Today in disaster resilience (20 December 2019)

Please find below links to recent news about some aspects of disaster resilience…

Recent emergencies/disaster

Massive fire burns from Lithgow to Central Coast in New South Wales as Western Australia emergency continues https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/dec/15/western-australia-bushfire-emergency-continues-as-sydney-braces-for-a-smoky-sunday?CMP=share_btn_tw

Malaysia – Thousands Evacuate After Second Wave of Floods in Johor http://floodlist.com/asia/malaysia-floods-johor-december-2019-2

France – More Floods After Storm Hits South and West http://floodlist.com/europe/france-floods-lot-et-garonne-december-2019

Indonesia – Deadly Floods in Central Sulawesi http://floodlist.com/asia/indonesia-central-sulawesi-west-sumatra-december-2019

Strong quake sends people out of malls in south Philippines https://phys.org/news/2019-12-strong-quake-people-malls-south.html

Heavy floods in north and east Sri Lanka displace thousands, reservoirs overflow https://globalimpactnews.com/2019/12/10/heavy-floods-in-north-and-east-sri-lanka-displace-thousands-reservoirs-overflow/

Two perish in floods in south-western France http://www.rfi.fr/en/france/20191215-two-killed-floods-southwest-france-thousands-cut-electricity

Visual of spread of Gospers Mountain megafire https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2019/dec/16/australia-bushfires-wa-nsw-qld-fires-new-south-wales-gospers-mountain-sydney-heatwave-latest-updates-live-news

DR Congo – Deadly Landslide in Ituri Province http://floodlist.com/africa/dr-congo-landslide-ituri-december-2019

Portugal – Heavy Rain Triggers Flash Floods in Alentejo Region http://floodlist.com/europe/portugal-floods-alentejo-december-2019

Uganda – More Fatalities After Floods in Central and Eastern Regions http://floodlist.com/africa/uganda-floods-central-eastern-region-december-2019

DR Congo – 600,000 Affected by Floods in 12 Provinces, Says UN http://floodlist.com/africa/dr-congo-floods-december-2019

Iran – Hundreds of Families Hit by Flooding in Southern Provinces http://floodlist.com/asia/iran-floods-hormozgan-khuzestan-bushehr-december-2019-of-families-hit-by-flooding-in-southern-provinces

Volcanic activity worldwide 19 Dec 2019: Fuego volcano, Popocatépetl, Dukono, Reventador, Sangay https://www.volcanodiscovery.com/volcano-activity/news/94480/Volcanic-activity-worldwide-19-Dec-2019-Fuego-volcano-Popocatepetl-Dukono-Reventador-Sangay-S.html

Two volunteer firefighters killed in truck rollover in Buxton https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/two-volunteer-firefighters-killed-in-truck-rollover-in-buxton-20191220-p53lpb.html

Flash floods batter Devon and Cornwall, southwest England https://watchers.news/2019/12/19/flash-floods-batter-devon-and-cornwall-southwest-england/

 

Extreme Weather and Climate Change

UN climate talks end with limited progress on emissions targets https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/dec/14/un-climate-talks-drag-on-as-rifts-scupper-hopes-of-breakthrough?CMP=share_btn_tw

After recent devastating bushfires, dozens of Extinction Rebellion climate activists gathered outside Sydney’s iconic Opera House on Sunday to protest against climate change https://www.euronews.com/2019/12/15/extinction-rebellion-take-to-the-streets-of-sydney-in-climate-change-protest

How Africa will be affected by climate change https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-50726701

Temperature record could be repeatedly broken as heatwave hits Australia’s south-east, BOM says https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-12-17/heatwave-weather-australia-south-east-states-to-swelter/11804502

November 2019 was the second-hottest November in the 140-year global climate record https://www.noaa.gov/news/november-2019-was-2nd-hottest-on-record-for-planet

UN climate talks: ‘The window of opportunity is open, but barely’ https://www.conservation.org/blog/un-climate-talks-the-window-of-opportunity-is-open-but-barely

Climate Change Will Shrink Economies of Rich and Poor Countries Alike https://www.brinknews.com/climate-change-will-shrink-economies-of-rich-and-poor-countries-alike/

