Please find below links to some aspects of disaster resilience that were in the news recently…
Recent emergencies/disasters
More than 2,100 killed by earthquake near Marrakech, Morocco https://edition.cnn.com/africa/live-news/morocco-earthquake-marrakech-09-10-23/index.html
Greek floods: PM Mitsotakis warns of very unequal battle with nature https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-66751510
A modest rebound expected for Hurricane Lee https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2023/09/a-modest-rebound-expected-for-hurricane-lee/
Two dead after Hong Kong’s heaviest rain in at least 140 years https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/sep/08/hong-kong-weather-record-rain-flooding-after-typhoon-haikui
Live feed of eruption on Kīlauea Volcano, Hawaii https://www.youtube.com/usgs/live
Up to 2,000 feared drowned after Libyan city hit by ‘catastrophic’ storm floods https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/sep/11/storm-daniel-floods-libya
Violent rainstorms hit Shanghai, causing severe flooding https://watchers.news/multimedia_gallery/violent-rainstorms-hit-shanghai-causing-severe-flooding/
Georgia – Homes Destroyed, 3 Dead After Floods and Landslides in Guria https://floodlist.com/asia/georgia-floods-landslide-september-2023
Destruction in Derna: how floods ravaged Libyan port city https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/sep/12/destruction-in-derna-how-floods-ravaged-libyan-port-city
Up to 10,000 people missing and feared dead after devastating floods sweep Libya https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/libya-floods-thousands-feared-dead-derna-dams-collapse-rcna104576
USA – Several Rescued After Storm Triggers Flash Floods in Pennsylvania https://floodlist.com/america/usa/floods-pennsylvania-september-2023
Japan – Floods Impact Chiba, Fukushima and Ibaraki After Record Rain https://floodlist.com/asia/japan-floods-september-2023
Hurricane Lee turns north, takes aim at New England and Atlantic Canada https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2023/09/hurricane-lee-turns-north-takes-aim-at-new-england-and-atlantic-canada/
Libya – 5,300 Lives Lost in Derna Floods, Thousands Still Missing https://floodlist.com/africa/libya-floods-september-2023-update
Volcanic activity worldwide 13 Sep 2023: Fuego volcano, Popocatépetl, Ibu, Dukono, Reventador https://www.volcanodiscovery.com/volcano-activity/news/220836/Volcanic-activity-worldwide-13-Sep-2023-Fuego-volcano-Popocatepetl-Ibu-Dukono-Reventador-Kila.html
Extreme Weather and Climate Change
Wind and solar hit record share of main grid, as curtailment underscores need for more storage https://reneweconomy.com.au/wind-and-solar-hit-record-share-of-main-grid-as-curtailment-underscores-need-for-more-storage/
How is climate change impacting hurricane season? It’s complicated https://thebulletin.org/2023/09/how-is-climate-change-impacting-hurricane-season-its-complicated/
‘All ice could disappear’: Europe’s heatwaves threaten to wipe out glaciers in the Alps https://inews.co.uk/news/environment/europe-heatwaves-threaten-wipe-out-glaciers-alps-2603439
‘Minutes to midnight’: UN warns world must phase out fossil fuels https://www.theage.com.au/environment/climate-change/minutes-to-midnight-un-warns-world-must-phase-out-fossil-fuels-20230909-p5e3bf.html
Cities are advertising themselves as ‘climate havens.’ Experts say there’s no such thing https://thehill.com/changing-america/sustainability/climate-change/4190038-cities-are-advertising-themselves-as-climate-havens-experts-say-theres-no-such-thing/
UK renewables still cheaper than gas, despite auction setback for offshore wind https://www.carbonbrief.org/analysis-uk-renewables-still-cheaper-than-gas-despite-auction-setback-for-offshore-wind/
Climate change and insurance: The alarm bell we can’t afford to ignore https://www.theclimatebrink.com/p/climate-change-and-insurance-the
Heat waves have a cost. Here’s why it’s important to quantify it https://theconversation.com/heat-waves-have-a-cost-heres-why-its-important-to-quantify-it-213141
Antarctic helicopter mission helps confirm Totten Glacier melting from below due to warm water https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-09-13/antarctic-sea-ice-probes-dropped-from-helicopter-totten-glacier/102844512
Faster disaster: climate change fuels ‘flash droughts’, intense downpours and storms https://theconversation.com/faster-disaster-climate-change-fuels-flash-droughts-intense-downpours-and-storms-213242
Lethal Heat Is Spreading across the Planet https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/lethal-heat-is-spreading-across-the-planet/
Observational and model evidence together support wide-spread exposure to noncompensable heat under continued global warming https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adg9297?
