Please find below a list of links to some aspects of disaster resilience that were in the news recently…
Recent emergencies/disasters
British-born man dies after being caught in New South Wales floods https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/apr/09/british-born-man-dies-after-being-caught-in-new-south-wales-floods
Colombia – at Least 12 Fatalities After Floods and Landslides in Antioquia https://floodlist.com/america/colombia-landslide-floods-antioquia-april-2022
Three separate Colorado wildfires force evacuations Sunday https://www.greeleytribune.com/2022/04/11/pueblo-wildfire-2/
South Africa – Heavy Rain Causes Floods and Mudslides in KwaZulu-Natal https://floodlist.com/africa/south-africa-floods-mudslides-kwazulu-natal-april-2022
Volcanic activity worldwide 12 Apr 2022: Fuego volcano, Popocatépetl, Dukono, Reventador, Sangay https://www.volcanodiscovery.com/volcano-activity/news/177672/Volcanic-activity-worldwide-12-Apr-2022-Fuego-volcano-Popocatepetl-Dukono-Reventador-Sangay-N.html
Dozens killed in Philippines landslides and floods as tropical storm Megi hits https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/apr/12/tropical-storm-megi-philippines-deaths-landslides-floods
President Ramaphosa to visit flood-stricken KZN as death toll rises https://www.news24.com/news24/southafrica/news/live-rain-flooding-hit-kwazulu-natal-20220412
South Africa floods: deadliest storm on record kills over 300 people https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/apr/13/south-africa-floods-deadliest-storm-on-record-kills-over-250-people
Texas twister injures 23; McBride Fire engulfs 150 structures https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2022/04/texas-twister-injures-23-mcbride-fire-engulfs-150-structures/
At least 23 injured after a large tornado and gigantic hail hit Salado, Texas https://watchers.news/2022/04/13/at-least-23-injured-after-a-large-tornado-and-gigantic-hail-hit-salado-texas/
M6.1 earthquake hits New Britain, P.N.G. https://watchers.news/2022/04/13/m6-1-earthquake-hits-new-britain-p-n-g/
Elevated volcanic unrest at Mt. Ruapehu, CO2 output now 2nd highest ever recorded, New Zealand https://watchers.news/2022/04/12/elevated-volcanic-unrest-at-mt-ruapehu-co2-output-now-2nd-highest-ever-recorded-new-zealand/
Extreme Weather and Climate Change
IPCC report calls for rapid, deep, and immediate emissions reductions https://thebulletin.org/2022/04/ipcc-report-calls-for-rapid-deep-and-immediate-emissions-reductions/
How are local meteorologists connecting the weather to climate change? https://www.ctpublic.org/show/where-we-live/2022-04-07/how-are-local-meteorologists-connecting-the-weather-to-climate-change
As sea levels rise, can Chesapeake Bay’s Tangier Island survive? https://news.trust.org/item/20220407075218-c7k02/
UN: 18 nations have gone green on climate, raked in green https://apnews.com/article/climate-science-business-europe-united-kingdom-746ccffa3fd16dcb8b4b4e5cc6fd371c
Climate scientists are desperate: we’re crying, begging and getting arrested https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/apr/06/climate-scientists-are-desperate-were-crying-begging-and-getting-arrested
‘Flash Droughts’ Coming on Faster, Global Study Shows https://news.utexas.edu/2022/04/01/flash-droughts-coming-on-faster-global-study-shows/
One issue matters more to top economists than any other this election: climate change https://theconversation.com/one-issue-matters-more-to-top-economists-than-any-other-this-election-climate-change-180948
Four solutions to mitigate climate change, from the IPCC https://penntoday.upenn.edu/news/Penn-experts-four-solutions-mitigate-climate-change-IPCC-report
Majorities in US back climate change proposals: Gallup https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/3263848-majorities-in-us-back-climate-change-proposals-gallup/
Southern Africa storms fuelled by climate change – study https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-61067254
