Please find below links to some aspects of disaster resilience that were in the news recently…
Recent emergencies/disasters
Disaster declared for Alice as storms rip through southern Texas https://watchers.news/2025/05/10/disaster-declared-alice-storms-southern-texas/
Heavy rains cause flooding in Somalia’s Mogadishu, killing seven https://www.aljazeera.com/gallery/2025/5/11/heavy-rains-cause-flooding-in-somali-capital-killing-seven
At least 109 people died in the torrential rains that flooded last Thursday and Friday in the town of Kasaba, in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo https://www.telesurenglish.net/more-than-100-people-killed-in-flooded-village-in-eastern-dr-congo/
Flash Flood Emergency in Maryland, 12-year-old missing in Virginia floodwaters https://watchers.news/2025/05/14/flash-flood-emergency-maryland-child-missing-virginia/
M6.1 earthquake south of Crete, Greece prompts tsunami warning https://watchers.news/2025/05/14/m6-1-earthquake-crete-greece-tsunami-warning/
Volcanic activity worldwide 14 May 2025: Santiaguito volcano, Semeru, Ibu, Dukono, Marapi, Reventado https://www.volcanodiscovery.com/volcano-activity/news/271488/Volcanic-activity-worldwide-14-May-2025-Santiaguito-volcano-Semeru-Ibu-Dukono-Marapi-Reventado.html
Extreme Weather and Climate Change
Global Warming has Accelerated Significantly https://www.researchsquare.com/article/rs-6079807/v1
Incredible 60% of Europe’s Electricity Was Powered by Clean Energy in the First Two Months of 2024 https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/incredible-60-of-europes-electricity-was-powered-by-clean-energy-in-the-first-two-months-of-2024/
What Is ‘Loss and Damage’ from Climate Change? 8 Key Questions, Answered https://www.wri.org/insights/loss-damage-climate-change
Knowledge brokers: A catalyst for climate action https://www.climatexchange.org.uk/knowledge-brokers-a-catalyst-for-climate-action/
Earth’s Energy Imbalance More Than Doubled in Recent Decades https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2024AV001636
Assessing the Global Climate in April 2025 https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/global-climate-202504
NASA issues warning after sudden change in the ocean surprises scientists: ‘Getting faster and faster’ https://www.yahoo.com/news/nasa-issues-warning-sudden-change-103005029.html
Global methane emissions still far above what countries report, IEA warns https://www.rfi.fr/en/environment/20250509-global-methane-emissions-still-far-above-what-countries-report-iea
Global sea levels are rising faster and faster. It spells catastrophe for coastal towns and cities https://edition.cnn.com/2025/05/09/climate/sea-level-rise-melting-ice-sheets
Scientists issue warning over previously underestimated phenomenon in Antarctica: ‘Deeply concerning’ https://www.thecooldown.com/outdoors/subglacial-water-antarctica-ice-sheet-sea-level/
These countries are leading the way to 100% renewable electricity https://theprogressplaybook.com/2024/10/14/these-countries-are-leading-the-way-to-100-renewable-electricity/
Climate scientist says WA in grip of ‘significant’ autumn heat event with temperatures well above average https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-05-12/perth-autumn-weather-significant-heat-event/105281498
Extreme weather and climate change impacts hit Africa hard https://wmo.int/news/media-centre/extreme-weather-and-climate-change-impacts-hit-africa-hard
Arctic Climate Change Update 2024: Key Trends and Impacts. Summary for Policy-makers https://www.amap.no/documents/doc/arctic-climate-change-update-2024-key-trends-and-impacts.-summary-for-policy-makers/3847
“Riddled with breakdowns:” Why intermittent coal power is a major threat to grid reliability https://reneweconomy.com.au/riddled-with-breakdowns-why-intermittent-coal-power-is-a-major-threat-to-grid-reliability/
Coping with change in a warming Mediterranean https://wwf.panda.org/?14012966/Coping-with-change-in-a-warming-Mediterranean
US and Europe drive global power emissions higher so far in 2025 https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/climate-energy/us-europe-drive-global-power-emissions-higher-so-far-2025-maguire-2025-05-15/
Texas swelters as record-breaking heatwave sweeps across state https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/may/15/texas-record-heat