US behind more than a third of global oil and gas expansion plans, report finds https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/sep/12/us-behind-more-than-a-third-of-global-oil-and-gas-expansion-plans-report-finds
Eight catastrophic floods in 11 days: What’s behind intense rainfall around the world? https://www.nbcnews.com/science/science-news/eight-catastrophic-floods-11-days-s-intense-rainfall-world-rcna104620
We’re Thinking About Climate Risk All Wrong https://www.motherjones.com/environment/2023/09/calculating-climate-change-risk-wrong-ipcc-existential/
Climate Change Hurting Water Quality in Rivers Worldwide, Study Finds https://e360.yale.edu/digest/climate-change-water-quality-rivers
Enhancing urban resilience in Medellín through insurance protection for climate risks https://www.strategic-risk-europe.com/home/case-study-enhancing-urban-resilience-in-medellin-through-insurance-protection-for-climate-risks/1445599.article
The Libya floods: a climate and infrastructure catastrophe https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2023/09/the-libya-floods-a-climate-and-infrastructure-catastrophe/
Devastatingly low Antarctic sea ice may be the ‘new abnormal’, study warns https://theconversation.com/devastatingly-low-antarctic-sea-ice-may-be-the-new-abnormal-study-warns-212376
Throwing shade: Model maps NYC street trees’ cooling benefits https://news.cornell.edu/stories/2023/08/throwing-shade-model-maps-nyc-street-trees-cooling-benefits
Spring heatwave for eastern Australia ‘a heads-up’ of what’s to come, meteorologists say https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/sep/14/spring-heatwave-for-eastern-australia-a-heads-up-of-whats-to-come-bom-says
Yale Center for Earth Observation (YCEO) Surface Urban Heat Islands, v4 (2003 – 2018) includes annual, summertime, and wintertime Surface Urban Heat Island (SUHI) intensities for daytime and nighttime for over 10,000 global urban extents https://sedac.ciesin.columbia.edu/data/set/sdei-yceo-sfc-uhi-v4
As effects of global warming continue to heat the planet, visualizing climate change’s wrath https://www.usatoday.com/story/graphics/2023/09/14/climate-change-global-warming-visual-tracker/70457785007/
Young people to take 32 European countries to court over climate policies https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/sep/14/young-people-to-take-32-european-countries-to-court-over-climate-policies
August 2023 was Earth’s hottest August on record https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2023/09/august-2023-was-earths-hottest-august-on-record/
How rising water vapour in the atmosphere is amplifying warming and making extreme weather worse https://theconversation.com/how-rising-water-vapour-in-the-atmosphere-is-amplifying-warming-and-making-extreme-weather-worse-213347
Disaster risk reduction
Endangered Māori construction methods pass modern seismic testing https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/news/2023/04/26/endangered-maori-construction-methods-passes-seismic-testing.html
Predicting Future Pandemics and Formulating Prevention Strategies: The Role of ChatGPT https://www.cureus.com/articles/183472-predicting-future-pandemic-and-formulating-prevention-strategy-the-role-of-chatgpt#!/
Disaster risk https://www.researchgate.net/publication/362455223_Disaster_risk
US has been hit with 23 separate billion-dollar disasters so far this year https://www.noaa.gov/news/us-saw-its-9th-warmest-august-on-record
For an early warning system to be truly effective, we must take a holistic and people-centred approach https://practicalaction.org/knowledge-centre/resources/practical-action-and-early-warning-systems/
The major drivers of changing wildfire dynamics in California https://www.iawfonline.org/article/drivers-of-californias-changing-wildfires-state-has-potential-to-be-a-model-for-change/
Rainfall Extremes Increasingly Threaten Mountain Regions and Areas Downstream From Them https://insideclimatenews.org/news/28062023/rainfall-extremes-mountain-regions/
Mapped: The Deadliest Earthquakes of the 21st Century https://www.visualcapitalist.com/deadliest-earthquakes-21st-century/
Mapping of Flood-Prone Areas in Kogi State Nigeria https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/528572dd623141589a03bbba059df683
Colombia’s national disaster management organization, Unidad Nacional para la Gestión del Riesgo de Desastres (UNGRD), has just announced a new forward-leaning disaster risk reduction (DRR) initiative https://www.pdc.org/colombia-ndpba-kick-off-2023/
Hurricane Fiona’s legacy: How studying storm impacts can help us better prepare for future events https://theconversation.com/hurricane-fionas-legacy-how-studying-storm-impacts-can-help-us-better-prepare-for-future-events-206483
Morocco’s earthquake wasn’t unexpected – building codes must plan for them https://theconversation.com/moroccos-earthquake-wasnt-unexpected-building-codes-must-plan-for-them-213220
With back-to-back years of expensive natural disasters, like the floods and the 2020 Canberra hailstorm, Australia has become a losing bet for reinsurers https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-09-12/thousands-australian-homes-becoming-uninsurable-rising-costs-730/102833374
Developing Low-Likelihood Climate Storylines for Extreme Precipitation Over Central Europe https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2023EF003628
Unleashing the Power of Copernicus: Enhancing Decision-Making with the European and Global Drought Observatories https://www.copernicus.eu/en/news/news/unleashing-power-copernicus-enhancing-decision-making-european-and-global-drought
Morocco earthquake: experts explain why buildings couldn’t withstand the force of the 6.8 magnitude quake https://theconversation.com/morocco-earthquake-experts-explain-why-buildings-couldnt-withstand-the-force-of-the-6-8-magnitude-quake-213245
