Please find below links to some aspects of disaster resilience that were in the news recently…
Recent emergencies/disasters
Fraser Island access restricted as bushfire burns through 72,000 hectares, holidaymakers told to stay away https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-11-27/fraser-island-fire-bushfire-world-heritage-campfire/12926598
15 homes likely uninhabitable after heavy rain, flooding north of Wellington https://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/wellington/300170323/15-homes-likely-uninhabitable-after-heavy-rain-flooding-north-of-wellington
Italy – Deadly Flash Floods in Sardinia http://floodlist.com/europe/italy-flash-floods-sardinia-november-2020
South East Asia – 25,000 Hit by Floods in Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand http://floodlist.com/asia/southeast-asia-floods-indonesia-malaysia-thailand-november-2020
India – Cyclone Nivar Causes Floods in Tamil Nadu http://floodlist.com/asia/india-cyclone-nivar-floods-tamil-nadu-november-2020
India – Deadly Floods in Andhra Pradesh After Rain From Cyclone Nivar http://floodlist.com/asia/india-floods-andhra-pradesh-cyclone-nivar-november-2020
Indonesia – Floods Damage Thousands of Homes in North Sumatra Provincehttp://floodlist.com/asia/indonesia-serdang-bedagai-north-sumatra-november-2020
Brazil – Damaging Floods in São Paulo State After 130mm of Rain in 1 Hour http://floodlist.com/america/brazil-floods-sao-carlos-sao-paulo-november-2020
Bolivia – Homes Damaged in Tarija After Heavy Rainhttp://floodlist.com/america/bolivia-floods-tarija-november-2020
Iran – Floods Affect 8 Provinces After Heavy Rain http://floodlist.com/asia/iran-floods-november-2020
Vietnam – Floods Leave 5 Dead, 1 Missing, 5,000 Displaced After 980mm of Rain in 3 Days http://floodlist.com/asia/vietnam-floods-december-2020
Ash blankets Indonesia villages after volcano eruption https://www.dailysabah.com/gallery/ash-blankets-indonesia-villages-after-volcano-eruption/images
Bond fire rapidly jumps through Orange County canyons, forcing more evacuations https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-12-03/wind-driven-bond-fire-threatens-homes-in-orange-county-as-santa-anas-hit-southern-california
Volcanic activity worldwide 3 Dec 2020: Pacaya volcano, Fuego, Klyuchevskoy, Popocatépetl, Sangay https://www.volcanodiscovery.com/volcano-activity/news/115368/Volcanic-activity-worldwide-3-Dec-2020-Pacaya-volcano-Fuego-Klyuchevskoy-Popocatepetl-Sangay-.html
Extreme Weather and Climate Change
Tasmania declares itself 100 per cent powered by renewable electricity https://reneweconomy.com.au/tasmania-declares-itself-100-per-cent-powered-by-renewable-electricity-25119/
Electricity supplies under pressure due to heatwave, energy market operator warns https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-11-29/heatwave-pushes-power-grid-to-the-limit-electricity/12930308
Cool change moves in after Sydney and northern NSW endure record-smashing heatwave https://www.sbs.com.au/news/cool-change-moves-in-after-sydney-and-northern-nsw-endure-record-smashing-heatwave
Polar scientists wary of impending satellite gap https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-55109092
Extreme heat is a threat to lives in Africa, but it’s not being monitored https://www.preventionweb.net/news/view/74918
Inquiry into tackling climate change in Victorian communities https://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/images/stories/committees/epc-LA/Inquiry_into_Tackling_Climate_Change_in_Victorian_Communities/LAEPC_59-01_Inquiry_into_tackling_climate_change_in_Vic_Communities.pdf
Three-quarters of Australians back target of net zero by 2030, Guardian Essential poll shows https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/dec/01/three-quarters-of-australians-back-target-of-net-zero-by-2030-guardian-essential-poll-shows
European states ordered to respond to youth activists’ climate lawsuit https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/nov/30/european-states-ordered-respond-youth-activists-climate-lawsuit?CMP=twt_a-environment_b-gdneco
Weekend heatwave sent records tumbling in SA and NSW — and it isn’t over yet https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-12-01/weekend-heatwave-sent-records-tumbling-in-sa-and-nsw/12935088
Climate Solutions Series: Decarbonizing the Built Environment https://www.csis.org/analysis/climate-solutions-series-decarbonizing-built-environment
How climate change could spark the next home mortgage disaster https://www.politico.com/news/2020/11/30/climate-change-mortgage-housing-environment-433721
What’s the impact of melting ice on rising sea levels? https://www.euronews.com/2020/11/16/what-s-the-impact-of-melting-ice-on-rising-sea-levels