Heat and Pollution Events Are Deadly, Especially in the Global South https://eos.org/research-spotlights/heat-and-pollution-events-are-deadly-especially-in-the-global-south
Key Local Resources on Cooling Extreme Heat https://aidmi.org/key-resources-on-extreme-heat-cooling/
Disaster risk reduction
Under which conditions can shocks stimulate transformative recovery: the Strategy Shock Implementation Reaction (SSIR) framework https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11027-025-10221-0
Government in ‘turmoil’ over implementing flood precaution rules https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-25676973
Vodafone to use mobile network to improve rain forecasting https://www.yourweather.co.uk/news/trending/vodafone-to-use-mobile-network-to-improve-rain-forecasting.html
By Increasing Mangrove Protections Now, Coastal Countries Can Help People and Nature https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/articles/2025/05/05/by-increasing-mangrove-protections-now-coastal-countries-can-help-people-and-nature
Wildfire Prevention: AI Startups Support Prescribed Burns, Early Alerts https://blogs.nvidia.com/blog/wildfire-ai-startups/
Technological improvements to flood early warning systems in Vietnam https://www.preventionweb.net/publication/technological-improvements-flood-early-warning-systems-vietnam
Challenges and Development of Disaster Mitigation Policies in North Luwu Regency: Strengthening Post-Disaster Resilience https://www.iieta.org/journals/ijsse/paper/10.18280/ijsse.150308
‘It’s a barrier dividing us’: How a concrete seawall split this Japanese island village https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20250512-how-a-concrete-seawall-split-this-japanese-island-village
Devegetation is a widespread driver of fire in the Brazilian Cerrado https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301479725016135
Satellite data from ship captures landslide-generated tsunami for the first time https://cires.colorado.edu/news/satellite-data-ship-captures-landslide-generated-tsunami-first-time
The ripple effect of small earthquakes near major faults https://news.ucsc.edu/2025/05/the-ripple-effect-of-small-earthquakes-near-major-faults/
Emergency Management
FEMA cuts emergency training under Trump as hurricane season looms https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/fema-cuts-emergency-training-hurricane-season-looms-2025-05-11/
Canada’s fire forecast looks bad. The impacts could spill across the border into the US https://edition.cnn.com/2025/05/14/weather/canada-wildfire-smoke-forecast-climate
FEMA Prepares for Disasters Worse Than Hurricanes https://www.wsj.com/opinion/fema-prepares-for-disasters-worse-than-hurricanes-national-security-government-continuity-adfb531a
Disaster Education, Communications and Engagement
Scientists just found a way to break through climate apathy https://grist.org/science/break-through-climate-apathy-data-visualization-lake-freezing-study/
Can theatre help strengthen Zimbabwe’s climate resilience? https://dialogue.earth/en/climate/can-theatre-help-strengthen-zimbabwes-climate-resilience/
Disaster psychology
The association between hot days and substance-related suicides: a time-stratified case-crossover analysis in British Columbia, Canada https://www.preventionweb.net/publication/association-between-hot-days-and-substance-related-suicides-time-stratified-case
How can we improve community responses to flood warnings? https://www.researchgate.net/publication/391673218_HOW_CAN_WE_IMPROVE_COMMUNITY_RESPONSES_TO_FLOOD_WARNINGS
Sociology and disasters
Networks in Crisis: Measuring Ethnic Stratification and Organizational Reach Post-Disaster https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2212420925003851
Resilience in the Face of Natural Hazards: How Social Quality Shapes Government Financial Behaviors https://ascelibrary.org/doi/10.1061/NHREFO.NHENG-2226
Politicization and Polarization Concerning Science in Global South: Evidence from News Coverage of COVID-19 in India https://academic.oup.com/ijpor/article-abstract/37/1/edae039/8069304
Political consequences of natural disasters: accidental democratization? https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13510347.2025.2494740
Disaster Resilience News 