Please find below a list of links to some aspects of disaster resilience that were in the news recently…
Recent emergencies/disasters
Iran – 1,200 Homes Damaged After More Floods in Kerman Provincehttps://floodlist.com/asia/iran-floods-kerman-january-2022
Zambia – Floods Affect Thousands in Southern Province https://floodlist.com/africa/zambia-floods-southern-province-january-2022
Floodwaters submerge parts of outback South Australia as rain washes away highway and cars https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-01-23/sa-rain-and-floods-wash-away-outback-roads/100776030
Heavy rain and snow hit Pakistan, leaving at least 12 people dead https://watchers.news/2022/01/24/heavy-rain-and-snow-hit-pakistan-leaving-at-least-12-people-dead/
Wildfire near Big Sur prompts evacuations, closes major highway, California https://watchers.news/2022/01/24/colorado-fire-big-sur-california-evacuations-january-2022/
Peru – 1 Missing After Floods and Mudslides in Machu Picchu https://floodlist.com/america/peru-floods-machu-picchu-cusco-january-2022
Storm Ana kills at least three in Mozambique and Malawi https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/tropical-storm-kills-two-injures-66-mozambique-2022-01-25/
At least 2 killed, 50 injured after M5.3 earthquake and series of aftershocks hit Haiti https://watchers.news/2022/01/25/haiti-earthquake-damage-casualties-january-24-2022/
Severe floods and landslides leave at least 34 people dead, 64 000 affected in Madagascar https://watchers.news/2022/01/25/itcz-tropical-cyclone-ana-madagascar-damage-fatalities-january-2022/
Uganda – at Least 9 Killed in Western Region Flash Floods https://floodlist.com/africa/uganda-floods-kisoro-january-2022
Pakistan – 8 Killed After Heavy Rain Causes Damage and Landslides in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa https://floodlist.com/asia/khyber-pakhtunkhwa-pakistan-landslide-january-2022
Extreme Weather and Climate Change
How to understand your climate uncertainty https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3498661
Four surprising ways climate change is affecting people’s health in England and Wales https://theconversation.com/four-surprising-ways-climate-change-is-affecting-peoples-health-in-england-and-wales-175099
Carbon offsetting is not warding off environmental collapse – it’s accelerating it https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/jan/26/carbon-offsetting-environmental-collapse-carbon-land-grab
Climate Change Is Pushing Greenland Over the Edge https://hakaimagazine.com/news/climate-change-is-pushing-greenland-over-the-edge/
Is the World Ready for Good News on Climate? https://rogerpielkejr.substack.com/p/is-the-world-ready-for-good-news
Plausible 2005-2050 emissions scenarios project between 2 and 3 degrees C of warming by 2100 https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/ac4ebf
Scientist Mike Mann’s must-read book, ‘The New Climate War’ https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2021/01/scientist-mike-manns-must-read-book-the-new-climate-war/
The climate crisis demands courage not optimism https://theconversation.com/the-climate-crisis-demands-courage-not-optimism-175432
What’s climate change really doing to the ocean? Ask the robots https://thebulletin.org/2022/01/whats-climate-change-really-doing-to-the-ocean-ask-the-robots/
Climate change is physics https://www.nature.com/articles/s43247-022-00342-8
Lack of vegetation exacerbates exposure to dangerous heat in dense settlements in a tropical African city https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/ac47c3
Coal, gas power shrinking in Australia as renewable energy shines https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/coal-gas-power-shrinking-in-australia-as-renewable-energy-shines-20220127-p59rob.html
Almost half of Americans are very concerned about climate change, yet only 14% think others around them are very concerned https://ecoamerica.org/american-climate-perspectives-survey-2022-vol-i-blog/
Analysis of community deaths during the catastrophic 2021 heat dome https://journals.lww.com/environepidem/Fulltext/2022/02000/Analysis_of_community_deaths_during_the.8.aspx
Landsat Shows Western Canada’s Glaciated Environments Rapidly Changing https://landsat.gsfc.nasa.gov/article/landsat-shows-western-canadas-glaciated-environments-rapidly-changing/
Slippery Slopes: How Climate Change is threatening the 2022 Winter Olympics https://www.lboro.ac.uk/news-events/news/2022/january/how-climate-change-is-threatening-winter-olympics/
