stanley-africa-glaciers-climate-change

In Fiji, the climate crisis is no longer off in the future – it’s a daily reality https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-04-06/fiji-climate-change-moving-villages-vunidogoloa/102186670

Disaster risk reduction

A new book examines the extent of biodiversity loss caused by Australia’s Black Summer wildfires and what lessons our country must learn https://pursuit.unimelb.edu.au/articles/the-burning-of-australia-s-nature

Historical Hurricane Tracks – GIS Map Viewer https://www.climate.gov/maps-data/dataset/historical-hurricane-tracks-gis-map-viewer

In 5 charts: continued high losses from natural catastrophes in 2022 https://www.swissre.com/institute/research/sigma-research/sigma-2023-01/5-charts-losses-natural-catastrophes.html

Extreme flooding controlled by stream network organization and flow regime https://www.nature.com/articles/s41561-023-01155-w

International Journal of Wildland Fire https://www.publish.csiro.au/wf#CurrentIssue

New UNC study quantifies $562M in financial risk from Hurricane Florence using novel modeling approach that evaluates risk of mortgage default and property abandonment https://sph.unc.edu/sph-news/new-unc-study-quantifies-562m-in-financial-risk-from-hurricane-florence-using-novel-modeling-approach-that-evaluates-risk-of-mortgage-default-and-property-abandonment/

Satellites reveal hotspots of global river extent change https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-023-37061-3

Why the U.S. leads the world in weather catastrophes https://www.nbcnews.com/science/environment/us-leads-world-weather-catastrophes-rcna77898

Flood risk in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: A consideration of flood defences in a broadscale hydraulic model https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jfr3.12907

The timing of decreasing coastal flood protection due to sea-level rise https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-023-01616-5

A systematic review of natural flood management modelling: Approaches, limitations, and potential solutions https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jfr3.12899

Importance of catchment hydrological processes and calibration of hydrological-hydrodynamic rainfall-runoff models in small rural catchments https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jfr3.12901

Flood vulnerability and risk assessment of historic urban areas: Vulnerability evaluation, derivation of depth-damage curves and cost–benefit analysis of flood adaptation measures applied to the historic city centre of Tomar, Portugal https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jfr3.12908

Disaster risk out of control despite global agreement to stop them https://www.undrr.org/news/disaster-risk-out-control-despite-global-agreement-stop-them

UC geography study finds detention basins often work best https://www.uc.edu/news/articles/2023/04/uc-geography-study-finds-detention-basins-often-work-best.html

Emergency management

The UN Secretary-General has called for every person on Earth to be protected by early warning systems within five years by 2027 https://www.undrr.org/early-warning

England’s automated flood alerts to be permanent despite inaccuracy warnings https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/apr/04/englands-automated-flood-warning-system-to-stay-despite-inaccuracy-warnings

Disaster education, communications and engagement

Indigenous knowledge offers solutions, but its use must be based on meaningful collaboration with Indigenous communities https://theconversation.com/indigenous-knowledge-offers-solutions-but-its-use-must-be-based-on-meaningful-collaboration-with-indigenous-communities-201670

Psychology and disasters

Personality Traits and Types of Housing Recovery after the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/7/5679

The effects of secondary stressors, social identity, and social support on perceived stress and resilience: Findings from the COVID-19 pandemic https://psyarxiv.com/8vk63/

Geopsychiatry and social psychiatry https://academic.oup.com/book/43957/chapter-abstract/369594815

Survey: 37% of evacuees who fled Fukushima may have PTSD https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/14861912

Sociology and disasters

Social Safety Theory: Conceptual foundation, underlying mechanisms, and future directions https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17437199.2023.2171900

Tornado destruction highlights low-income disaster preparedness challenges https://abcnews.go.com/US/tornado-destruction-highlights-low-income-disaster-preparedness-challenges/story

Bonding, bridging, linking social capital as mutually reinforcing elements in adaptive capacity development to flood hazard: Insights from rural Bangladesh https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212096323000244

This study illuminates how congregations adapted to an unfolding crisis in real-time and reveals areas of organizational learning and vulnerability https://wmpllc.org/ojs/index.php/jem/article/view/3381

Trust but verify: Validating new measures for mapping social infrastructure in cities https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S221209552200205X

New Conceptual Model of Social Sustainability: Review from Past Concepts and Ideas https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/20/7/5350