The UN canceled its 2020 climate summit. Youth held one anyway https://grist.org/climate/the-un-canceled-its-2020-climate-summit-youth-held-one-anyway/
Australia endures hottest spring ever, with average temperatures more than 2C above average https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/dec/01/australia-endures-hottest-spring-ever-with-average-temperatures-more-than-2c-above-average
Pacific leaders condemn Australia’s climate target as ‘one of the weakest’ in open letter https://www.sbs.com.au/news/pacific-leaders-condemn-australia-s-climate-target-as-one-of-the-weakest-in-open-letter
Climate change: Temperature analysis shows UN goals ‘within reach’ https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-55073169
Australia’s states have been forced to go it alone on renewable energy, but it’s a risky strategy https://theconversation.com/australias-states-have-been-forced-to-go-it-alone-on-renewable-energy-but-its-a-risky-strategy-151086
Sea level rise and coastal flooding threaten affordable housing https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/abb266
Climate emergency: New Zealand must match words and actions https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/dec/01/climate-emergency-new-zealand-must-match-words-and-actions?CMP=share_btn_tw
What can Covid-19 teach us about preparing for climate risks in Europe? https://www.cascades.eu/publication/what-can-climate-risks-teach-us-about-preparing-for-climate-risks-in-europe/
Progress toward managing rising seas https://medium.com/island-press/progress-toward-managing-rising-seas-5c3822326a72
Future Brahmaputra river flooding as climate warms may be underestimated, study says https://www.preventionweb.net/news/view/74966
UN climate summit president thanks Australian states – but not Morrison government – for backing net zero https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/dec/02/net-zero-emissions-by-2050-target-climate-summit-president-thanks-australian-states-but-not-morrison-government
Rising seas predicted to flood thousands of affordable housing units by 2050 https://www.theverge.com/2020/12/1/21747466/rising-sea-levels-flood-affordable-housing-2050
Climate change: 2020 set to be one of the three warmest years on record https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-55150910
Humanity is waging war on nature, says UN secretary general https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/dec/02/humanity-is-waging-war-on-nature-says-un-secretary-general-antonio-guterres?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other
NZ joins a groundswell in sounding the climate emergency alarm. Can it make any real difference? https://thespinoff.co.nz/politics/02-12-2020/nz-joins-a-groundswell-in-sounding-the-climate-emergency-alarm-can-it-make-any-real-difference/
Movements shaping climate futures: A systematic mapping of protests against fossil fuel and low-carbon energy projects https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/abc197/meta
The matrix of two worlds working for better community resilience https://www.preventionweb.net/news/view/74993
WMO Provisional report on the state of the global climate 2020 https://www.preventionweb.net/publications/view/74998
Climate change is resulting in profound, immediate and worsening health impacts, over 120 researchers say https://theconversation.com/climate-change-is-resulting-in-profound-immediate-and-worsening-health-impacts-over-120-researchers-say-151027
The 2020 report of The Lancet Countdown on health and climate change: responding to converging crises https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)32290-X/fulltext
Indonesia’s tropical glacier is rare, revered, and could be gone by next year https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-12-04/indonesia-tropical-glacier-threatened-climate-change/12914584
Art Basel Miami 2020: climate change concerns dominate unusual year https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2020/dec/03/art-basel-miami-2020-virtual-art-fair
Confronting the ‘isolated, lonely, painful deaths’ from heat waves https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2020/12/confronting-the-isolated-lonely-painful-deaths-from-heat-waves/
Increased Plate Tectonic Activity May Have Warmed the Miocene Climate https://eos.org/articles/increased-plate-tectonic-activity-may-have-warmed-the-miocene-climate
“Thirstier” atmosphere will increase wildfire risk out west https://www.preventionweb.net/news/view/75016
Pushing back against the tide: Vanuatu’s climate fight https://www.preventionweb.net/news/view/75009
Disaster risk reduction
COVID-19 and the cost of vaccine nationalism https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA769-1.html
