Please find below a list of links to some aspects of disaster resilience that were in the news recently…
Recent emergencies/disasters
Toxic wastewater reservoir on verge of collapse in Florida could cause “catastrophic event” https://www.cbsnews.com/news/florida-state-of-emergency-wastewater-leak-watch-live-stream-today-2021-04-05/
More than 75 dead in Indonesia, East Timor floods, dozens missing https://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/more-than-75-dead-in-indonesia-east-timor-floods-dozens-missing-163695
Race to find dozens missing in deadly Indonesia, East Timor floods https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/indonesia-east-timor-flood-death-toll-surges-past-150/ar-BB1fla1R
Haiti – 3 Dead, 3 Missing After Floods in North http://floodlist.com/america/haiti-floods-april-2021
Colombia – 3 Killed in Caquetá Landslide, Hundreds Affected by Floods Across the Country http://floodlist.com/america/colombia-caqueta-landslide-april-2021
Volcanic activity worldwide 7 Apr 2021: Pacaya volcano, Fuego, Popocatépetl, Dukono, Reventador https://www.volcanodiscovery.com/volcano-activity/news/126681/Volcanic-activity-worldwide-7-Apr-2021-Pacaya-volcano-Fuego-Popocatepetl-Dukono-Reventador-Sa.html
Extreme Weather and Climate Change
The Politics of Energy and Climate Change in Japan under the Abe Government https://www.researchgate.net/publication/349605835_The_Politics_of_Energy_and_Climate_Change_in_Japan_under_the_Abe_Government
A Texas city had a bold new climate plan – until a gas company got involved https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/mar/01/a-texas-city-had-a-bold-new-climate-plan-until-a-gas-company-got-involved
Narooma on NSW south coast revealed as a hot spot for global ocean warming https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-04-03/narooma-a-global-hot-spot-for-ocean-warming-nsw-south-coast/
‘Every choice matters’: can we cling to hope of avoiding 1.5C heating? https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/apr/03/every-choice-matters-can-we-cling-to-hope-of-avoiding-15c-heating
Rapid global heating is hurting farm productivity, study finds https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/apr/01/climate-crisis-global-heating-food-farming-agriculture
Climate Change Cannot Be Mitigated Without Effective Carbon Pricing https://www.forbes.com/sites/georgkell/2021/04/04/climate-change-cannot-be-mitigated-without-effective-carbon-pricing/?sh=27d35d923a4f
World Bank Group President’s Statement on Climate Change Action Plan https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/statement/2021/04/02/world-bank-group-president-statement-on-climate-change-action-plan
China sandstorms highlight threat of climate crisis https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/apr/03/china-sandstorms-highlight-threat-of-climate-crisis
Future increases in Arctic lightning and fire risk for permafrost carbon https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-021-01011-y
Sea-level rise: writers imagined drowned worlds for centuries – what they tell us about the future https://theconversation.com/sea-level-rise-writers-imagined-drowned-worlds-for-centuries-what-they-tell-us-about-the-future-151804
U.S. regulators lag on addressing climate’s financial risk – report https://www.pionline.com/esg/us-regulators-lag-addressing-climates-financial-risk-report
Carbon dioxide spikes to critical record, halfway to doubling preindustrial levels https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2021/04/05/atmospheric-co2-concentration-record/
Global warming causes uneven changes in heat stress indicators https://www.preventionweb.net/news/view/76980
Study shows correlation between solar variability and El Nino-La Nina events https://watchers.news/2021/04/06/solar-variability-el-nino-la-nina-study/
More snow melting from mountains earlier in year due to climate change: study https://www.ctvnews.ca/climate-and-environment/more-snow-melting-from-mountains-earlier-in-year-due-to-climate-change-study-1.5376146
Climate impact map http://www.impactlab.org/map/#usmeas=absolute&usyear=1981-2010&gmeas=absolute&gyear=1986-2005
Cities and states must lead as window of opportunity shrinks for climate action https://thehill.com/opinion/energy-environment/546504-cities-and-states-must-lead-as-window-of-opportunity-shrinks-for
Why China is still clinging to coal https://www.vox.com/2021/4/6/22369284/china-coal-power-economy-climate-change
Managing retreat: why New Zealand is drafting a new law to enable communities to move away from climate risks https://theconversation.com/managing-retreat-why-new-zealand-is-drafting-a-new-law-to-enable-communities-to-move-away-from-climate-risks-157394
Disaster risk reduction
Floodplains aren’t separate to a river — they’re an extension of it. It’s time to change how we connect with them https://theconversation.com/floodplains-arent-separate-to-a-river-theyre-an-extension-of-it-its-time-to-change-how-we-connect-with-them-157890
Fire and flood: ‘Whole areas of Australia will be uninsurable’ https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/apr/02/fire-and-flood-whole-areas-of-australia-will-be-uninsurable
Advances in tropical cyclone observation may aid in disaster reduction and prevention https://www.preventionweb.net/news/view/76954