As climate change intensifies extreme weather, local newspapers see a bright future in meteorology https://www.niemanlab.org/2022/04/as-climate-change-intensifies-extreme-weather-events-local-newspapers-see-a-bright-future-in-meteorology/
Don’t let climate change take all the blame https://knowablemagazine.org/article/food-environment/2022/dont-let-climate-change-take-all-blame
Delhi under severe heatwave conditions after hottest March on record, India https://watchers.news/2022/04/09/delhi-under-severe-heatwave-conditions-after-hottest-march-on-record-india/
Next PM urged to prioritise climate action https://thewest.com.au/politics/election/next-pm-urged-to-prioritise-climate-action-c-6420628
Individual Actions Can Reduce Emissions Up to 70%, Says IPCC Report https://www.treehugger.com/individual-actions-reduce-emissions-by-70-percent-5225478
Net-zero commitments could limit warming to below 2 °C https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00874-1
Early closure of Australia’s largest coal-fired plant could create electricity shortages without grid upgrades https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/apr/14/early-closure-of-australias-largest-coal-fired-plant-could-create-electricity-shortages-without-grid-upgrades
Disaster risk reduction
Exploring Rates of Earthquake Occurrence https://www.iris.edu/hq/inclass/lesson/exploring_rates_of_earthquake_occurrence
The 2022 Atlantic hurricane season will be more active than usual, researchers say https://www.npr.org/2022/04/07/1091459296/2022-hurricane-season
Our dangerous future of compounding crises: Ukraine, climate, and the pandemic https://medium.com/@Alex_Verbeek/our-dangerous-future-of-compounding-crises-ukraine-climate-and-the-pandemic-72dfcb4430d1
California utility to pay $55 million for massive wildfires https://apnews.com/article/wildfires-business-california-environment-fires-098f18ec53e70732bb13384a7720559b
Bringing Back Fire: How Burning Can Help Restore Eastern Lands https://e360.yale.edu/features/bringing-back-fire-how-burning-can-help-restore-eastern-lands
Geoarchaeological evidence reveals a major M9.5 tsunamigenic earthquake in Chile https://watchers.news/2022/04/10/geoarchaeological-evidence-reveals-a-major-tsunamigenic-earthquake-in-chile-causing-exceptional-social-disruption/
A Sharper Look at the World’s Rivers and Catchments https://eos.org/science-updates/a-sharper-look-at-the-worlds-rivers-and-catchments
Developing a large-scale dataset of flood fatalities for territories in the Euro-Mediterranean region, FFEM-DB https://www.nature.com/articles/s41597-022-01273-x
Better wildfire models save property and life: refined fidelity of predictive models using AI https://ral.ucar.edu/pressroom/features/rals-wildfire-modeling-team-wins-the-2021-hpc-innovation-award
What’s the tallest wave ever recorded on Earth? https://www.livescience.com/tallest-wave-recorded-on-earth
California, Utah and other Western states face scary wildfire season https://www.deseret.com/utah/2022/4/11/23020513/california-utah-western-states-face-scary-wildfire-season-drought-snowpack-dry-west
Risk Data Hub, a renewed space to support EU countries with disaster prevention and preparedness https://joint-research-centre.ec.europa.eu/jrc-news/risk-data-hub-renewed-space-support-eu-countries-disaster-prevention-and-preparedness-2022-04-11_en
The Transportation Network’s Role in Disaster and Community Resilience https://climateadaptationplatform.com/transportation-networks-role-in-disaster-and-community-resilience/
U.S. Fires Quadrupled in Size, Tripled in Frequency in 20 Years https://eos.org/articles/u-s-fires-quadrupled-in-size-tripled-in-frequency-in-20-years
Pacific Highway upgrade acted as ‘dam wall’ during floods, north coast residents claim https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-04-12/north-coast-flood-victims-signal-pacific-highway-class-action/100984824
Scientists Unravel How the Tonga Volcano Caused Worldwide Tsunamis https://www.quantamagazine.org/scientists-unravel-how-the-tonga-volcano-caused-worldwide-tsunamis-20220413/