Integrated development of early warning systems: Tsunami early warning systems in Indonesia https://www.preventionweb.net/publications/view/74928
Integrated development of early warning systems: Local Flood Early Warning System https://www.preventionweb.net/publications/view/74936
Boldly re-imagining life in a post-pandemic world https://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/stories/what-s-next.html
When insurance and goodwill are not enough: Bushfire Attack Level (BAL) ratings, risk calculations and disaster resilience in Australia https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00049182.2019.1691436?journalCode=cage20
Sink, Britain, Sink: The Tories had six years to fix the UK’s flood defences and failed https://voxpoliticalonline.com/2020/11/29/sink-britain-sink-the-tories-had-six-years-to-fix-the-uks-flood-defences-and-failed/
Developing a method for conducting wildland/urban interface fire case study research: A foundational document https://www.preventionweb.net/publications/view/74956
Australian seasonal bushfire outlook: December 2020 – February 2021 https://www.bnhcrc.com.au/hazardnotes/85
Preparing for the unexpected — Knowing when, where, and the impact of tropical cyclones https://www.ga.gov.au/news-events/features/preparing-for-the-unexpected
A look back at the horrific 2020 Atlantic hurricane season https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2020/12/a-look-back-at-the-horrific-2020-atlantic-hurricane-center/
Earthquake scenario for large German city https://www.preventionweb.net/news/view/74969
Seismic guidelines underestimate impact of ‘The Big One’ on Metro Vancouver buildings https://www.preventionweb.net/news/view/74968
Why COVID-19 has left the UK especially vulnerable to flooding this winter https://www.preventionweb.net/news/view/74964
GIS development for urban flood resilience https://www.researchgate.net/publication/271435501_GIS_development_for_urban_flood_resilience
Latest edition of Molino Stewart’s ‘Floodplain Manager’ newsletter https://molinostewart.com.au/editorial/floodplain-manager-november-2020/
Seismic activity of New Zealand’s alpine fault more complex than suspected https://phys.org/news/2020-12-seismic-zealand-alpine-fault-complex.html
Continents prone to destruction in their infancy, study finds https://phys.org/news/2020-12-continents-prone-destruction-infancy.html
ASEAN adopts New Disaster Management Framework for 2021-2025 https://www.preventionweb.net/news/view/74980
Are there risks we aren’t considering for wildfires? https://www.preventionweb.net/news/view/74995
Where Will the Next Big Flood Hit? https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2020/11/predicting-floods-before-strike/617208/
The floor is lava: After 1.5 billion years in flux, here’s how a new, stronger crust set the stage for life on Earth https://phys.org/news/2020-12-floor-lava-billion-years-flux.html
Emergency management
Remote sensing and wildfires https://www.panarchiccodex.com/krista-west
European Union helps Albania rebuild after devastating earthquake https://www.preventionweb.net/news/view/74917
Fewer people say they would take a COVID-19 vaccine now than 3 months ago https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/11/fewer-people-say-they-would-take-a-covid-19-vaccine-now-than-3-months-ago/
Synergistic integration of detailed meteorological and community information for evacuation from weather-related disasters: proposal of a “disaster response switch https://www.preventionweb.net/publications/view/74957
A Framework for Assessing Mortality and Morbidity After Large-Scale Disasters https://www.nap.edu/read/25863/chapter/1
‘Catastrophic’ bushfire burns half of Queensland’s Fraser Island and threatens ecological disaster https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/dec/01/catastrophic-bushfire-on-queenslands-fraser-island-threatens-ecological-disaster
Hurricanes Iota and Eta deal Honduras a catastrophic double-blow https://www.euronews.com/2020/11/21/hurricanes-iota-and-eta-deal-honduras-a-catastrophic-double-blow
Why Europe’s second, less severe lockdowns are working https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2020/11/28/why-europes-second-less-severe-lockdowns-are-working
Covid-19: Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine judged safe for use in UK from next week https://www.bbc.com/news/health-55145696
Emergency warnings for bushfires, floods and cyclones about to get clearer https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-12-01/bushfire-flood-cyclone-warnings-national-system-clearer/12931450
Intent to Get a COVID-19 Vaccine Rises to 60% as Confidence in Research and Development Process Increases https://www.pewresearch.org/science/2020/12/03/intent-to-get-a-covid-19-vaccine-rises-to-60-as-confidence-in-research-and-development-process-increases/
