Please find below a list of links to some aspects of disaster resilience that were in the news recently…
Recent emergencies/disasters
Destructive hail and tornadoes slam southern U.S., causing billion dollars worth of damage https://watchers.news/2021/04/30/destructive-hail-and-tornadoes-slam-southern-us-causing-billion-dollars-worth-of-damage/
Violent storm hits China’s Jiangsu Province, claiming lives of 11 people and leaving 102 injured https://watchers.news/2021/05/02/nantong-jiangsu-violent-storm-april-30-2021/
Heavy rain triggers destructive lahars, landslides and flash floods, St. Vincent and the Grenadines https://watchers.news/2021/04/30/heavy-rain-triggers-destructive-lahars-landslides-and-flash-floods-st-vincent-and-the-grenadines/
Strong M6.6 earthquake hits near the east coast of Honshu, Japan https://watchers.news/2021/05/01/strong-m6-6-earthquake-hits-near-the-east-coast-of-honshu-japan/
Tornado outbreak: Destructive tornadoes sweep through Mississippi, U.S. https://watchers.news/2021/05/03/tornado-outbreak-destructive-tornadoes-sweep-through-mississippi-us/
Severe flooding hits Yemen, leaving at least 13 people dead https://watchers.news/2021/05/03/severe-flooding-hits-yemen-leaving-at-least-13-people-dead/
Landslides leave 5 dead, 8 missing in Batang Toru, Indonesia https://watchers.news/2021/05/03/landslide-5-dead-8-missing-batang-toru-indonesia/
Venezuela – Hundreds Affected by Floods in Mérida http://floodlist.com/america/venezuela-floods-merida-april-2021
Eruption Mar 2021 on the Reykjanes Peninsula: activity updates https://www.volcanodiscovery.com/reykjanes/crisis2021/current-activity.html
Heavy rain causes flooding in Penal, Rio Claro https://newsday.co.tt/2021/05/04/heavy-rain-causes-flooding-in-penal-rio-claro/
India Crosses 20 Million COVID-19 Cases As Critical Shortages Worsen https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2021/05/04/993476344/india-crosses-20-million-covid-19-cases-as-critical-shortages-worsen
Algeria – Fatalities After Flash Floods in Batna, Médéa and M’Sila Provinces http://floodlist.com/africa/algeria-floods-batna-medea-msila-may-2021
Afghanistan – Flash Floods Leave 16 Dead, 10 Missing http://floodlist.com/asia/afghanistan-flash-floods-may-2021
Volcanic activity worldwide 6 May 2021: Fuego volcano, Semeru, Dukono, Reventador, Sangay, Sinabung https://www.volcanodiscovery.com/volcano-activity/news/129344/Volcanic-activity-worldwide-6-May-2021-Fuego-volcano-Semeru-Dukono-Reventador-Sangay-Sinabung.html
At least 10 people killed after severe flash floods hit Iran https://watchers.news/2021/05/06/kerman-yazd-iran-floods-may-2021/
South Africa – Evacuations and Rescues After Storm Triggers Floods in Western Cape http://floodlist.com/africa/south-africa-floods-western-cape-may-2021
Extreme Weather and Climate Change
Victoria announces plan to halve carbon emissions by 2030 under net zero by 2050 target https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-05-02/victorian-government-targets-or-agriculture-transport-interim/100110140
Glaciers in retreat: tracking the decline of the Earth’s ‘rivers of ice’ https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/may/02/glaciers-in-retreat-tracking-the-decline-of-the-earths-rivers-of-ice
Dare we hope? Here’s my cautious case for climate optimism https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/may/01/climate-change-environment-hope-future-optimism-success
State action alone could lead to nation meeting emissions targets https://www.smh.com.au/environment/climate-change/state-action-alone-could-lead-to-nation-meeting-emissions-targets-20210503-p57ojr.html
‘Tsunami’ of renewables to sweep gas and coal out of market, and drive prices lower https://reneweconomy.com.au/tsunami-of-renewables-to-sweep-gas-and-coal-out-of-market-and-drive-prices-lower/
Paying Australia’s coal-fired power stations to stay open longer is bad for consumers and the planet https://theconversation.com/paying-australias-coal-fired-power-stations-to-stay-open-longer-is-bad-for-consumers-and-the-planet-160083
Transformative climate adaptation in the United States: Trends and prospects https://science.sciencemag.org/content/early/2021/04/28/science.abc8054.abstract
Icequakes indicate Antarctic glaciers on the movehttps://temblor.net/earthquake-insights/icequakes-indicate-antarctic-glaciers-on-the-move-12717/
Antarctic Ice Sheet melting to lift sea level higher than thought, study says https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2021/04/study-says-antarctic-ice-sheet-melt-to-lift-sea-level-higher-than-thought/
