Please find below links to some aspects of disaster resilience that were in the news recently…
Recent emergencies/disasters
3 firefighters injured as Butler Fire grows to over 5 800 ha (14 000 acres), California https://watchers.news/2025/07/19/butler-fire-california-5800-ha-3-firefighters-injured/
At least 14 dead and thousands displaced after heavy monsoon rains in South Korea https://watchers.news/2025/07/20/south-korea-monsoon-rains-deaths-displacement-july-2025/
Flash floods along the San Gabriel river injure 14 at Camp Williams in Azusa, Los Angeles County https://watchers.news/2025/07/19/flash-floods-injure-14-camp-williams-azusa-los-angeles-county/
Magnitude-7.4 earthquake hits Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula, tsunami threat cancelled https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-07-20/tsunami-warning-russia-multiple-earthquakes/105552892
Flash Floods in central Maryland and Washington D.C. prompt water rescues and a Flash Flood Emergency https://watchers.news/2025/07/20/flash-floods-central-maryland-washington-dc-flash-flood-emergency/
Early and intense wildfire season has arrived around the Mediterranean https://www.lemonde.fr/en/europe/article/2025/07/17/wildfire-season-arrives-early-and-intense-around-the-mediterranean_6743466_143.html
At least 6 dead and 15 missing as floods strike Islamabad, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan https://watchers.news/2025/07/22/floods-kill-6-leave-15-missing-islamabad-gilgit-baltistan-khyber-pakhtunkhwa/
Floods and landslides hit Fuzhou, China after 296 mm (11.65 inches) of rain in 12 hours https://watchers.news/2025/07/21/floods-landslides-fuzhou-china-296mm-rain-12-hours/
Flash flooding prompts rescue operation and claims one life in Kansas City metro area https://watchers.news/2025/07/22/flash-flooding-rescue-fatality-kansas-city-metro-july-2025/
India adds record 22 gigawatts of wind and solar in first half of 2025 https://reneweconomy.com.au/india-adds-record-22-gigawatts-of-wind-and-solar-in-first-half-of-2025/
Moscow hit by record 91 mm (3.6 inches) rainfall in 12 hours, flooding roads and metro stations https://watchers.news/2025/07/22/moscow-record-rainfall-floods-roads-metro-stations/
Volcanic activity worldwide 23 Jul 2025: Santiaguito volcano, Popocatépetl, Semeru, Shiveluch, Ibu https://www.volcanodiscovery.com/volcano-activity/news/276296/Volcanic-activity-worldwide-23-Jul-2025-Santiaguito-volcano-Popocatepetl-Semeru-Shiveluch-Ibu.html
Tropical Storm Wipha makes landfall in northern Vietnam, disrupting transport and triggering floods https://watchers.news/2025/07/22/tropical-storm-wipha-landfall-northern-vietnam-transport-floods/
Flash floods destroy villages, leave 2 dead and 10 missing in Shandong province, China https://watchers.news/2025/07/23/flash-floods-destroy-villages-2-dead-10-missing-shandong-china/
Severe thunderstorms drop months’ worth of rain in 1 hour over Aisne, causing floods and hail damage across France https://watchers.news/2025/07/24/thunderstorms-months-worth-rain-aisne-france-flooding-hail-july-2025/
Extreme Weather and Climate Change
Scientists warn that global warming is accelerating https://www.climatechangepost.com/news/scientists-warn-that-global-warming-is-accelerating/
Wildfires in Europe burn area the size of Luxembourg as 2025 shapes up to be an ‘extreme’ year https://www.euronews.com/green/2025/07/18/wildfires-in-europe-burn-area-the-size-of-luxembourg-as-2025-shapes-up-to-be-an-extreme-ye
Is Climate Change an Existential Threat? https://gizmodo.com/is-climate-change-an-existential-threat-2000629702
Solar innovation changed the world. Now, the research race is on to save it https://reneweconomy.com.au/solar-innovation-changed-the-world-now-the-research-race-is-on-to-save-it/
Bribe or community benefit? Sweeteners smoothing the way for renewables projects need to be done right https://theconversation.com/bribe-or-community-benefit-sweeteners-smoothing-the-way-for-renewables-projects-need-to-be-done-right-258903
This is the summer of flooding across the US, and scientists know why https://edition.cnn.com/2025/07/20/climate/summer-of-flooding
Extended period of extreme heat risks for central, southeast, and southwestern U.S. https://watchers.news/2025/07/20/extended-extreme-heat-risks-central-southeast-southwest-us/
Only 3 years left – new study warns the world is running out of time to avoid the worst impacts of climate change https://theconversation.com/only-3-years-left-new-study-warns-the-world-is-running-out-of-time-to-avoid-the-worst-impacts-of-climate-change-261229