Long-Term Macroeconomic Effects of Climate Change: A Cross-Country Analysis https://www.nber.org/papers/w26167

For the vulnerable, UN climate talks are no longer fit for purpose https://www.climatechangenews.com/2019/12/17/vulnerable-un-climate-talks-no-longer-fit-purpose/

Oxford City Council commits £19m to climate emergency response https://www.businessgreen.com/bg/news/3084710/oxford-city-council-commits-gbp19-million-to-climate-emergency

Climate change has cut Australian farm profits by 22% a year over past 20 years, report says https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/dec/18/climate-change-has-cut-australian-farm-profits-by-22-a-year-over-past-20-years-report-says?CMP=share_btn_tw

Carbon Market Institute survey finds 96% believe Australia should not delay transition to decarbonised economy https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/dec/19/climate-crisis-australian-businesses-back-net-zero-carbon-emissions-by-2050?CMP=share_btn_tw

Cross-sector support for Victorian leadership on climate https://environmentvictoria.org.au/2019/12/18/cross-sector-support-for-victorian-leadership-on-climate/

Preparing for extreme sea levels depends on location, time, study finds https://phys.org/news/2019-12-extreme-sea.html

Australia experiences hottest day on record and its worst ever spring bushfire danger https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/dec/18/australia-experiences-hottest-day-on-record-and-its-worst-ever-spring-bushfire-danger?CMP=share_btn_tw

Dramatically increased rate of observed hot record breaking in recent Australian temperatures https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/2015GL065793

Empowering communities to adapt to climate change https://www.iied.org/empowering-communities-adapt-climate-change

Temperature hits 49.9C and roads melt in remote SA ahead of catastrophic fire conditions https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-12-19/catastrophic-fire-conditions-forecast-in-sa-as-temperatures-soar/11815346

2020 to be one of hottest years on record, Met Office says https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/dec/19/2020-to-be-one-of-hottest-years-on-record-met-office-says?CMP=share_btn_tw

How much closer to their doors must the fire burn? It’s immoral not to connect the dots https://www.smh.com.au/national/how-much-closer-to-their-doors-must-the-fire-burn-it-s-immoral-not-to-connect-the-dots-20191218-p53l9d.html

Assessing heat wave risk in cities as global warming continues https://phys.org/news/2019-12-cities-global.html

What Climate Change Tells Us about Being Human https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/what-climate-change-tells-us-about-being-human/

 

Disaster risk reduction

White Island eruption: How Monday’s eruption transformed the face of the volcano https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12293934

I went to New Zealand to understand what a huge California earthquake would look like https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2019-12-12/5-things-california-can-learn-from-new-zealands-big-earthquake

Managing Urban Flooding in the San Francisco Bay Area: From a Concrete Bowl to a Green Sponge https://pacinst.org/managing-urban-flooding-in-the-san-francisco-bay-area-from-a-concrete-bowl-to-a-green-sponge/

The inner Melbourne suburbs at growing risk of coastal flooding linked to climate change https://www.domain.com.au/news/the-inner-melbourne-suburbs-at-growing-risk-of-coastal-flooding-linked-to-climate-change-917783/

Fire-starting weed or ecological scapegoat? The battle over California’s eucalyptus trees https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/dec/16/california-eucalyptus-trees-environment-comic

Four large quakes in two months jolt southern Philippines https://temblor.net/earthquake-insights/large-earthquakes-in-the-philippines-march-toward-a-stratovolcano-in-repose-10195/

Release of the 2019 UK Flood Map update: the mapping covers river (fluvial), surface water (pluvial) and coastal flood across Great Britain and Northern Ireland at 5m resolution https://www.jbarisk.com/news-blogs/2019-uk-flood-map-update/

Army Corps Found Liable for Upstream Houston Floods https://www.courthousenews.com/army-corps-found-liable-for-upstream-houston-floods/

Cork flood scheme report ‘used out of context’- UK Engineering firm https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/cork-flood-scheme-report-used-out-of-context-uk-engineering-firm-971095.html

Cities like New Orleans are partnering with the Dutch Dialogues, a workshop exploring urban design principles that the Netherlands uses to prevent flooding https://thehill.com/changing-america/sustainability/infrastructure/473666-coastal-cities-are-rethinking-how-they-manage

