Please find links to some aspects of disaster resilience that were in the news this week…
Recent emergencies/disasters
Widespread floods hit Kenya, at least 19 killed and scores injured https://watchers.news/2018/03/18/widespread-floods-hit-kenya-at-least-19-killed-and-scores-injured/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter
Major wildfires rage in Australia, killing cattle and destroying homes https://watchers.news/2018/03/18/major-wildfires-rage-in-australia-killing-cattle-and-destroying-homes/
Heavy rain causes flash floods in Belo Horizonte in Brazil http://www.dailymail.co.uk/video/news/video-1650874/Heavy-rain-causes-flash-floods-Belo-Horizonte-Brazil.html
Channel Country gets three weeks’ notice of floods after rain 700km away http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-03-20/the-outback-queensland-region-expecting-floods-without-rain/9563232?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter
Fast-moving wildfire wipes out 69 homes in Tathra, Australia https://watchers.news/2018/03/19/fast-moving-wildfire-wipes-out-69-homes-in-tathra-australia/
Madagascar – Tropical Cyclone Eliakim Leaves 17 Dead and 6,000 Displaced http://floodlist.com/africa/madagascar-eliakim-floods-march-2018?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter
Spain – 1 Dead, 1 Missing as Storm in Andalusia Causes Flash Floods http://floodlist.com/europe/spain-1-dead-1-missing-as-storm-in-andalusia-causes-flash-floods?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter
Dominican Republic – Record Rain Causes Flash Floods in North http://floodlist.com/america/dominican-republic-floods-north-march-2018?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter
Uruguay – Evacuations After Floods in South http://floodlist.com/america/uruguay-floods-march-2018?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter
Very heavy rainfall for central parts of NSW coast, warnings issued https://watchers.news/2018/03/20/very-heavy-rainfall-for-central-parts-of-nsw-coast-warnings-issued/
Toxic gases released from Kawah Ijen injure 24 people, evacuations ordered https://watchers.news/2018/03/22/toxic-gases-released-from-kawah-ijen-injure-24-people-evacuations-ordered/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter
Record-breaking rain hits California, worst yet to come https://watchers.news/2018/03/22/record-breaking-rain-hits-california-worst-yet-to-come/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter
Severe flooding in São Paulo kills 3, leaves 1 000 displaced https://watchers.news/2018/03/22/severe-flooding-in-sao-paulo-kills-3-leaves-1-000-displaced/
Tropical Cyclone Nora has formed off the Northern Territory and is expected to track towards Queensland http://www.cairnspost.com.au/news/cairns/tropical-cyclone-may-form-in-gulf-of-carpentaria/news-story/aa9b3584e78bf8d43678551d658398a4
Volcanic activity worldwide 22 Mar 2018: Santiaguito volcano, Fuego, Dukono, Reventador, Sakurajima https://www.volcanodiscovery.com/volcano-activity/news/68120/Volcanic-activity-worldwide-22-Mar-2018-Santiaguito-volcano-Fuego-Dukono-Reventador-Sakurajima.html
Extreme Weather and Climate Change
The Paris Agreement is deeply flawed – it’s time for a new deal https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/paris-agreement-deeply-flawed-time-deal-180316115219671.html
More accurate maps of bed topography reveal physical processes controlling retreat https://blogs.agu.org/geospace/2018/03/15/new-study-helps-explain-greenland-glaciers-varied-vulnerability-to-melting/
Stark Differences in Sea Level Rise Flooding Between 1.5 and 2 Degrees of Warming https://e360.yale.edu/digest/stark-differences-in-climate-impacts-between-1-5-and-2-degrees-of-warming
A new study shows that rising temperatures in the Himalayas have led to more avalanches https://www.vox.com/platform/amp/2018/3/15/17119814/avalanche-climate-change-himalayas?__twitter_impression=true
Research scientist’s maps show how sea level rise will affect Nova Scotia communities http://www.ngnews.ca/news/research-scientists-maps-show-how-sea-level-rise-will-affect-nova-scotia-communities-193782/
Climate change soon to cause mass movement, World Bank warns https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/mar/19/climate-change-soon-to-cause-mass-movement-world-bank-warns?utm_term=Autofeed&CMP=twt_b-gdnnews#link_time=1521489853
UN Arctic chief: ‘Climate change isn’t linear – it’s accelerating’ https://www.euractiv.com/section/climate-environment/interview/un-arctic-chief-climate-change-is-not-linear-it-is-accelerating/
Greenland Is Literally Cracking Apart and Flooding the World https://www.livescience.com/62027-greenland-lakes-disappearing.html
‘I’m furious’: Tathra councillor says now is the time to talk climate https://www.smh.com.au/environment/climate-change/i-m-furious-tathra-councillor-says-now-is-the-time-to-talk-climate-20180320-p4z5ab.html
