Please find below links to some aspects of disaster resilience that were in the news recently…
Recent emergencies/disasters
At least 15 killed, 27 missing and 57 injured after massive eruption at Semeru volcano, Indonesia https://watchers.news/2021/12/05/semeru-volcano-eruption-damage-casualties-indonesia-december-2021/
Floods cut off communities in South Sudan’s Unity state https://www.reuters.com/markets/commodities/floods-cut-off-communities-south-sudans-unity-state-2021-12-03/
Indonesia volcano erupts again, hampering rescue operations https://phys.org/news/2021-12-indonesia-volcano-erupts-hampering.html
Omicron looks set to cause a huge wave of covid-19 around the world https://www.newscientist.com/article/2300375-omicron-looks-set-to-cause-a-huge-wave-of-covid-19-around-the-world/
Bus carrying members of choir is swept away by raging flood in Kenya killing more than 20 people https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10277193/Bus-carrying-members-choir-swept-away-raging-flood-Kenya-killing-20.html
Storm Barra hits: Forty flood alerts as UK battered by 70mph winds https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2021/12/07/storm-barra-uk-weather-flood-rain-snow-power-latest-updates/
Indonesia – Floods in West Nusa Tenggara Affect Over 60,000 https://floodlist.com/asia/indonesia-west-nusa-tenggara-floods-december-2021
Emergency services are fighting two out of control bushfires in WA’s South West https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-12-10/emergency-services-are-fighting-two-out-of-control/13671362
Volcanic activity worldwide 9 Dec 2021: Fuego volcano, Semeru, Reventador, La Palma https://www.volcanodiscovery.com/volcano-activity/news/151755/Volcanic-activity-worldwide-9-Dec-2021-Fuego-volcano-Semeru-Reventador-La-Palma-Nevados-de-Chil.html
Brazil – Deadly Floods and Landslides in Bahia After Heavy Rain https://floodlist.com/america/brazil-floods-landslides-bahia-november-december-2021
Extreme Weather and Climate Change
Earth is getting a black box to record our climate change actions, and it’s already started listening https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2021-12-06/climate-change-earth-black-box-recorder/100621778
Climate inaction will cost G7 countries ‘billions’ https://www.dw.com/en/climate-inaction-will-cost-g7-countries-billions/a-57800168
Around the world, these are just some of the cities at risk of rising sea levels https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2021/12/coastal-cities-underwater-climate-change/
From Siberia to the U.S, wildfires broke emissions records this year https://www.reuters.com/business/cop/siberia-us-wildfires-broke-emissions-records-this-year-2021-12-06/
Picturing the future of complex, cascading climate risks https://council.science/current/blog/picturing-the-future-of-complex-cascading-climate-risks/
The world’s newest nation is both drying up and drowning https://edition.cnn.com/2021/12/06/africa/south-sudan-floods-climate-cmd-intl/index.html
California’s water supplies are in trouble as climate change worsens natural dry spells, especially in the Sierra Nevada https://theconversation.com/californias-water-supplies-are-in-trouble-as-climate-change-worsens-natural-dry-spells-especially-in-the-sierra-nevada-173142
Firestorm, Greg Mullins: Former Commissioner is ready to face firestorm againhttps://www.northernbeachesreview.com.au/story/7539023/hes-been-targeted-before-but-ex-commissioner-will-face-firestorm-again/
Dictionary update shows how changing climate changes language, and much more https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2021/12/dictionary-update-shows-how-changing-climate-changes-language-and-much-more/
Extreme lack of sea ice in Hudson Bay puts polar bears under pressure https://www.newscientist.com/article/2300385-extreme-lack-of-sea-ice-in-hudson-bay-puts-polar-bears-under-pressure/
FEMA resources for climate resilience https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/documents/fema_resources-climate-resilience.pdf
Climate Avisory Council Annual Review https://www.climatecouncil.ie/media/climatechangeadvisorycouncil/Climate%20Change%20Advisory%20Council%20Annual%20Review%202021.pdf
U.S. had its 3rd-warmest autumn on record, 7th-warmest November https://www.noaa.gov/news/us-had-its-3rd-warmest-autumn-on-record-7th-warmest-november
As climate ‘net-zero’ plans grow, so do concerns from scientists https://phys.org/news/2021-12-climate-net-zero-scientists.html
Disaster risk reduction
An interview with dendrochronologist and fire historian Tom Swetnam https://www.panarchiccodex.com/thomas-swetnam
Pandemic exposed UK is vulnerable to variety of extreme risks without adequate Government planninghttps://committees.parliament.uk/committee/483/risk-assessment-and-risk-planning-committee/news/159374/pandemic-exposed-uk-is-vulnerable-to-variety-of-extreme-risks-without-adequate-government-planning/
Did poor government handling in Kerala cause 2018 floods? Yes, says CAG https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/governance/did-poor-government-handling-in-kerala-cause-2018-floods-yes-says-cag-80494
Research into ground improvement technique ahead of earthquakes https://phys.org/news/2021-12-ground-technique-earthquakes.html
New type of earthquake discovered https://phys.org/news/2021-12-earthquake.html
Payouts may keep climbing due to severe weather https://www.canadianunderwriter.ca/insurance/payouts-may-keep-climbing-due-to-severe-weather-1004215130/
To Counter Rise in Flooding From Mountains to the Coast, North Carolina Looks to Nature https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/articles/2021/12/03/to-counter-rise-in-flooding-from-mountains-to-the-coast-north-carolina-looks-to-nature
Understanding the effects of partisan identity on climate change https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352154621000619
Preparing for Extreme Risks: Building a Resilient Society https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld5802/ldselect/ldrisk/110/110.pdf
