Please find below links to some aspects of disaster resilience that were in the news recently…
Recent emergencies/disasters
At least 12 killed after Tropical Cyclone “Eloise” makes landfall near Beira, Mozambique https://watchers.news/2021/01/24/tropical-cyclone-eloise-landfall-aftermath-beira-mozambique-2021/
Burundi – Floods in Bujumbura Province Force Thousands From Their Homes http://floodlist.com/africa/burundi-floods-bujumbura-january-2021
‘Like a bomb went off’: 1 dead, at least 30 injured after tornado rips through parts of Alabama https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2021/01/26/alabama-tornado-1-dead-several-injured-birmingham/4256808001/
Brazil – Deadly Floods and Landslides in Santa Catarina After 40mm of Rain in 1 Hour http://floodlist.com/america/brazil-floods-landslides-santacatarina-january-2021
Southern Africa – Tropical Cyclone Eloise Triggers Floods in Mozambique, Zimbabwe and South Africa http://floodlist.com/africa/storm-eloise-floods-mozambique-zimbabwe-southafrica-january-2021
Volcanic activity worldwide 27 Jan 2021: Etna volcano, Pacaya, Fuego, Popocatépetl, Merapi, Dukono https://www.volcanodiscovery.com/volcano-activity/news/120319/Volcanic-activity-worldwide-27-Jan-2021-Etna-volcano-Pacaya-Fuego-Popocatepetl-Merapi-Dukono.html
USA – California Storm Triggers Mudslides, Prompts Evacuation Orders in Burn Areas http://floodlist.com/america/usa/california-storm-mudslides-janaury-2021
Extreme Weather and Climate Change
Heatwaves may mean Sydney is too hot for people to live in ‘within decades’ https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2021-01-24/heatwaves-sydney-uninhabitable-climate-change-urban-planning/12993580
America needs a climate adaptation strategy https://thehill.com/opinion/energy-environment/535200-america-needs-a-climate-adaptation-strategy
Climate change must get the same scientific response as coronavirus, Australian Nobel winner says https://www.sbs.com.au/news/climate-change-must-get-the-same-scientific-response-as-coronavirus-australian-nobel-winner-says?cid=news:socialshare:twitter
How to make your home more resilient to heatwaves and severe storms in summer https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2021-01-25/making-your-home-resilient-to-heatwaves-and-severe-storms/12880698?nw=0
As heatwaves become more extreme, which jobs are riskiest? https://theconversation.com/as-heatwaves-become-more-extreme-which-jobs-are-riskiest-151841?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=bylinetwitterbutton
Mitigation, adaptation or do nothing: Responding to climate change https://independentaustralia.net/environment/environment-display/mitigation-adaptation-or-do-nothing-responding-to-climate-change,14732#.YBBpLix7wJY.twitter
Australia could take massive economic hit from climate-fuelled extreme weather, report warns https://www.sbs.com.au/news/australia-could-take-massive-economic-hit-from-climate-fuelled-extreme-weather-report-warns
Hitting Home: The Compounding Costs of Climate Inaction https://www.climatecouncil.org.au/resources/hitting-home-compounding-costs-climate-inaction/
‘The science is real’: Coastal experts hope Biden will partner to combat sea level rise https://www.usatoday.com/in-depth/news/2021/01/18/coastal-experts-hope-biden-partner-combat-sea-level-rise/6559610002/
Global ice loss accelerating at record rate, study finds https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/jan/25/global-ice-loss-accelerating-at-record-rate-study-finds
Climate adaptation summit hears dire warnings but misses action to match https://news.trust.org/item/20210125184715-myc21/
Biden’s new climate orders to include suspension of federal oil and gas leasing – sources https://news.trust.org/item/20210126162840-3ix33/
40 Governments and Leading Institutions Commit to Support Locally Led Climate Adaptation https://www.wri.org/news/2021/01/release-40-governments-and-leading-institutions-commit-support-locally-led-climate
“Now it’s unpredictable”: Young people face climate change in Papua New Guinea https://www.adaptation-undp.org/young-people-face-climate-change-in-papua-new-guinea