Boston Sea Level Projected To Rise 1.5 Feet By 2050 http://www.wbur.org/news/2018/03/16/boston-sea-level-rise-vims-projection
Building urban resilience to climate change: A review of Madagascar https://reliefweb.int/report/madagascar/building-urban-resilience-climate-change-review-madagascar
The governance of climate change adaptation in Canada https://www.iclr.org/ccgovernance.html
Quantified, localized health benefits of accelerated carbon dioxide emissions reductions https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-018-0108-y
Government of Liberia launches project to prioritize climate governance through improved National Adaptation Plans http://adaptation-undp.org/government-liberia-launches-project-prioritize-climate-governance-through-improved-national
Greenhouse Gas Emissions Rose Last Year. Here Are the Top 5 Reasons https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/22/climate/global-energy-demand.html
Global Energy & CO2 Status Report http://www.iea.org/geco/
Darwin will get hotter and people will die thanks to climate change, scientists warn http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/national/darwin-will-get-hotter-and-people-will-die-thanks-to-climate-change-scientists-warn/news-story/57190166f9abfbcfa838ec6dac489757?csp=6cfd7018f6d5d6a1e3c6013eab92dfeb
Disaster risk reduction
Nairobi sets aside Sh194m to deal with flooding https://reliefweb.int/report/kenya/nairobi-sets-aside-sh194m-deal-flooding
Payouts after disasters and costly litigation leave insurance companies exposed, report finds https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/climate-change-goes-firmly-in-the-loss-column-for-insurers/
Papua New Guinea in bid to quake-proof buildings sitting on the Ring of Fire http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-03-18/earthquake-proof-buildings-in-papua-new-guinea/9554576
Capacity development strategy for Sendai Framework https://www.unisdr.org/archive/57492
Roughly 80% of large historical floods in South East Queensland happened within a series of five-year flood-prone periods https://theconversation.com/floods-dont-occur-randomly-so-why-do-we-still-plan-as-if-they-do-93371
Large floods in South East Queensland, Australia: Is it valid to assume they occur randomly? https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13241583.2018.1446677
As Storms Get Stronger, Building Codes Are Getting Weaker https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-03-19/storm-prone-states-ease-off-building-codes-as-climate-risk-grows
Building stronger communities through disaster preparedness and resilience collaboration https://www.fema.gov/blog/2018-03-15/lasting-impact-communities
Extended bushfire season ‘the new normal’ http://www.news.com.au/national/breaking-news/extended-bushfire-season-the-new-normal/news-story/ef86adb83f41dfadefaf73321b812d41
In a Historic Downtown, Disaster Becomes a Chance to Build Something Better https://www.citylab.com/solutions/2018/03/historic-downtown-disaster-rebuild-clarkesville-fire/555818/?utm_source=feed
First India-Japan Workshop on Disaster Risk Reduction inaugurated http://www.ddinews.gov.in/national/first-india-japan-workshop-disaster-risk-reduction-inaugurated
Should communities at the highest risk be abandoned and their residents permanently relocated? http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-43476335
Who’s at Risk? Rapid Mapping of Potential Hazard Exposure https://www.fema.gov/preptalks/chen
U.S. Gun Policy in a Global Context https://www.rand.org/research/gun-policy/essays/us-gun-policy-in-a-global-context.html?adbid=976188131144708097&adbpl=tw&adbpr=22545453&adbsc=social_GunPolicy_20180320_2202031
Complex fault geometry and rupture dynamics of the Mw 6.5, 2016, October 30th central Italy earthquake https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/2018JB015603
New Large-Scale Modeling Gives Worsening Picture of the Nation’s Flood Risk http://www.govtech.com/em/disaster/New-Large-Scale-Modeling-Gives-Worsening-Picture-of-the-Nations-Flood-Risk.html
“Everyone has a part to play to reduce flood risk and homeowners in flood risk areas should know the risks and what action they can take” – Sir James Bevan http://floodlist.com/protection/uk-different-approach-future-floods?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter
Earthquake swarm under Mount Ruapehu, New Zealand https://watchers.news/2018/03/21/earthquake-swarm-under-mount-ruapehu-new-zealand/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter
Evidence of one of the largest floods in Earth’s history in the central Mediterranean https://watchers.news/2018/03/21/evidence-of-one-of-the-largest-floods-in-earth-s-history-in-the-central-mediterranean/