Mount Semeru’s deadly eruption was triggered by rain and storms, making it much harder to predict https://theconversation.com/mount-semerus-deadly-eruption-was-triggered-by-rain-and-storms-making-it-much-harder-to-predict-173240
Is “Fuel Reduction” Justified as Fire Management in Spotted Owl Habitat? https://www.mdpi.com/2673-6004/2/4/29
New research makes waves tackling the future of tsunami monitoring and modeling https://phys.org/news/2021-12-tackling-future-tsunami.html
Simulations show how earthquake early warning might be improved for magnitude-9 earthquakes https://phys.org/news/2021-12-simulations-earthquake-early-magnitude-earthquakes.html
La Niña expected to intensify global rain and drought after second consecutive year https://www.ft.com/content/c745f2b9-1cbc-4f59-9f21-b4f7c75d9e60
Asia Pacific Typhoon Collaborative Research Centre launched https://public.wmo.int/en/media/news/asia-pacific-typhoon-collaborative-research-centre-launched
We are professional fire watchers, and we’re astounded by the scale of fires in remote Australia right now https://theconversation.com/we-are-professional-fire-watchers-and-were-astounded-by-the-scale-of-fires-in-remote-australia-right-now-172773
Bottom-up innovations in natural hazard risk management in Austria https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212420921006506?via%3Dihub
Use the interactive mapping tools to better visualize the frequency and cost of billion-dollar weather and climate events https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/billions/mapping
Real-time coastal flood hazard assessment using DEM-based hydrogeomorphic classifiers https://nhess.copernicus.org/preprints/nhess-2021-359/
Wildfire Resilience and the Role of Landscapes https://www.facilitiesnet.com/groundsmanagement/article/Wildfire-Resilience-and-the-Role-of-Landscapes–19441
Emergency management
Doctors ‘incredibly frustrated’ that unvaccinated Covid patients are delaying NHS operations https://inews.co.uk/news/health/doctors-incredibly-frustrated-unvaccinated-covid-patients-delaying-nhs-operations-1336507
Omicron variant found in at least 15 US states https://www.rawstory.com/omicron-variant-found-in-at-least-15-u-s-states-cdc-chief/
Omicron Cases at Norway Christmas Party Provide Clues on New Variant’s Spread https://www.wsj.com/articles/omicron-cases-at-norway-christmas-party-provide-clues-on-new-variants-spread-11638554033
2 Louisiana insurance companies fail after Hurricane Ida https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/louisiana-insurance-companies-fail-hurricane-ida-81568598
Sydney and Melbourne office workers slowly returning after COVID lockdowns https://www.afr.com/policy/health-and-education/sydney-and-melbourne-office-workers-slowly-returning-20211206-p59f55
In the aftermath of the Halifax Explosion, The Salvation Army’s emergency disaster services was born https://salvationist.ca/articles/halifax-explosion-salvation-army/
Omicron’s less severe cases prompt cautious optimism in South Africa https://www.ft.com/content/d315be08-cda0-462b-85ec-811290ad488e
The herd-immunity threshold must be updated for multi-vaccine strategies and multiple variantshttps://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-00083-2
Six months after Melamchi floods in Nepal, no respite for displaced people https://www.thethirdpole.net/en/livelihoods/melamchi-floods-in-nepal-six-months-on/
B.C. moves to recovery management phase after floods; most military leaving province https://www.canadianunderwriter.ca/insurance/b-c-moves-to-recovery-management-phase-after-floods-most-military-leaving-province-1004215298/
Females more likely than males to experience long-term COVID-19 symptoms, small study suggests https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/coronavirus/females-more-likely-than-males-to-experience-long-term-covid-19-symptoms-small-study-suggests-1.5701073
Newfound flavor of omicron variant may be harder to track https://www.livescience.com/second-version-omicron-variant-ba2
Disaster education, communications and engagement
Pro-Trump counties now have far higher COVID death rates. Misinformation is to blamehttps://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2021/12/05/1059828993/data-vaccine-misinformation-trump-counties-covid-death-rate
Crowdsourcing triggers rapid, reliable earthquake locations https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.aau9824
Why e-learning is key to building disaster-proof education https://blog.neolms.com/why-e-learning-is-key-to-building-disaster-proof-education/
Role of frequency modulation radio in disaster communication: A case study of Pakistan earthquakehttps://jamba.org.za/index.php/jamba/article/view/1047
Taking protective action during floods and storms https://www.bnhcrc.com.au/casestudy/floodriskcsas
Making the shaking count — high schoolers in Puerto Rico set up earthquake alerts with Raspberry Shake https://temblor.net/earthquake-insights/making-the-shaking-count-high-schoolers-in-puerto-rico-set-up-earthquake-alerts-with-raspberry-shake-13513/
Psychology and disasters
Climate Extremes Can Produce ‘Vicarious Trauma’, Even From a Distance https://www.theenergymix.com/2021/12/05/climate-extremes-can-produce-vicarious-trauma-even-from-a-distance/
New research reveals the economic costs of behavioral responses to the pandemic in the U.S. https://www.sra.org/2021/12/02/the-human-and-economic-impacts-of-covid-19/
Sociology and disasters
COVID-19 Vaccinations: Visualizing a Year of Global Progress and Inequity https://www.cfr.org/in-brief/covid-19-vaccinations-visualizing-year-global-progress-and-inequity
National Narcissism predicts the Belief in and the Dissemination of Conspiracy Theories During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Evidence From 56 Countries https://journals.sagepub.com/eprint/SCGP33XJINCICDCNFYMF/full
Modeling the Impacts of Urban Flood Risk Management on Social Inequality https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2020WR029024
New research demonstrates the inherent inequities of flood protection and offers a better understanding of flooding cost and health impacts https://www.sra.org/2021/12/02/tracking-inequities-and-health-impacts-of-flooding/
Disaster Resilience News 