Urban greening ‘not a panacea’ for dealing with extreme weather, study finds https://www.cardiff.ac.uk/news/view/2598753-urban-greening-not-a-panacea-for-dealing-with-extreme-weather,-study-finds
Disaster risk reduction
Most Americans live in natural hazard hot spots https://temblor.net/earthquake-insights/most-americans-live-in-natural-hazard-hot-spots-13620/
Tonga volcano triggered record-breaking lightning and a never-before-seen tsunami https://www.cbc.ca/radio/quirks/jan-20-tongan-volcano-why-whales-don-t-choke-on-their-food-darkness-doomed-the-dinosaurs-and-more-1.6322258/tonga-volcano-triggered-record-breaking-lightning-and-a-never-before-seen-tsunami-1.6322259
In the race to solve Boston Harbor’s coastal flooding problem, who calls the shots? https://thescopeboston.org/7534/climate-justice/in-the-race-to-solve-boston-harbors-coastal-flooding-problem-who-calls-the-shots/
The 2021 Natural Catastrophe Bingo Game. What is in the 2022 roller? https://www.bmsgroup.com/news/2021natcatbingogame
Underwater volcanoes: How ocean color changes can signal an imminent eruption https://phys.org/news/2022-01-underwater-volcanoes-ocean-imminent-eruption.html
Tonga eruption equivalent to hundreds of Hiroshimas: NASA https://phys.org/news/2022-01-tonga-eruption-equivalent-hundreds-hiroshimas.html
Radiometric dating sheds light on tectonic debate https://phys.org/news/2022-01-radiometric-dating-tectonic-debate.html
2021 floods: UN researchers aim to better prepare for climate risks https://unric.org/en/2021-floods-un-researchers-aim-to-better-prepare-for-climate-risks/
Next-gen modelling to improve EQC’s natural disaster planning and response https://www.eqc.govt.nz/news/next-generation-modelling-to-improve-eqcs-natural-disaster-planning-and-response/
Risky moves: More Americans are relocating to climate-vulnerable areas https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2022/01/more-americans-are-relocating-to-climate-vulnerable-areas/
Understanding the resilience of Mexico City to future water crises https://www.bgs.ac.uk/news/understanding-the-resilience-of-mexico-city-to-future-water-crises/
The Netherlands can prepare even better for extreme weather: seven recommendations in response to the floods of July 2021 https://www.deltares.nl/en/news/the-netherlands-can-prepare-even-better-for-extreme-weather-seven-recommendations-in-response-to-the-floods-of-july-2021/
Scientists take step toward warning those in tall buildings during earthquakes https://temblor.net/earthquake-insights/scientists-take-step-toward-warning-those-in-tall-buildings-during-earthquakes-13697/
Nepal’s Municipal Disaster Risk Governance Assessment Tool: a case study on strengthening disaster risk management https://floodresilience.net/blogs/nepal-municipal-disaster-risk-governance-assessment-tool/
Has volcanic activity been increasing? https://volcano.si.edu/faq/index.cfm
Table Mountain wildfire, floods and ‘severe weather’ cost SA billions in 2021 https://www.news24.com/fin24/Economy/table-mountain-wildfire-floods-and-severe-weather-cost-sa-billions-in-2021-20220126
Emergency management
World Bank Support for Country Access to COVID-19 Vaccines https://www.worldbank.org/en/who-we-are/news/coronavirus-covid19/world-bank-support-for-country-access-to-covid-19-vaccines
Covid: New Zealand PM Ardern cancels wedding amid Omicron wave https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-60100369
Chinese officials arrested for concealing true scale of flood death toll https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jan/23/chinese-provincial-officials-concealed-scores-of-deaths-from-flood-disaster
Researchers Create Legged Robot That Can Hike Difficult Terrain https://www.unite.ai/researchers-create-legged-robot-that-can-hike-difficult-terrain/
This is what long-term immunity to Covid-19 might look like https://www.vox.com/22878133/omicron-coronavirus-covid-19-immunity-antibodies-vaccine
Key warnings guidelines backed by latest CRC research https://www.bnhcrc.com.au/news/2022/key-warnings-guidelines-backed-latest-crc-research
Regional excess mortality during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic in five European countries https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-022-28157-3
Whether it’s a hurricane, an active shooter, or a pandemic, we must reconsider campus emergency planning https://sciencex.com/news/2022-01-hurricane-shooter-pandemic-reconsider-campus.html
