Please find links to some aspects of disaster resilience that were in the news recently…
Recent emergencies/disasters
Heavy rainfall triggers fatal flash floods in Maidan Wardak and Logar, Afghanistan https://watchers.news/2025/06/30/fatal-flash-floods-maidan-wardak-logar-afghanistan/
Rapidly spreading wildfire burns 400 ha (990 acres) near Bizanet, Aude, France, forcing A61 closure and evacuations https://watchers.news/2025/06/30/wildfire-near-bizanet-aude-burns-400-ha-a61-closure-evacuations/
Two major flood waves in Rongjiang, China leave 120 000 evacuated and six dead https://watchers.news/2025/07/01/rongjiang-china-floods-evacuate-120000-six-dead/
Four killed, 16 missing after flash floods hit Himachal’s Mandi district https://watchers.news/2025/07/01/four-killed-16-missing-flash-floods-mandi-district-himachal-pradesh/
Over 50 dead as intense monsoon rains flood parts of Pakistan https://watchers.news/2025/07/01/over-50-dead-intense-monsoon-rains-flood-pakistan/
Ridge of Pennata islet collapses after the strongest earthquake in 40 years strikes Campi Flegrei, Italy https://watchers.news/2025/06/30/ridge-collapse-campi-flegrei-italy-strongest-quake-in-40-years/
Warragamba Dam risks overflow as bomb cyclone batters New South Wales, Australia https://watchers.news/2025/07/02/warragamba-dam-risks-overflow-bomb-cyclone-new-south-wales-australia/
Wildfire kills two, burns 6 500 ha (16 000 acres) in Catalonia, Spain https://watchers.news/2025/07/02/wildfire-kills-two-burns-6500-ha-catalonia-spain/
France shuts 1 350 schools, Italy limits work as severe heatwave grips southern Europe https://watchers.news/2025/07/02/france-shuts-1350-schools-italy-limits-outdoor-work-severe-heatwave-southern-europe/
Volcanic activity worldwide 2 Jul 2025: Fuego volcano, Semeru, Ibu, Dukono, Reventador, Raung https://www.volcanodiscovery.com/volcano-activity/news/274639/Volcanic-activity-worldwide-2-Jul-2025-Fuego-volcano-Semeru-Ibu-Dukono-Reventador-Raung-Kiris.html
Sydney’s Warragamba Dam spills after deluge dumps more than 100mm of rain. What happens now? https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-04-06/nsw-warragamba-dam-spills-afer-massive-rainfall-explainer/103677270
Madre Fire explodes to over 14 000 ha (35 500 acres) in one day, becoming California’s largest wildfire of 2025 https://watchers.news/2025/07/03/madre-fire-14000-ha-california-largest-wildfire-2025/
4 hospitalized and nearly 1 500 evacuated as a major wildfire burns through Ierapetra in Crete, Greece https://watchers.news/2025/07/03/wildfire-ierapetra-crete-greece-1500-evacuated-4-hospitalized/
Extreme Weather and Climate Change
Europeans consider tackling climate change a priority and support energy independence https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_25_1376
Warmer seas are fuelling the dangerous ‘weather bomb’ about to hit NSW https://theconversation.com/warmer-seas-are-fuelling-the-dangerous-weather-bomb-about-to-hit-nsw-260070
More than 97 000 hospitalized as Japan endures hottest June on record https://watchers.news/2025/07/01/97000-hospitalized-japan-hottest-june-on-record/
‘Unprecedented’ alerts in France as blistering heat grips Europe https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5y7781e915o
One in three Tuvaluans apply to relocate to Australia under climate visa scheme just 10 days after opening https://7news.com.au/news/one-in-three-tuvaluans-apply-to-relocate-to-australia-under-climate-visa-scheme-just-10-days-after-opening-c-19165658
UN expert urges criminalizing fossil fuel disinformation, banning lobbying https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/jun/30/un-expert-urges-criminalizing-fossil-fuel-disinformation-banning-lobbying
A “whiplash” of weather conditions caused by climate change https://www.fastcompany.com/91359142/what-is-precipitation-whiplash-the-new-accelerating-climate-change-weather-danger
Cities are heating up the planet – how they can do more to fight climate change https://theconversation.com/cities-are-heating-up-the-planet-how-they-can-do-more-to-fight-climate-change-259391
With net zero targets under attack from the populist right, dangerously high temperatures should refocus minds https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/jul/01/the-guardian-view-on-europes-heatwave-leaders-should-remind-the-public-why-ambitious-targets-matter
Global climate action at risk as ‘disappointed’ camps square off, EU negotiator warns https://www.euractiv.com/section/eet/news/global-climate-action-at-risk-as-disappointed-camps-square-off-eu-negotiator-warns/
At least 8 deaths as Europe’s heatwave causes forest fires, health alerts and shuts a nuclear reactor https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-07-03/europe-heatwave-death-toll-reaches-8-as-temperatures-hit-records/105488516
Tracking sea ice is ‘early warning system’ for global heating – but the US is halting data sharing https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/jul/02/tracking-sea-ice-is-early-warning-system-for-global-heating-but-us-halt-to-data-sharing-will-make-it-harder-scientists-warn
Signs of rising planetary strain highlight need for accelerated climate targets https://phys.org/news/2025-07-planetary-strain-highlight-climate.html
Droughts worldwide pushing tens of millions towards starvation, says report https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/jul/02/droughts-worldwide-pushing-tens-millions-starvation-report