Coronavirus: why is eastern Europe’s second wave so much worse than its first? https://www.preventionweb.net/news/view/75002
Characterizing uncertainty in city-wide disaster recovery through geospatial multi-lifeline restoration modeling of earthquake impact in the district of North Vancouver https://www.preventionweb.net/publications/view/75008
Disaster education, communications and engagement
Integrated development of early warning systems: Public warnings on mobile phone https://www.preventionweb.net/publications/view/74929
Using Social Media to Build Community Disaster Resilience – Virtual Presentation https://molinostewart.com.au/news/latest-news/using-social-media-to-build-community-disaster-resilience-virtual-presentation/
New bushfire campaign and app aim to combat complacency among West Australians https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-11-28/new-hard-hitting-fire-season-campaign-and-app-launched-in-wa/12931268
‘After Maria’ cartoon https://illustratinganthropology.com/gemma-sou/
Disempowering emotions: The role of educational experiences in social responses to climate change https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0016718520302748#
The aim of the LINKS project is to strengthen links between technologies and society for improved European disaster resilience, by producing sustainable advanced learning on the use of social media and crowdsourcing (SMCS) in disasters http://links-project.eu/
Fostering Social Resilience via Online Neighborhood Social Networks During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Beyond: Status Quo, Design Dilemmas and Research Opportunities https://www.researchgate.net/publication/346021191_Fostering_Social_Resilience_via_Online_Neighborhood_Social_Networks_During_the_COVID-19_Pandemic_and_Beyond_Status_Quo_Design_Dilemmas_and_Research_Opportunities
Inititiative for Critical Disaster Studies https://wp.nyu.edu/disasters/
Social media must prepare for flood of Covid-19 vaccine misinformation https://edition.cnn.com/2020/12/01/tech/covid-19-vaccine-misinformation-social-media/index.html
Children and young people’s participation in disaster risk reduction https://www.preventionweb.net/publications/view/74996
Visualisation of early warning information https://www.preventionweb.net/publications/view/75001
Psychology and disasters
A framework for mental health and psychosocial support in radiological and nuclear emergencies https://www.preventionweb.net/publications/view/74930
How flood risks shape policies: flood exposure and risk perception in Swiss municipalities https://www.researchgate.net/publication/345353024_How_flood_risks_shape_policies_flood_exposure_and_risk_perception_in_Swiss_municipalities
COVID-19 and Older Adults https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/hope-resilience/202003/covid-19-and-older-adults
COVID‐19 in context: Why do people die in emergencies? It’s probably not because of collective psychology https://bpspsychub.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/bjso.12393
The Long-Lasting Mental Health Effects of Wildfires https://www.outsideonline.com/2419314/wildfire-survivors-mental-health-trauma
Sociology and disasters
Endurance or decline of emergent groups following a flood disaster: Implications for community resilience https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2212420919309744?via%3Dihub
How natural hazards impact the social environment for vulnerable groups: an empirical investigation in Japan https://www.researchgate.net/publication/344282545_How_natural_hazards_impact_the_social_environment_for_vulnerable_groups_an_empirical_investigation_in_Japan
Social Capital, Innovation, and Local Resilience: Tokyo Neighbourhood in Times of Crisis https://www.researchgate.net/publication/346405048_Social_Capital_Innovation_and_Local_Resilience_Tokyo_Neighbourhood_in_Times_of_Crisis
Flood Risk for Low-Income Housing in U.S. Could Triple by 2050 https://e360.yale.edu/digest/flood-risk-for-low-income-housing-in-u-s-could-triple-by-2050
Valuing disaster risk reduction neighborhood interventions in informal settlements of Latin American and the Caribbean https://www.preventionweb.net/publications/view/74975
‘Nobody checked on us’: what people with disability told us about their experiences of disasters and emergencies https://theconversation.com/nobody-checked-on-us-what-people-with-disability-told-us-about-their-experiences-of-disasters-and-emergencies-151198
During disaster displacement, people with disabilities are too often forgotten https://www.preventionweb.net/news/view/75012
Disaster Resilience News 