Study finds cities with proactive, risk-tolerant governing styles most likely to have ambitious climate strategies https://news.ku.edu/news/article/study-finds-cities-with-proactive-risk-tolerant-governing-styles-most-likely-to-have-ambitious-climate-strategies
Planting Resilience: Nature-Based Solutions in Burundi https://gca.org/planting-resilience-nature-based-solutions-in-burundi/
Natural variability-focused assessment of climate overshoot timing https://www.nature.com/articles/s43247-025-02525-5
Researchers use 30+ years of heat wave data to inform strategies to reduce impacts of extreme heat https://phys.org/news/2025-07-years-strategies-impacts-extreme.html
91% of New Renewable Projects Now Cheaper Than Fossil Fuels Alternatives https://www.irena.org/News/pressreleases/2025/Jul/91-Percent-of-New-Renewable-Projects-Now-Cheaper-Than-Fossil-Fuels-Alternatives
Extreme heat wave places over 90 million under alerts across Mid-Mississippi Valley and Mid-South, U.S. https://watchers.news/2025/07/23/extreme-heat-alerts-90-million-mid-mississippi-valley-mid-south-us/
From heat to high-tech: How innovation responds to climate change https://voxdev.org/topic/energy-environment/heat-high-tech-how-innovation-responds-climate-change
Climate disasters are pushing people into homelessness – but there’s a lot we can do about it https://theconversation.com/climate-disasters-are-pushing-people-into-homelessness-but-theres-a-lot-we-can-do-about-it-259149
Anthropogenic warming is accelerating recent heatwaves in Africa https://www.nature.com/articles/s43247-025-02578-6
‘Significant legal breakthrough’ as NSW court blocks state’s largest coal expansion over emissions https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/jul/24/significant-legal-breakthrough-as-nsw-court-blocks-coal-mine-expansion-over-emissions
Top UN court says countries can sue each other over climate change https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ce379k4v3pwo.amp
‘Boiling frog’ effect makes people oblivious to threat of climate crisis, shows study https://www.theguardian.com/news/2025/jul/24/boiling-frog-effect-makes-people-oblivious-to-threat-of-climate-crisis-shows-study
New, detailed analysis on a scientifically credible, Paris-aligned target for Australia https://www.climatecouncil.org.au/resources/why-australias-2035-climate-target-matters/
Disaster risk reduction
First cultural burn for over 230 years https://thetriangle.org.au/as-part-of-a-long-term-fire-management-plan-the-firesticks-alliance-indigenous-corporation-collaborated-to-conduct-the-first-cool-burn-on-the-gulaga-mountain-escarpment-in-june-2025/
Intense rainstorms are moving more slowly, causing more floods https://www.climatechangepost.com/news/intense-rainstorms-are-moving-more-slowly-causing-more-floods/
Sustainable Economic Security for Building Disaster-Resilient Communities in Vulnerable Coastal Areas of Bangladesh https://www.mdpi.com/3042-4658/2/3/19
Historical changes in overtopping probability of dams in the United States https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-59536-1
Why a seawall might not protect both beaches and homes from coastal erosion https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-07-22/frankston-seawall-tides-costal-erosion-housing-australia/105555380
Flood and Vulnerability Map Validation Efforts in Lao PDR https://www.adpc.net/ver25/adpc-news.asp
Clear-cutting linked to 18-fold rise in extreme floods, UBC study finds https://news.ubc.ca/2025/07/clear-cutting-flood-risk/
Advancing wildfire monitoring: Remote sensing techniques and applications in the Sana River Basin, Bosnia and Herzegovina https://www.preventionweb.net/publication/documents-and-publications/advancing-wildfire-monitoring-remote-sensing-techniques-and
Rethinking the agricultural use of fire and its influence on the occurrence of wildfire in high Andean communities of Cusco, Peru https://www.preventionweb.net/publication/documents-and-publications/rethinking-agricultural-use-fire-and-its-influence
What makes debris flows dangerous https://www.preventionweb.net/news/what-makes-debris-flows-dangerous
2025 Global Status of National Disaster Risk Reduction Strategies https://www.undrr.org/2025-global-status-national-DRR-strategies
How to design an actually good flash flood alert system https://www.theverge.com/science/709362/flash-flood-warning-system-experts-texas-sirens-blue-alert
ForeCast: The Key to Proactive Flood Preparedness, Management, and Protection https://www.floodmapp.com/post/forecast-the-key-to-proactive-flood-preparedness-management-and-protection