As climate catastrophes rise, reinsurers reduce risks https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20230913-as-climate-catastrophes-rise-reinsurers-reduce-risks
Deadly Morocco quake resulted from Africa’s ongoing collision with Europe https://temblor.net/temblor/2023-morocco-quake-africa-europe-collision-15527/
Before and after satellite images show scale of Libya flood destruction https://www.axios.com/2023/09/12/libya-floods-daniel-dam-collapse-satellite-images-before-after
The Global Sustainable Development Report 2023 https://sdgs.un.org/gsdr/gsdr2023
Mass Movement Hazard and Exposure in the Himalaya https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2022EF003253
Early Warning System Saves Lives in Mozambique https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2023/09/11/early-warning-system-saves-lives-in-afe-mozambique
Flooding in Libya a ‘gray swan’ event, but dam infrastructure worldwide ‘not ready’ to meet the demands of a changing climate, expert says https://news.northeastern.edu/2023/09/12/libya-flooding/
Editorial: Climate services for risk informed anticipatory action https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fclim.2023.1243391/full
Why do disasters occur? https://www.researchgate.net/publication/362454553_Why_do_disasters_occur
Sydney faces months of smoke as authorities race to conduct hazard reduction burns https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/sep/11/sydney-wakes-to-blanket-of-burnoff-smoke-that-could-linger-for-days
The diversity of volcanic hazard maps around the world: insights from map makers https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13617-023-00134-5
Deciphering extreme rainfall and historical floods at Easkey on the west coast of Ireland https://rmets.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/wea.4452
Nature-Based Solutions for Cities https://www.e-elgar.com/shop/gbp/nature-based-solutions-for-cities-9781800376755.html
100-year floods could occur yearly by end of 21st century https://www.preventionweb.net/news/100-year-floods-could-occur-yearly-end-21st-century
Emergency management
What are the latest COVID protocols amid rising cases and hospitalizations? https://abcnews.go.com/Health/latest-covid-protocols-amid-rising-cases-hospitalizations/story
Signs point to a hot, dry fire season ahead for Western Australia, authorities warn https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-09-10/wa-at-risk-of-difficult-fire-season/102837728utm_campaign=abc_news_web&utm_content=twitter&utm_medium=content_shared&utm_source=abc_news_web
Updated COVID shots are coming. They’re part of a trio of vaccines to block fall viruses https://apnews.com/article/covid-flu-rsv-vaccines-tripledemic-2a55728638c1c0879ce58deeeb0196bf
Rescuers race to find survivors after deadly Morocco earthquake https://edition.cnn.com/africa/live-news/morocco-earthquake-marrakech-09-11-23/index.html
Satellite views of massive floods in Greece – September 2023 https://watchers.news/2023/09/11/satellite-views-of-massive-floods-in-greece-september-2023/
What to expect this bushfire season https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/abc-news-daily/what-to-expect-this-bushfire-season/102841116
The failed dams in Wadi Derna in Libya https://eos.org/thelandslideblog/the-failed-dams-in-wadi-derna-in-libya
Libya floods: IFRC announces CHF 10 million appeal for urgent relief efforts https://www.ifrc.org/press-release/libya-floods-ifrc-announces-chf-10-million-appeal-urgent-relief-efforts
Disaster Education, Communication and Engagement
Citizen and machine learning-aided high-resolution mapping of urban heat exposure and stress https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/2634-4505/acef57
Disaster psychology
Stakeholders in development assistance in mental health: An analysis of recent funding patterns https://www.orfonline.org/expert-speak/stakeholders-in-development-assistance-in-mental-health/
R U OK? Mateship Manual: How you can help someone who’s doing it tough because of a natural disaster or emergency https://www.ruok.org.au/natural-disaster-and-emergency-mateship-manual
Intermediate levels of scientific knowledge are associated with overconfidence and negative attitudes towards science https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-023-01677-8
Sociology and disasters
Why climate action is critical to reducing poverty and what it means for policy tradeoffs https://blogs.worldbank.org/developmenttalk/why-climate-action-critical-reducing-poverty-and-what-it-means-policy-tradeoffs
Covid’s back, you say? As disabled and vulnerable people know all too well, it never went away https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/sep/10/covid-coronavirus-disabled-vulnerable-people
Why mothers and babies will suffer more as Africa grows hotter https://theconversation.com/why-mothers-and-babies-will-suffer-more-as-africa-grows-hotter-212715
World’s human migration patterns in 2000–2019 unveiled by high-resolution data https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-023-01689-4
The emergence of online social capital during the COVID-19 outbreak and its impact on individual coping and community resilience in rural areas https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12144-023-05167-y
Progress on the Sustainable Development Goals: The gender snapshot 2023 https://www.unwomen.org/en/digital-library/publications/2023/09/progress-on-the-sustainable-development-goals-the-gender-snapshot-2023
Snowed in? An analysis of social and transportation networks in the 2015 Boston Snowmageddon https://www.researchgate.net/publication/373161980_Snowed_in_An_analysis_of_social_and_transportation_networks_in_the_2015_Boston_Snowmageddon
Disaster Resilience News 