Flash flooding is a serious threat in the UK – here’s how scientists are tackling its prediction https://theconversation.com/flash-flooding-is-a-serious-threat-in-the-uk-heres-how-scientists-are-tackling-its-prediction-128015

Scientists fear surge in supersized bushfires that create their own violent thunderstorms https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/dec/20/scientists-fear-surge-in-supersized-bushfires-that-create-their-own-violent-thunderstorms?CMP=share_btn_tw

 

Emergency management

Former fire and emergency chiefs push for national bushfire emergency summit https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/dec/11/former-fire-and-emergency-chiefs-push-for-national-bushfire-emergency-summit?CMP=share_btn_tw

Cyclone victims face bleak prospects in Mozambique resettlement sites https://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/news-feature/2019/12/10/Mozambique-Cyclone-Idai-Resettlement-climate-change

Australia needs a national crisis plan, and not just for bushfires https://theconversation.com/australia-needs-a-national-crisis-plan-and-not-just-for-bushfires-128781

Refugees at ‘increased risk’ from extreme weather https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-50692857

Albania earthquake: Arrests over deaths in collapsed buildings https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-50797831

The Top 5 Deadliest Disasters in 2019 https://www.usnews.com/news/best-countries/slideshows/5-of-the-deadliest-natural-disasters-in-2019

‘Hugely disappointed’ emergency chiefs to hold bushfire summit with or without PM https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/dec/17/hugely-disappointed-emergency-chiefs-to-hold-bushfire-summit-with-or-without-pm?CMP=share_btn_tw

Concerns remain for children affected by floods in Somalia https://reliefweb.int/report/somalia/concerns-remain-children-affected-floods-somalia

NSW Premier declares state of emergency ahead of extreme bushfire conditions https://www.smh.com.au/environment/weather/premier-declares-state-of-emergency-in-nsw-as-state-faces-dangerous-bushfire-conditions-20191219-p53ld1.html

How Portland’s Earthquake Preppers Are Planning for the Worst https://www.citylab.com/environment/2019/12/natural-disaster-preparedness-plan-earthquake-tsunami-storm/603799/

 

Disaster education, communications and engagement

Citizen Science in the Post-Disaster Context https://hazards.colorado.edu/quick-response-report/environmental-risk-and-recovery

NWS makes needed changes to flash flood warnings https://blogs.agu.org/wildwildscience/2019/12/12/nws-makes-needed-changes-to-flash-flood-warnings/

When ‘1-In-100-Year’ Floods Happen Often, What Should You Call Them? https://www.npr.org/2019/05/08/720737285/when-1-in-100-year-floods-happen-often-what-should-you-call-them

The Devon Community Resilience Forum supports communities to develop their community emergency plan; a document that guides community response in an emergency and helps communities to prepare https://www.devoncommunities.org.uk/projects/devon-community-resilience-forum

 

Psychology and Disasters

Stakeholder Values in Hurricane Michael: Understanding How Value Dynamics Contribute to Collaborative Decision Making in Disasters https://hazards.colorado.edu/quick-response-report/stakeholder-values-in-hurricane-michael

Resilience Under Fire: Protective Action, Attitudes, and Behaviors Evidenced in the 2018 Woolsey Fire https://hazards.colorado.edu/quick-response-report/resilience-under-fire

Symmetry Breaking in Evacuation Exit Choice: Impacts of Cognitive Bias and Physical Factor on Evacuation Decision https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007%2F978-3-030-37494-5_15

Australian citizens are mostly unaware of their country’s potential volcanic hazards https://blogs.agu.org/geospace/2019/12/19/survey-reveals-low-awareness-of-volcanic-hazards-in-australia/

74% of UK drivers would risk life in flood water https://www.gov.uk/government/news/driving-complacency-74-of-drivers-would-risk-life-in-flood-water

 

Sociology and disasters

The Vulnerability Bearers https://hazards.colorado.edu/news/director/the-vulnerability-bearers

Disaster Justice for All: The Need for a More Equitable and Just Recovery Lens https://hazards.colorado.edu/news/research-counts/disaster-justice-for-all-the-need-for-a-more-equitable-and-just-recovery-lens