Nature Doesn’t Cause Disasters, We Do https://www.thequint.com/climate-change/no-such-thing-as-a-natural-disaster-perception-policy-and-climate-change-shape-risk
Flood Re Annual Review Report https://www.floodre.co.uk/ara-2025/
Three types of drought – and why there’s no such thing as a global water crisis https://theconversation.com/three-types-of-drought-and-why-theres-no-such-thing-as-a-global-water-crisis-260723
Local officials hold the key to life-saving flood and weather warnings https://www.smartcitiesdive.com/news/local-officials-hold-key-to-life-saving-flood-warnings-nws-kerr-county-texas/753330/
Assessing community resilience validating a universally applicable flood resilience measurement framework and tool https://www.preventionweb.net/publication/documents-and-publications/assessing-community-resilience-validating-universally
Emergency Management
Floodwaters sweep away Pakistani journalist on live TV during floods in Koh Sulaiman, Pakistan https://watchers.news/2025/07/19/journalist-swept-away-live-tv-floods-koh-sulaiman-pakistan/
Strengthening early warnings and anticipatory action through the use of digital technology https://www.preventionweb.net/news/strengthening-early-warnings-and-anticipatory-action-through-use-digital-technology
Fighting fire with innovation: a pan-European push to tackle extreme wildfires https://projects.research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/en/horizon-magazine/fighting-fire-innovation-pan-european-push-tackle-extreme-wildfires
Disaster recovery -evidence from 100 natural disasters https://www.researchgate.net/publication/391274898_Disaster_recovery_-evidence_from_100_natural_disasters_–Manuscript_Draft
2025 US Tornadoes and Severe Storms https://disasterphilanthropy.org/disasters/2025-us-tornadoes-and-severe-storms/
Italy and Greece help Albania fight wildfires https://albaniandailynews.com/news/italy-and-greece-help-albania-with-canadair-firefighting-aircraft-to-combat-forest-fires
Where Are the Emergency Responders? Spontaneous Volunteers in a Terrorist Attack https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/1468-5973.70065
Texas flood protest goes to Washington: ‘No more kids lost to climate disasters’ https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jul/21/texas-flood-protest-washington-climate-crisis
Texas county’s emergency management coordinator was likely asleep in critical morning hours of deadly floods, sheriff says https://edition.cnn.com/2025/07/23/us/texas-flood-state-inquiry-begins
Busselton residents fear safety impacts of mobile signal shortfall https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-07-23/busselton-residents-struggle-to-get-mobile-signal/105554198
Disaster Education, Communications and Engagement
Feature-based reward learning shapes human social learning strategies https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-025-02269-4
Disaster psychology
Factors affecting the application of protective measures before flood occurrence among local communities in Iran https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212096325000440
Predictors of Individual-Level Preparedness for Natural Disasters and Trust in Disaster Assistance in the United States, 2024 https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/00333549251341236
Sociology and disasters
Linking Social Infrastructure and Social Capital: Barangay Halls and Basketball Courts as Cornerstones of Community Resilience https://www.researchgate.net/publication/393759520_Linking_Social_Infrastructure_and_Social_Capital_Barangay_Halls_and_Basketball_Courts_as_Cornerstones_of_Community_Resilience
Expanding shock-responsive and adaptive social protection programs to build resilience within vulnerable populations https://www.preventionweb.net/news/expanding-shock-responsive-and-adaptive-social-protection-programs-build-resilience-within
Rising compound hot-dry extremes engendering more inequality in human exposure risks https://www.preventionweb.net/publication/documents-and-publications/rising-compound-hot-dry-extremes-engendering-more-inequality
Building a resilient society https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11069-025-07529-0
The disproportionate toll of the COVID-19 pandemic on social trust in low- and middle-income countries https://www.e-jps.org/archive/view_article
New study links power outages, social vulnerability in Gulf Coast https://news.osu.edu/new-study-links-power-outages-social-vulnerability-in-gulf-coast/
Disaster Resilience News 