Global climate risk index 2021 https://germanwatch.org/sites/germanwatch.org/files/Global%20Climate%20Risk%20Index%202021_1.pdf
Impacts of Climate Change on Hydroclimatic Conditions of U.S. National Forests and Grasslands https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/12/2/139
With 1.2 million respondents, the Peoples’ Climate Vote is the largest survey of public opinion on climate change ever conducted https://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/librarypage/climate-and-disaster-resilience-/The-Peoples-Climate-Vote-Results.html
Climate change brings challenges for the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands https://www.preventionweb.net/news/view/75722
‘Resilient recovery’: Cities link pandemic, climate adaptation responses https://www.preventionweb.net/news/view/75712
New climate panel says Australia needs to aim for net zero emissions by 2035 https://reneweconomy.com.au/new-climate-panel-says-australia-needs-to-aim-for-net-zero-emissions-by-2035/
Global Ice Loss on Pace to Drive Worst-Case Sea Level Rise https://insideclimatenews.org/news/25012021/global-ice-loss-sea-level-rise/
UK electricity from renewables outpaces gas and coal power https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/jan/28/uk-electricity-from-renewables-outpaces-gas-and-coal-power
Climate change is now a national security priority for the Pentagon https://www.defensenews.com/pentagon/2021/01/27/climate-change-is-now-a-national-security-priority-for-the-pentagon/
Climate Adaptation Summit: Invest in early warnings and early action https://www.preventionweb.net/news/view/75749
What you need to know about the climate change resilience rating system https://www.preventionweb.net/news/view/75774
“World first”: South Australia achieves 100pct solar, and lowest prices in Australia https://reneweconomy.com.au/world-first-south-australia-achieves-100pct-solar-and-lowest-prices-in-australia/
Disaster risk reduction
‘Inadequate’: Indigenous survey for Warragamba Dam plan found wanting https://www.smh.com.au/environment/conservation/inadequate-indigenous-survey-for-warragamba-dam-plan-found-wanting-20210123-p56wc7.html
Native American fire management at an ancient wildland–urban interface in the Southwest United States https://www.pnas.org/content/118/4/e2018733118
How Africa’s largest city is staying afloat https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20210121-lagos-nigeria-how-africas-largest-city-is-staying-afloat
The Australian flammability monitoring system: Providing a clear picture of landscape dryness https://www.bnhcrc.com.au/hazardnotes/88
Simulating 800,000 years of California earthquake history to pinpoint riskshttps://phys.org/news/2021-01-simulating-years-california-earthquake-history.html
3 Shifts to Advance Adaptation and Resilience in 2021 https://www.wri.org/blog/2021/01/3-shifts-advance-adaptation-and-resilience-2021
Ageing Dams Pose Growing Threat: UN https://inweh.unu.edu/ageing-dams-pose-growing-threat-un/
Thousands of crucial flood defences across England were in poor condition last year https://unearthed.greenpeace.org/2021/01/24/floods-northern-england-storm-christoph/
Increasing numbers of U.S. residents live in high-risk wildfire and flood zones. Why? https://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2021/01/22/high-risk-wildfire-flood-zones/
Atlas of the human planet 2020: Open geoinformation for research, policy, and action https://www.preventionweb.net/publications/view/75673
Natural disasters data book 2019: An analytical overview https://www.adrc.asia/publications/databook/ORG/databook_2019/pdf/DataBook2019.pdfWeather, climate & catastrophe insight: 2020 annual report http://thoughtleadership.aon.com/Documents/20210125-if-annual-cat-report.pdf
Hazard definition and classification review https://www.undrr.org/publication/hazard-definition-and-classification-review
Status of Science and Technology in Disaster Risk Reduction in Asia-Pacific 2020 https://www.undrr.org/publication/status-science-and-technology-disaster-risk-reduction-asia-pacific-2020
