Please find below links to recent news about some aspects of disaster resilience…
Recent emergencies/disaster
Storms, flooding and power cuts hit NSW https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/sydney-weather-live-updates-storms-flooding-and-power-cuts-hit-nsw-20200210-p53z76.html
Flooding, road closures and evacuations amid heavy rain in Queensland’s South East and Darling Downs https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-02-09/qld-weather-flood-warning-dalby-storms/11947322
Brazil – Torrential Rain Triggers Floods in São Paulo http://floodlist.com/america/brazil-rain-floods-sao-paulo-february-2020
UK and Ireland – Rivers Overflow After Heavy Rain From Storm Ciara http://floodlist.com/europe/united-kingdom/uk-ireland-floods-storm-ciara-february-2020
Tanzania – Floods in 4 Regions Leave at Least 40 Dead, Thousands Displaced http://floodlist.com/africa/tanzania-floods-lindi-mwanza-morogoro-manyara-february-2020
South Africa – Floods Cause Havoc in Johannesburg and Gauteng http://floodlist.com/africa/south-africa-floods-johannesburg-gauteng-february-2020
Severe floods hit Sao Paulo, Pinheiros river at highest level in 15 years, Brazil https://watchers.news/2020/02/11/severe-floods-hit-sao-paulo-pinheiros-river-at-highest-level-in-15-years-brazil/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter
Deadly winter storm spawns 19 tornadoes, causes major flooding and power outages, affecting 300 000 across Eastern U.S. https://watchers.news/2020/02/10/us-winterstorm-tornadoes-february-2020/
Powerful windstorm wreaks havoc across northwestern Europe, causes widespread disruption and flooding https://watchers.news/2020/02/10/storm-ciara-aftermath-febraury-2020/
Rare snowfall blankets Baghdad for the second time in more than 100 years, Iraq https://watchers.news/2020/02/11/rare-snowfall-blankets-baghdad-for-the-second-time-in-more-than-100-years-iraq/
Indonesia – Thousands Hit by Floods in Jakarta and South Sumatra Province http://floodlist.com/asia/indonesia-floods-jakarta-south-sumatra-february-2020
Australia – Evacuations in New South Wales After Days of Heavy Rain http://floodlist.com/australia/australia-new-south-wales-floods-february-2020
High water levels are wreaking havoc in the Great Lakes, swamping communities https://www.fox2detroit.com/news/high-water-levels-are-wreaking-havoc-in-the-great-lakes-swamping-communities
Bolivia – Floods Hit La Paz and Potosí Departments http://floodlist.com/america/bolivia-floods-lapaz-potosi-february-2020
Burundi – Floods Destroy Homes and Displace 11,000 http://floodlist.com/africa/burundi-floods-update-february-2020
Volcanic activity worldwide 13 Feb 2020: Santiaguito volcano, Pacaya, Fuego, Popocatépetl, Merapi https://www.volcanodiscovery.com/volcano-activity/news/98104/Volcanic-activity-worldwide-13-Feb-2020-Santiaguito-volcano-Pacaya-Fuego-Popocatepetl-Merapi-.html
Australia – Floods in Southern Queensland as Rivers Rise http://floodlist.com/australia/queensland-floods-february-2020
Peru – Homes Destroyed After Floods in Luyando, Huánuco Department http://floodlist.com/america/peru-floods-uyando-huanuco-february-2020
Extreme Weather and Climate Change
West Australia grid officially hits more than 50% renewables for first time https://reneweconomy.com.au/west-australia-grid-officially-hits-more-than-50-renewables-for-first-time-21842/
Fires and floods: maps of Europe predict scale of climate catastrophe https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/feb/10/fires-floods-maps-europe-climate-catastrophe
Greenland Rising: The Future of Greenland’s Waterfront https://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2020/02/05/greenland-rising-the-future-of-greenlands-waterfront/
Deforested parts of Amazon ’emitting more CO2 than they absorb’ https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-51464694
With sufficient investment and strategic deployment, carbon dioxide removal and storage can play a key role in keeping global warming to a level we can live with https://ensia.com/features/sequestration/
We’re facing a climate crisis but there is good news https://www.smh.com.au/national/we-re-facing-a-climate-crisis-but-there-is-good-news-20200210-p53zhr.html
Southern California Climate Change over 100,000 Years https://eos.org/research-spotlights/southern-california-climate-change-over-100000-years
There Are Rivers in the Sky Drenching the U.S. Because of Climate Change https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-02-11/there-are-rivers-in-the-sky-drenching-the-u-s-because-of-climate-change
Preparing for climate change https://phys.org/news/2020-02-climate.html