Antarctic summer sea ice is at record lows. Here’s how it will harm the planet – and us https://theconversation.com/antarctic-summer-sea-ice-is-at-record-lows-heres-how-it-will-harm-the-planet-and-us-256104
Extremely warm Mediterranean Sea is cause for concern https://www.climatechangepost.com/news/extremely-warm-mediterranean-sea-is-cause-for-concern/
Nuclear power plants shut down in France and Switzerland as heatwave impacts river cooling https://watchers.news/2025/07/03/nuclear-power-shutdown-france-switzerland-heatwave-river-cooling/
Global warming is triggering earthquakes in the Alps https://www.science.org/content/article/global-warming-triggering-earthquakes-alps
Why investing in climate-vulnerable countries makes good business sense https://theconversation.com/why-investing-in-climate-vulnerable-countries-makes-good-business-sense-259732
1,400 glaciers. 1,400 reasons to act https://www.1400-reasons-to-act.ch/
New 3D glacier visualizations provide insights into a hotter Earth https://news.osu.edu/new-3d-glacier-visualizations-provide-insights-into-a-hotter-earth/
Novel modelling links sea ice loss to Antarctic ice shelf calving events https://www.unimelb.edu.au/newsroom/news/2025/july/novel-modelling-links-sea-ice-loss-to-antarctic-ice-shelf-calving-events
Ocean, atmosphere equally responsible for Atlantic ‘cold blob,’ scientists find https://www.psu.edu/news/earth-and-mineral-sciences/story/ocean-atmosphere-equally-responsible-atlantic-cold-blob-scientists
Bracing for the new normal https://kathmandupost.com/columns/2025/06/27/bracing-for-the-new-normal
It’s not just the cities. Extreme heat is a growing threat to rural America https://grist.org/extreme-heat/extreme-heat-growing-threat-rural-america/
Disaster risk reduction
Build Back Better https://www.floodre.co.uk/buildbackbetter/
Tampa’s recovery plan can’t just rebuild — it has to rethink https://www.theinvadingsea.com/2025/06/27/hurricanes-helene-milton-cdbg-dr-grant-hillsborough-county-commission-climate-resilience/
CSIRO creates pinpoint accurate model of Richmond River catchment to test flood mitigation options https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-06-30/csiro-creates-model-of-river-catchment-test-flood-mitigation/105449496
Study finds magma helped drive recent Santorini earthquakes https://news.uoregon.edu/study-finds-magma-helped-drive-recent-santorini-earthquakes
Study shows controlled burns can reduce wildfire intensity and smoke pollution https://woods.stanford.edu/news/study-shows-controlled-burns-can-reduce-wildfire-intensity-and-smoke-pollution
New Satellite Adds Evidence of an Earth-Shaking Wave https://eos.org/articles/new-satellite-adds-evidence-of-an-earth-shaking-wave
How extreme heat affects wildfire risk https://www.context.news/climate-risks/how-extreme-heat-affects-wildfire-risk
AI can assist early warning systems that predict impacts of extreme weather events such as droughts and heavy rainfall https://www.mpg.de/24966451/extreme-weather-early-warning
Emergency Management
New satellite constellation will scan the entire Earth every 20 minutes to find wildfires https://www.space.com/astronomy/earth/new-satellite-constellation-will-scan-the-entire-earth-every-20-minutes-to-find-wildfires
A collaboration spanning Europe, Australia and North America to create a cutting-edge bushfire evacuation simulator has been recognised for its contribution to fire safety https://www.rmit.edu.au/news/all-news/2025/jun/bushfire-simulation-award
Post-disaster in-situ aid: factors associated with housing beneficiaries’ perceived long-term recovery https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2212420925004777
Measuring evacuation rates from mobility data during the McDougall Creek wildfire in British Columbia, Canada https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0198971525000390
Understanding circumpolar wildland fire capabilities: Wildfires in the Arctic https://wildfiretoday.com/understanding-circumpolar-wildland-fire-capabilities-wildfires-in-the-arctic/
What’s next for NSW’s intense storm? Heavy rains, fallen trees – and a chance of a storm ‘slingshot’https://theconversation.com/whats-next-for-nsws-intense-storm-heavy-rains-fallen-trees-and-a-chance-of-a-storm-slingshot-260283
Disaster Education, Communications and Engagement
Flashcards UK Storm Recap Top Trumps https://thefloodhub.co.uk/uk-storm-recap-top-trumps/
Wildfires https://disasterphilanthropy.org/resources/wildfires/
Social media use in disaster response: empowering community resilience https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17538947.2025.2521791
The CONVERGE Training Modules incorporate an all-hazards approach grounded in cutting edge research from the social sciences, public health, engineering, and other disciplines https://converge.colorado.edu/resources/training-modules/
Disaster psychology
Assessing extreme heat risk perception: Awareness, worry, preparedness and social capital in Texas https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1462901125000887
A unified framework integrating psychology and geography https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-025-02237-y
Sociology and disasters
Primary health care in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic in 10 South-East Asian countries: a cross-case synthesis with lessons for future health systems strengthening https://gh.bmj.com/content/10/Suppl_2/e018076
Disaster Resilience News 