Despite Omicron arriving, keeping schools open as safely as possible should be the goal https://theconversation.com/despite-omicron-arriving-keeping-schools-open-as-safely-as-possible-should-be-the-goal-175512
FEMA administrator unpacks multilayered approach to COVID-19 https://thegrio.com/2022/01/26/fema-administrator-covid-19/
For vulnerable people who catch COVID, quick action and these treatments can help https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/what-vulnerable-patients-need-to-know-about-seeking-covid-care-during-the-omicron-surge
Ocean water and volcanic ash have contaminated the drinking water of tens of thousands of people in the Pacific island nation https://www.circleofblue.org/2022/hotspots/hotspots-h2o-as-dust-settles-in-tonga-after-volcanic-eruption-drinking-water-now-the-biggest-life-saving-issue/
Texas puts final estimate of winter storm death toll at 246 https://www.texastribune.org/2022/01/02/texas-winter-storm-final-death-toll-246/
From recovery to resilience building: learning from tropical cyclone Seroja in Timor-Leste https://blogs.worldbank.org/eastasiapacific/recovery-resilience-building-learning-tropical-cyclone-seroja-timor-leste
Workers in Peru race to reopen Machu Picchu after floods https://www.eaglenews.ph/workers-in-peru-race-to-reopen-machu-picchu-after-floods/
Disaster education, communications and engagement
ShakeAlert earthquake warnings can give people time to protect themselves – but so far, few have actually done so https://theconversation.com/shakealert-earthquake-warnings-can-give-people-time-to-protect-themselves-but-so-far-few-have-actually-done-so-174685
Social media videos show how people react during an earthquake https://temblor.net/earthquake-insights/social-media-videos-show-how-people-react-during-an-earthquake-13685/
Water education for climate resilience in Asia and the Pacific: a regional curriculum https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000380263.locale=en
Defining Disaster: Disciplines and Domains https://www.e-elgar.com/shop/gbp/defining-disaster-9781839100291.html
Psychology and disasters
Live Better By Being More Present in the Moment https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/human-beings-being-human/202201/live-better-being-more-present-in-the-moment
How COVID-19 changed the way we shop – and what to expect in 2022 and beyond https://theconversation.com/how-covid-19-changed-the-way-we-shop-and-what-to-expect-in-2022-and-beyond-172973
U.S. teens were in mental health crisis before COVID-19 https://www.upi.com/Health_News/2022/01/24/teens-mental-health-crisis-before-pandemic/2031643033863/
The Science Behind PTSD Symptoms: How Trauma Changes the Brain https://psychcentral.com/ptsd/the-science-behind-ptsd-symptoms-how-trauma-changes-the-brain
How can we assess Omicron’s psychological toll? https://www.tvo.org/article/how-can-we-assess-omicrons-psychological-toll
Sociology and disasters
A social perspective on perceived distances reveals deep community structure https://www.pnas.org/content/119/4/e2003634119
How COVID-19 Omicron wave turned Parramatta into a ‘ghost town’ https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-01-22/covid19-omicron-wave-turned-parramatta-into-ghost-town/100772626
Removing Barriers: Including People with Disabilities in Disaster Risk Management Planning https://hazards.colorado.edu/news/research-counts/removing-barriers-including-people-with-disabilities-in-disaster-risk-management-planning
Tonga tsunami: More preparation needed for disabled people in a natural disaster https://www.stuff.co.nz/pou-tiaki/127549877/tonga-tsunami-more-preparation-needed-for-disabled-people-in-a-natural-disaster
Revealing social power and inequalities will help us deal with future droughts and water shortages http://hydrosocialextremes.org/revealing-social-power-and-inequalities-will-help-us-deal-with-future-droughts-and-water-shortages/
Drought and society: Scientific progress, blind spots, and future prospects https://wires.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/wcc.761
Why renters are uniquely vulnerable to climate disasters https://grist.org/housing/climate-disasters-american-housing-crisis-renters/
‘Risk No Matter Where I Go’: For Many Disabled People, a Future of Ever-Present COVID Is Daunting https://www.kqed.org/news/11902253/risk-no-matter-where-i-go-for-many-disabled-people-a-future-of-ever-present-covid-is-daunting
Disaster Resilience News 