US cities at risk of sea level inundation https://www.newsweek.com/these-five-cities-are-vulnerable-rising-seas-including-miami-new-york-1486575
Burning gas, coal and oil costs global economy $8bn a day and particularly harms children https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/feb/12/fossil-fuel-pollution-behind-4m-premature-deaths-a-year-study?CMP=twt_a-environment_b-gdneco
Marshall Islands, Suriname, Norway upgrade climate plans before Cop26 https://www.climatechangenews.com/2020/02/10/which-countries-updated-ndc-2020-marshall-islands-suriname-norway-cop26/
‘Climigration’: when communities must move because of climate change https://theconversation.com/climigration-when-communities-must-move-because-of-climate-change-122529
Pine Island Glacier’s Newest Iceberg https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/146289/pine-island-glaciers-newest-iceberg
Inside Australia’s climate emergency: the new fire zone https://www.theguardian.com/environment/ng-interactive/2020/feb/12/living-in-the-climate-emergency-australias-new-fire-zone?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other
Who will bear the financial risk of climate-related disasters? https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/6613599/who-will-bear-the-financial-risk-of-climate-related-disasters/
In the span of 141 years of climate records, there has never been a warmer January than last month https://www.noaa.gov/news/january-2020-was-earth-s-hottest-january-on-record
How to achieve climate goals: try this tool https://en-roads.climateinteractive.org/scenario.html?p65=100&v=2.7.6
Antarctic temperature rises above 20C for first time on record https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/feb/13/antarctic-temperature-rises-above-20c-first-time-record
Partisan gap on dealing with climate change gets even wider https://www.people-press.org/2020/02/13/as-economic-concerns-recede-environmental-protection-rises-on-the-publics-policy-agenda/
‘Business as usual’ on climate change will cost Australia $29 billion a year https://thenewdaily.com.au/finance/finance-news/2020/02/12/climate-change-economy/
Climate change: Bangkok, Amsterdam and Melbourne ‘face greatest global warming risk’ https://news.sky.com/story/climate-change-bangkok-amsterdam-and-melbourne-face-greatest-global-warming-risk-11932338
2050 Climate Change City Index https://www.nestpick.com/2050-climate-change-city-index/
Disaster risk reduction
Starting (and Stopping) a Fire to Study It https://eos.org/articles/starting-and-stopping-a-fire-to-study-it
With Australia’s Hillsides Stripped Bare By Fire, Scientists Rush To Predict Mudflows https://www.npr.org/2020/02/10/803669266/with-australia-s-hillsides-stripped-bare-by-fire-scientists-work-to-predict-mudf?utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=npr&utm_term=nprnews
Salt marshes or sea walls? Preventing coastal flooding in the UK https://granthaminstitute.com/2019/12/05/salt-marshes-or-sea-walls-preventing-coastal-flooding-in-the-uk/
Coronavirus ‘could infect 60% of global population if unchecked’ https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/feb/11/coronavirus-expert-warns-infection-could-reach-60-of-worlds-population?CMP=share_btn_tw
Flood-prone residents moving closer to relocation https://www.wbrz.com/news/flood-prone-residents-moving-closer-to-relocation/
Proposed amendment to the Toowoomba Region Planning Scheme relating to the region-wide management of flood risk http://www.tr.qld.gov.au/about-council/news-publications/media-releases/14102-planning-development-committee-recommends-adopting-toowoomba-regional-planning-scheme-amendment-no-17
Canada needs to up its game when it comes to flood maps, says a national group of professional appraisers, as the climate crisis distorts property values across the country https://www.nationalobserver.com/2020/02/10/news/what-are-flood-maps-your-property-value-depends-them-and-they-may-be-dangerously
Flood Management in Aqala through an Agent-Based Solution and Crowdsourcing Services in an Enterprise Geospatial Information System https://www.mdpi.com/2220-9964/8/9/420
Impacts of Flooding in North-east Scotland https://www.crew.ac.uk/publication/impacts-flooding
Flood defences not strong enough to protect UK’s towns, warn experts in aftermath of Storm Ciara https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/02/10/flood-defences-wont-protect-uk-need-drastic-new-measures-experts/
Using remarkability to define coastal flooding thresholds https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-019-13935-3
MPs condemn flood defence failures as more rain forecast https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2020/feb/11/storm-ciara-flood-warnings-storm-dennis-on-horizon