Natural catastrophes in 2020 https://www.preventionweb.net/publications/view/76971
Latest edition of Molino Stewart’s Floodplain Manager newsletter https://www.molinostewart.com.au/editorial/floodplain-manager-march-2021/
Assemblage theory and disaster risk management https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/03091325211003328
Pressure Builds on Congress to Help People Afford Pricey Flood Insurance https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/pressure-builds-on-congress-to-help-people-afford-pricey-flood-insurance/
Hazard cascades https://www.nature.com/articles/s41561-021-00738-9
China earthquake survey doubles Beijing’s high-risk fault lines https://www.preventionweb.net/news/view/77002
Debate over land use after multiple natural disasters https://www.abc.net.au/radio/darwin/programs/pm/debate-over-land-use-after-multiple-natural-disasters/13289704
Emergency management
What Does It Take to Build Back Better? Ask FEMA https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-03-29/what-does-it-take-to-build-back-better-ask-fema
Australian government to support Timor-Leste flood recovery after at least 27 people die https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-04-05/timor-leste-flood-dili-27-dead-covid-risk-emergency-relief/100049276
A huge hug of support for the Kempsey community https://www.macleayargus.com.au/story/7194605/a-huge-hug-of-support-for-the-kempsey-community/?cs=1526
Leaders, activists object to Harris County’s plan for flood control money https://www.galvnews.com/news/free/article_da53a312-9935-54cc-9fae-12b109789672.html
Three Dozen California Bills Focus on Wildfire, Others Are Concerning for Insurance Industry https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/west/2021/04/06/608775.htm
$11M in disaster recovery funds will be used to build affordable apartment community in Houston Heights https://www.click2houston.com/news/local/2021/04/06/11m-in-disaster-recovery-funds-will-be-used-to-build-affordable-apartment-community-in-houston-heights/
Western states brace for ‘very active wildfire season’ following warm, dry winter https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/western-states-brace-very-active-wildfire-season-following-warm-dry-n1262946
Landslides: new early warning systems reduce false alarms https://www.preventionweb.net/news/view/76993
Texas 2021 deep freeze left nearly 200 people dead, new analysis shows https://watchers.news/2021/04/07/texas-2021-deep-freeze-left-nearly-200-people-dead-new-analysis-shows/
Migrants are heading north because Central America never recovered from last year’s hurricanes https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2021/3/22/22335816/border-crisis-migrant-hurricane-eta-iota
Indonesia and East Timor – Flood Death Toll Climbs, Thousands Displaced http://floodlist.com/asia/floods-landslides-indonesia-easttimor-april-2021
Latest edition of ‘Fire Australia’ https://www.afac.com.au/auxiliary/publications/magazine
The new Australian fire danger rating system https://www.afac.com.au/auxiliary/publications/newsletter/article/the-new-australian-fire-danger-rating-system
Disaster education, communications and engagement
Framing of youth as a high-risk population in Canadian disaster news media https://www.preventionweb.net/publications/view/76963
Experts and gamers join forces to fight COVID-19 and stop future disease outbreaks via Plague Inc: The Cure https://www.who.int/news-room/feature-stories/detail/experts-and-gamers-join-forces-to-fight-covid-19-and-stop-future-disease-outbreaks-via-plague-inc-the-cure
Ready Together https://iview.abc.net.au/show/ready-together
Resilient Australia Awards https://www.aidr.org.au/programs/resilient-australia-awards/
Psychology and disasters
New Strategies for Calming Your Pandemic Anxiety https://www.wsj.com/articles/new-strategies-for-calming-your-pandemic-anxiety-11614618532?mod=e2tw
Still Afraid Of COVID-19 After Getting The Vaccine? You’re Not Alone https://www.huffpost.com/entry/afraid-covid-19-after-vaccine_l_6065c15fc5b6555472cf9467
‘Suddenly we heard people scream – Flood!’: Survivors recount disaster on Indonesian island https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/indonesia-timor-leste-flood-landslide-cyclone-dead-missing-14572870
Sociology and disasters
Working Papers on Historical Approaches to Covid-19 https://wp.nyu.edu/disasters/working-papers/
Climate change, COVID-19, and the co-production of injustices: a feminist reading of overlapping crises https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14649365.2021.1910994
How mutual aid networks came together in a year of crisis https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/how-mutual-aid-networks-came-together-in-a-year-of-crisis
Understanding Urban Flood Resilience in the Anthropocene: A Social–Ecological–Technological Systems (SETS) Learning Framework https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/24694452.2020.1850230?journalCode=raag21
Study finds Black women are dying from COVID-19 at three times the rate of both White and Asian men https://19thnews.org/2021/04/covid-19-mortality-race-gender/
Insurance for vulnerable families cuts rural poverty and the cost of aid by half https://www.preventionweb.net/news/view/76992
Disaster Resilience News 