Data from Swiss Re Institute’s latest sigma report shows that floods accounted for 31% of global economic losses from natural catastrophes in 2021, yet just 25% of flood risk is covered by insurance https://www.reinsurancene.ws/floods-drive-high-losses-in-2021-as-global-insured-nat-cat-bill-hits-111bn-swiss-re/
Finding higher ground as floodwaters rise https://www.csmonitor.com/Commentary/the-monitors-view/2022/0411/Finding-higher-ground-as-floodwaters-rise
Risk Data Hub, a renewed space to support EU countries with disaster prevention and preparedness https://joint-research-centre.ec.europa.eu/jrc-news/risk-data-hub-renewed-space-support-eu-countries-disaster-prevention-and-preparedness-2022-04-11_en
Emergency management
Advocates say people with disability are increasingly ‘forgotten’ in emergency planning https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/apr/11/advocates-say-people-with-disability-are-increasingly-forgotten-in-emergency-planning
Under COVID Lockdown, Shanghai’s People Are Running Out of Food and Meds While Pets Get Killed in the Streetshttps://reason.com/2022/04/08/under-covid-lockdown-shanghais-people-are-running-out-of-food-and-meds-while-pets-get-killed-in-the-streets/
Southern Manitoba communities well-prepared for potential flooding, officials say https://globalnews.ca/news/8739790/southern-manitoba-communities-spring-flood-preparation/
Covid threat being ignored in England for ideological reasons, say NHS leaders https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/apr/11/covid-threat-being-ignored-england-ideological-reasons-nhs-leaders
Victims of the 2011 Brisbane floods have lost a High Court over findings against dam engineers http://www.greencareer.net.au/news/court-rejects-dam-appeal
Could the KZN flooding disaster have been mitigated by a better early warning system? https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2022-04-12-could-the-kzn-flooding-disaster-have-been-mitigated-by-a-better-early-warning-system/
Disaster education, communications and engagement
With citizen science projects, you and your students can collect and interpret data that will be used to help better understand our Earth and Earth systems https://www.noaa.gov/education/resource-collections/education-at-home/citizen-science
The past decade has seen a significant shift in the attitudes of UK newspapers towards climate change https://interactive.carbonbrief.org/how-uk-newspapers-changed-minds-climate-change/
Submissions for the 2022 Resilient Australia National Awards open https://www.aidr.org.au/programs/resilient-australia-awards/
Protect your pets in emergencies https://rspcavic.org/services/emergency-assistance/emergency-planning/
Remote sensing classroom https://eros.usgs.gov/remote-sensing-classroom/change-pair-game/
Psychology and disasters
Community disaster exposure and first onset of depression: A panel analysis of nationally representative South African data, 2008–2017 https://journals.plos.org/climate/article?id=10.1371/journal.pclm.0000024
It’s not easy being your brain https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2022/04/its-not-easy-being-your-brain/
Sociology and disasters
The donut effect: How the pandemic hollowed out America’s biggest cities https://fullstackeconomics.com/the-donut-effect-how-the-pandemic-hollowed-out-americas-biggest-cities/
Mechanism of an evacuation cascade during the 2011 Tohoku tsunami inferred from an evacuation simulation incorporating communications in social networks https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212420922000292
Is my vulnerability so different from yours? A call for compassionate climate change research https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/03091325221083221
People in a pandemic: Rethinking the role of ‘Community’ in community resilience practices https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0016718522000690
The world’s poorest have the strongest resilience, yet their voices remain unheard https://www.climatechangenews.com/2022/04/01/the-worlds-poorest-have-the-strongest-resilience-yet-their-voices-remain-unheard/
Disaster Resilience News 