Lidar for Floodplain Models: A Project in Florida https://www.xyht.com/lidarimaging/lidar-data-for-floodplain-models/
Latest edition of Molino Stewart’s ‘Floodplain Manager’ newsletter https://molinostewart.com.au/editorial/floodplain-manager-december-2019-january-2020/
The 2019-20 bushfires: a CSIRO explainer https://www.csiro.au/en/Research/Environment/Extreme-Events/Bushfire/preparing-for-climate-change/2019-20-bushfires-explainer
Insurance premiums rising after long summer of bushfires, storms and floods https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-02-13/insurance-premiums-pressured-by-bushfires-storms-and-floods/11958410
Modeling Storm Surge Attenuation by an Integrated Nature-Based and Engineered Flood Defense System in the Scheldt Estuary (Belgium) https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1312/8/1/27
Understanding today’s risk critical in closing the flood protection gap https://www.reinsurancene.ws/understanding-todays-risk-critical-in-closing-the-flood-protection-gap-fathoms-dr-smith/
New facility to test flood prevention technology https://environmentjournal.online/articles/new-facility-to-test-flood-prevention-technology/
Emergency management
Authorities plan emergency and safety measures as seismic activity continues at new underwater volcano near Mayotte https://watchers.news/2020/02/11/authorities-plan-emergency-and-safety-measures-as-seismic-activity-continues-at-new-underwater-volcano-near-mayotte/
A man has been rescued from rising floodwaters after 10 hours clinging to a tree in Australia https://news.sky.com/story/man-rescued-from-floods-after-10-hours-clinging-to-tree-11931192
Displaced by the Taal Volcano https://ocharoap.exposure.co/waiting-for-the-smoke-to-clear
Testing the water: flood victims take Anies to court https://indonesiaatmelbourne.unimelb.edu.au/testing-the-water-flood-victims-take-anies-to-court/
Australia – Insurers Receive 10,000 Claims for East Coast Floods http://floodlist.com/australia/australia-insurers-claims-east-coast-floods-february-2020
Bushfire deaths in Australia, 2010-2020 https://riskfrontiers.com/bushfire-deaths-in-australia-2010-2020/
The role of the state in China’s post-disaster reconstruction planning: Implications for resilience https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0042098019859232?journalCode=usja
Storm Ciara – Recovery work begins after flooding in Cumbria and Lancashire https://www.cumbriacrack.com/2020/02/12/storm-ciara-recovery-work-begins-after-flooding-in-cumbria-and-lancashire/
New FAO project to provide urgent support to flood victims in Rwanda http://www.fao.org/emergencies/fao-in-action/stories/stories-detail/en/c/1259515/
Managing the 2019 Flood Events: USACE Division Highlights | U.S. Army Corps of Engineers https://www.defensemedianetwork.com/stories/managing-the-2019-flood-events-usace-division-highlights-u-s-army-corps-of-engineers-building-strong-2020-edition/
All bushfires in NSW contained after a week of heavy rain https://www.skynews.com.au/details/_6132327163001
Disaster education, communications and engagement
Resources for a safer school https://www.schoolsafety.gov/
Flood maps don’t convince some residents that their homes will be under water https://www.fastcompany.com/90461819/even-looking-at-flood-maps-cant-convince-coastal-residents-their-homes-will-be-underwater
Twitter might have a better read on floods than NOAA https://www.theverge.com/2020/2/10/21128744/twitter-data-floods-noaa-climate-change
Monitoring flooding through peoples’ exasperated tweets https://qz.com/1797415/scientists-are-studying-your-climate-change-complaints-on-twitter/
Bushfire resources for teachers https://www.redcross.org.au/get-help/emergencies/resources-about-disasters/resources-for-teachers
The 2019-20 bushfires: a CSIRO explainer https://www.csiro.au/en/Research/Environment/Extreme-Events/Bushfire/preparing-for-climate-change/2019-20-bushfires-explainer
What is resilience? https://globalresilience.northeastern.edu/about/overview/
Psychology and Disasters
Stress, financial hardship and ill-health among lasting effects of flooding, researchers find https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/feb/11/scottish-study-reveals-significant-long-term-impact-of-flooding
Sociology and disasters
As sea level rises, Miami neighborhoods feel rising tide of gentrification https://www.curbed.com/2020/2/10/21128496/miami-real-estate-climate-change-gentrification
Climate change impacts in Bangladesh show how geography, wealth and culture affect vulnerability https://theconversation.com/climate-change-impacts-in-bangladesh-show-how-geography-wealth-and-culture-affect-vulnerability-128207
Disaster Resilience News 