Complex floodplain management issues on the Mississippi River https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2018/national/mississippi-river-infrastructure/?utm_term=.ceef48cf78a1
Flooding and heavy rains rise 50% worldwide in a decade, figures show https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/mar/21/flooding-and-heavy-rains-rise-50-worldwide-in-a-decade-figures-show
Landscape architect Kongjian Yu is making ‘friends with water’ to mitigate extreme weather events in modern metropolises https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2018/mar/21/turning-cities-into-sponges-how-chinese-ancient-wisdom-is-taking-on-climate-change
Environment Agency says a different approach is needed to tackle flooding over next 50 years http://mags4dorset.co.uk/environment-agency-says-a-different-approach-is-needed-to-tackle-flooding-over-next-50-years/#.WrLVv9RubIU
Police say Hawkesdale, Garvoc, Terang and Camperdown fires all started by electrical assets http://www.standard.net.au/story/5299413/police-investigation-four-main-fires-all-started-by-electrical-assets/
Learning from El Niño Costero 2017: Opportunities for Building Resilience in Peru http://i-s-e-t.org/resources/major-program-reports/learning-from-elnino-costero-2017-opportunities-building-resilience-peru.html?platform=hootsuite
WMO Statement on the state of the global climate in 2017 https://library.wmo.int/opac/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=20220#.WrQc79RubIV
How To Build Resilience To Catastrophic Events With Alice Hill https://www.hoover.org/research/area-45-how-build-resilience-catastrophic-events-alice-hill
Earthquake early warning system gets big boost in House budget bill http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-earthquake-early-warning-20180322-htmlstory.html
Houston identifies $700M in priority flood control projects https://www.chron.com/news/politics/houston/article/Houston-identies-700M-in-priority-flood-control-12770379.php
How do people behave if flood risk decreases as a result of dams? https://phys.org/news/2018-03-responsibility.html
Optimal investment and location decisions of a firm in a flood risk area using impulse control theory https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10100-018-0532-0
Emergency Management
A Truck in Saudi Arabia Outruns a Flash Flood in the Desert https://weather.com/news/weather/video/a-truck-in-saudi-arabia-outruns-a-flash-flood-in-the-desert
Six months on, how is the Caribbean recovering from hurricanes and Irma and Maria? http://www.aidforum.org/Topics/disaster-relief/6-months-on-how-is-the-caribbean-recovering-from-hurricanes-and-irma-and-ma
Care for an elderly relative must include planning for natural disasters https://www.marketwatch.com/story/care-for-an-elderly-relative-must-include-planning-for-natural-disasters-2018-03-14
What happens to pregnant women when disaster strikes? http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-03-16/can-environmental-disasters-really-dictate-pregnancy-outcomes/9509964
FEMA’s Plan for Dealing With Natural Disasters Is Missing the Two Most Important Words https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2018/03/femas-plan-for-dealing-with-natural-disasters-is-missing-the-two-most-important-words/
State issues report on flaws in Sonoma County wildfire alerts http://www.pressdemocrat.com/news/8046219-181/state-issues-report-on-flaws?utm_source=home&utm_medium=impact&utm_campaign=pd_study
Private sector can shoulder more responsibility for disaster readiness http://thehill.com/opinion/energy-environment/378641-private-sector-can-shoulder-more-responsibility-for-disaster
Expert reaction: Bushfire ravages NSW coastal town https://mailchi.mp/smc/expert-reactionbushfire-ravages-nsw-coastal-town?e=c1ac3d949e
NSW authorities defend warning system after devastating Tathra fire – Some residents say text alerts never arrived https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/mar/19/nsw-authorities-defend-warning-system-after-devastating-tathra-fire
Six months after Mexico quake some still camp outside homes https://apnews.com/amp/4170d3858f1b4aa3a91b74d014ba93aa?__twitter_impression=true
FEMA’s Disaster Preparedness Plan Is a Disaster for the U.S. https://www.nrdc.org/experts/joel-scata/femas-disaster-preparedness-plan-disaster-us
Ohio statewide tornado drill scheduled for today http://www.wtrf.com/news/ohio-headlines/ohio-statewide-tornado-drill-scheduled-for-today/1065971202
How did the plague impact health regulation? https://blog.oup.com/2018/03/plague-impact-health-regulation/
Only 30% of businesses have reopened in Fukushima nuclear disaster-hit areas: survey https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20180321/p2a/00m/0na/004000c
Heatwaves, hurricanes, floods: 2017 costliest year ever for extreme weather and climate events, says UN https://news.un.org/en/story/2018/03/1005631