De Blasio’s $1 Million Flood Plan Shelved and Hidden From High-Risk East Harlem https://www.thecity.nyc/2021/1/25/22245050/de-blasio-hides-flood-climate-plan-from-east-harlem-resiliency
New warning system in Bangladesh to tackle rising landslide risk https://www.preventionweb.net/news/view/75708
Managing flood risk https://www.preventionweb.net/publications/view/75715
UNESCO provides Morocco with 7 earthquake early warning equipment https://www.preventionweb.net/news/view/75748
Lessons for future disasters https://www.preventionweb.net/news/view/75677
Disaster risk reduction in Australia: Status report 2020 https://www.preventionweb.net/publications/view/75765
How heatwaves and drought combine to produce the perfect firestorm https://theconversation.com/how-heatwaves-and-drought-combine-to-produce-the-perfect-firestorm-153890
Emergency management
Doctors Begin to Crack Covid’s Mysterious Long-Term Effects https://www.wsj.com/articles/doctors-begin-to-crack-covids-mysterious-long-term-effects-11604252961
How a Himalayan community kept Covid-19 under check https://scroll.in/article/984960/how-a-himalayan-community-kept-covid-19-under-check
Anticipation in Emergency Management: Shifting from Crisis Response to Shaping Future Resilience http://openresearch.ocadu.ca/id/eprint/3182/
UK Covid deaths: Why the 100,000 toll is so bad https://www.bbc.com/news/health-55757790
All countries should pursue a Covid-19 elimination strategy: here are 16 reasons why https://www.theguardian.com/world/commentisfree/2021/jan/28/all-countries-should-pursue-a-covid-19-elimination-strategy-here-are-16-reasons-why
Disaster education, communications and engagement
Understanding Visual Risk Communication Messages: An Analysis of Visual Attention Allocation and Think-Aloud Responses to Tornado Graphics https://journals.ametsoc.org/view/journals/wcas/13/1/wcas-d-20-0042.1.xml
Information is power: Connecting local responders to the risk information that they need https://www.preventionweb.net/publications/view/75630
Participatory mapping and visualization of local knowledge: An example from Eberbach, Germany https://www.preventionweb.net/publications/view/75705
Homeowners guide to property flood resilience https://www.knowyourfloodrisk.co.uk/sites/default/files/FloodGuide_ForHomeowners.pdf
Evaluating learning spaces in flood risk management in Germany: Lessons for governance research https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jfr3.12682
Psychology and disasters
Warning over mental health effects of floods in the UKhttps://www.inkl.com/news/warning-over-mental-health-effects-of-floods-in-the-uk?share=rdMRglizvxJ
Insurance firm offers mental health support as UK flood risk surges https://news.trust.org/item/20210120141437-dr738/
Using virtual reality to study pedestrian exit choice behaviour during evacuations https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0925753521000011
The importance of public risk perception for the effective management of pluvial floods in urban areas: A case study from Germany https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jfr3.12688
Domestic violence soars after natural disasters. Preventing it needs to be part of the emergency response https://www.preventionweb.net/news/view/75697
Sociology and disasters
The Sociology of Structural Disaster https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/sociology-structural-disaster-miwao-matsumoto/10.4324/9781315386188
Winter weather brings fresh disaster to Gaza https://electronicintifada.net/content/winter-weather-brings-fresh-disaster-gaza/32191
Vulnerability assessment of households to flash floods and landslides in the poor upland regions of Vietnam https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S221209632030005X?via%3Dihub
‘49% more likely to die’ – racial inequalities of COVID-19 laid bare in study of East London hospitals https://theconversation.com/49-more-likely-to-die-racial-inequalities-of-covid-19-laid-bare-in-study-of-east-london-hospitals-153834
Disaster Resilience News 