We’ve had information campaigns on Brexit and Covid. What about the climate? https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/may/04/information-campaigns-brexit-covid-climate-crisis-cop26
Dissecting ‘Unsettled,’ a Skeptical Physicist’s Book About Climate Science https://insideclimatenews.org/news/04052021/dissecting-unsettled-a-skeptical-physicists-book-about-climate-science/
Activist Thunberg Says Global Leaders Still in Denial Over Climate https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2021-05-04/activist-thunberg-says-global-leaders-still-in-denial-over-climate
Affordable housing could be hit hard as sea levels rise https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2021/05/affordable-housing-could-be-hit-hard-as-sea-levels-rise/
Rich nations’ climate targets will mean global heating of 2.4C – study https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/may/04/rich-nations-climate-targets-will-mean-global-heating-of-24c-study
Australia’s states are forging ahead with ambitious emissions reductions. Imagine if they worked together https://theconversation.com/australias-states-are-forging-ahead-with-ambitious-emissions-reductions-imagine-if-they-worked-together-160191
Global heating pace risks ‘unstoppable’ sea level rise as Antarctic ice sheet meltshttps://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/may/05/antarctica-ice-sheet-melting-global-heating-sea-level-rise-study
Germany raises ambition to net zero by 2045 after landmark court ruling https://www.climatechangenews.com/2021/05/05/germany-raises-ambition-net-zero-2045-landmark-court-ruling/
What Vulnerable Countries Need from the COP26 Climate Summit https://www.wri.org/insights/what-vulnerable-countries-need-cop26-climate-summit
Cut emissions to fight extreme weather wrecking lives, UN report says https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/may/06/cut-methane-emissions-rapidly-fight-climate-disasters-un-report-greenhouse-gas-global-heating
Global Methane Assessment https://www.ccacoalition.org/en/resources/global-methane-assessment-full-report
Disaster risk reduction
Global Effects of Disruptions to the Stratospheric Circulation https://eos.org/editors-vox/global-effects-of-disruptions-to-the-stratospheric-circulation
How can governments prepare for and manage high impact risks https://www.preventionweb.net/news/view/77568
Latest edition of Molino Stewart’s ‘Floodplain Manager’ newsletter https://www.molinostewart.com.au/editorial/floodplain-manager-april-2021/
New floodplain harvesting regulations face disallowance https://www.theland.com.au/story/7235075/floodplain-harvesting-lines-are-drawn/?src=rss
Good practice note on dam safety: new guidance on managing risks associated with dams https://www.preventionweb.net/publications/view/77584
Hydrological risk to dams https://www.preventionweb.net/publications/view/77588
Responsible Artificial Intelligence for Disaster Risk Management https://opendri.org/resource/responsible-artificial-intelligence-disaster-risk-management/
Earthquake, tsunami hazards from subduction zones might be higher than current estimates http://news.unm.edu/news/earthquake-tsunami-hazards-from-subduction-zones-might-be-higher-than-current-estimates
We may never achieve long-term global herd immunity for COVID. But if we’re all vaccinated, we’ll be safe from the worst https://theconversation.com/we-may-never-achieve-long-term-global-herd-immunity-for-covid-but-if-were-all-vaccinated-well-be-safe-from-the-worst-159821
Scientists warn: Humanity does not have effective tools to resist the tsunami https://www.preventionweb.net/news/view/77626
Governments call for more public and private investment in disaster prevention and risk reduction https://www.preventionweb.net/news/view/77614
NSW government cops water policy blow as another setback looms https://www.smh.com.au/environment/sustainability/nsw-government-cops-water-policy-blow-as-another-setback-looms-20210506-p57pfa.html
Surprising tsunami triggers may lurk off California’s coast, scientists sayhttps://www.latimes.com/science/story/2021-05-03/surprising-tsunami-triggers-may-lurk-off-california-coast
NASA and Pacific Disaster Center partner to develop ground-breaking global flood early warning system https://www.pdc.org/nasa-pdc-flood-early-warning-system/
RMS models offer new probabilistic approach to simplify flood management across Southeast Asia https://www.rms.com/blog/2021/05/04/rms-models-offer-new-probabilistic-approach-to-simplify-flood-management-across-southeast-asia
Emergency management
New York City Is Roaring Back to Life, One Year After Its Nadir https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2021-05-01/new-york-city-covid-reopening-restaurants-art-culture-coming-back