Hurricane Harvey’s toxic impact deeper than public told https://apnews.com/e0ceae76d5894734b0041210a902218d
Disaster education, communications and engagement
Elementary students’ evacuation route choice in a classroom: A questionnaire-based method https://www.researchgate.net/publication/321186619_Elementary_students%27_evacuation_route_choice_in_a_classroom_A_questionnaire-based_method
Influence seekers: the production of grey literature for policy and practice http://apo.org.au/node/136451
The tool that enabled a change in student engagement https://echo360.com/monash-college-echo360/?utm_campaign=user-testimonials&utm_content=68719732&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter
Master of Disaster: learning resources, supporting documents and a multimedia library to help children and students learn about hazards in British Columbia https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/safety/emergency-preparedness-response-recovery/preparedbc/master-of-disaster
Ninety per cent of Canadians who actually live in a flood risk zone don’t know that they are at risk of flood https://uwaterloo.ca/partners-for-action/sites/ca.partners-for-action/files/uploads/files/canadian_voices_on_changing_flood_risk_fnl.pdf
Comrie flooding inspires festival film about loss and memory https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/news/local/perth-kinross/619538/comrie-flooding-inspires-festival-film-about-loss-and-memory/
2013 Alberta flood victims “not even aware” of risk https://www.canadianunderwriter.ca/insurance/2013-alberta-flood-victims-not-even-aware-risk-iclr-speaker-1004128814/
Bring community voices into disaster rebuilding and infrastructure planning http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/politics/379413-bring-community-voices-into-disaster-rebuilding-and
Games about trust https://www.raphkoster.com/2018/03/16/the-trust-spectrum/#more-32038
Giving UK Children a Voice in Emergencies http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/cuidar/2018/03/21/stcuk-children-voice-in-emergencies/
How can we measure resilience? Mobile phones – and the right questions – can help http://news.trust.org/item/20180124113731-6j9xt
‘Plate Tectonics’ book explores the Earth’s building blocks and the geophysical theory that changed the way we look at the world https://www.plymouth.ac.uk/news/ladybird-book-reveals-the-human-stories-behind-one-of-the-21st-centurys-key-science-breakthroughs
World Water Day: exploring the solutions we find in nature https://ec.europa.eu/jrc/en/news/world-water-day-exploring-solutions-we-find-nature
New EGU publications: Geoscience Communication and Encyclopedia of Geosciences https://www.egu.eu/news/398/new-egu-publications-geoscience-communication-and-encyclopedia-of-geosciences/
Social Media and Emergency Management
Seniors are the age group most likely to say they never go online http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2018/03/05/some-americans-dont-use-the-internet-who-are-they/
Unpacking and Exploring the Relationship between Crisis Management and Social Media in the Era of ‘Smart Devices’ https://www.hsaj.org/articles/13986
Early detection and information extraction for weather-induced floods using social media streams https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212420918302735
How Facebook Groups Are Being Exploited To Spread Misinformation, Plan Harassment, And Radicalize People https://www.buzzfeed.com/craigsilverman/how-facebook-groups-are-being-exploited-to-spread?utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=SocialSignIn&utm_term=.bcqn0QYwek#.om5dZeD0NQ
Millions of people follow science-related pages on Facebook http://www.pewinternet.org/2018/03/21/the-science-people-see-on-social-media/
Psychology and disasters
Understanding Social-Force Model in Psychological Principles of Collective Behavior https://www.researchgate.net/publication/303302099_Understanding_Social-Force_Model_in_Psychological_Principles_of_Collective_Behavior
Echoes of Katrina: Post-Hurricane Maria Public Health Threats and Trauma https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/green/news/2018/03/20/448215/echoes-katrina-post-hurricane-maria-public-health-threats-trauma/
The secret science that rules crowds http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20180312-the-secret-science-that-rules-crowds
Sociology and Disasters
Social Identity and Intergroup Relationships in the Management of Crowds during Mass Emergencies and Disasters: Recommendations for Emergency Planners and Responders https://academic.oup.com/policing/advance-article/doi/10.1093/police/pay013/4939262
Study: US inequality persists 50 years after landmark report https://apnews.com/5b86a6a0b24a42dfa832103e686144c0
Disaster Resilience News 