Covid: It will get worse before it gets better https://www.hindustantimes.com/opinion/covidit-will-get-worse-before-it-gets-better-101619880773941.html
Coronavirus affected by warm temperatures, may follow a seasonal path – study https://www.jpost.com/health-science/coronavirus-affected-by-warm-temperatures-may-follow-a-seasonal-path-study-666920
Grenfell is still giving up its secrets and they retain the power to shock https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/may/02/grenfell-is-still-giving-up-its-secrets-and-they-retain-the-power-to-shock
‘We know our community better than they do’: why local knowledge is key to disaster recovery in Gippsland https://theconversation.com/we-know-our-community-better-than-they-do-why-local-knowledge-is-key-to-disaster-recovery-in-gippsland-158703
Android’s Earthquake Alert System Comes to Greece and New Zealand https://www.makeuseof.com/android-earthquake-alert-system-comes-greece-new-zealand/
How to get Australia’s borders open again https://www.afr.com/policy/health-and-education/how-to-get-australia-s-borders-open-again-20210503-p57oh8
Lebanon financing facility approves $55 million recovery program targeting vulnerable households and small businesses to respond to the port of Beirut explosion https://www.preventionweb.net/news/view/77608
A multidimensional framework for disaster recovery: Longitudinal qualitative evidence from Puerto Rican households https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0305750X21001017
First Onsite Reflects on Fort McMurray Wildfires https://firstonsite.ca/resource/fort-mcmurray-alberta-wildfires/
India and COVID-19 vaccines: A national crisis with global ripples https://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/news/2021/5/4/indias-covid-19-crisis-strains-global-vaccine-supplies
Disaster education, communications and engagement
The promise of a “people-centred” approach to floods: Types of participation in the global literature of citizen science and community-based flood risk reduction in the context of the Sendai Framework https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590061721000314
Texas Landlords Don’t Have To Disclose Flood Risk To Renters. A New Bill Would Change Thathttps://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/politics/2021/05/03/397236/the-texas-legislature-considers-informing-renters-about-flood-risk/
Combining News Media and AI to Rapidly Identify Flooded Buildings http://www.tohoku.ac.jp/en/press/combining_news_media_ai_flooded_buildings.html#.YJGylg6IVkM.twitter
Negotiated participatory action research for multi-stakeholder implementation of early warning systems for landslides https://www.preventionweb.net/publications/view/77616
The Shear Zone: teaching materials in geology https://theshearzone.wordpress.com/
Psychology and disasters
Dispositional Optimism and Disaster Resilience A natural experiment from the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami https://www.researchgate.net/publication/349315115_Dispositional_Optimism_and_Disaster_Resilience_A_natural_experiment_from_the_2011_Great_East_Japan_Earthquake_and_Tsunami
Understanding and improving community flood preparedness and response: a research framework https://www.preventionweb.net/publications/view/77613
Lessons from Black Summer: how people experienced the 2019/20 NSW fire season https://www.bnhcrc.com.au/hazardnotes/95
Sociology and disasters
Too poor to protect: When cost-benefit analysis leaves towns to “Wash Away” https://dailyyonder.com/too-poor-to-protect-when-cost-benefit-analysis-leaves-towns-to-wash-away/2021/04/29/
Network Structure in Small Groups and Survival in Disasters https://academic.oup.com/sf/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1093/sf/soab036/6257738
Drivers of Change in National Disaster Governance under the Hyogo Framework for Action https://www.researchgate.net/publication/344928916_Drivers_of_Change_in_National_Disaster_Governance_under_the_Hyogo_Framework_for_Action
Why are women more vulnerable to flooding in India? https://eos.org/articles/why-are-women-more-vulnerable-to-flooding-in-india
Won’t You Be My Neighbor? Uncovering ties between Social Capital and COVID-19 Outcomes at Local Levels https://www.researchgate.net/publication/349651780_Won’t_You_Be_My_Neighbor_Uncovering_ties_between_Social_Capital_and_COVID-19_Outcomes_at_Local_Levels
In Our Backyard: Heat is the deadliest aspect of climate change. It’s turning some underserved LA neighborhoods red hot https://www.kcrw.com/news/shows/to-the-point/in-our-backyard-red-hot-heat-climate
