Please find below links to some aspects of disaster resilience that were in the news recently…
Recent emergencies/disasters
Major eruption at Lewotobi Laki-laki ejects ash up to 19.2 km (63 000 feet) a.s.l., Indonesia https://watchers.news/2025/08/01/major-eruption-lewotobi-laki-laki-ash-to-19-2-km-63000-feet-indonesia/
Large landslide hits Vishnugad‑Pipalkoti hydropower project, Uttarakhand https://watchers.news/2025/08/02/landslide-vishnugadpipalkoti-hydropower-project-uttarakhand/
Record tsunami waves cause nearly USD 1 million in damages at Crescent City Harbor, California https://watchers.news/2025/08/03/record-tsunami-waves-cause-usd-1-million-in-damages-crescent-city-harbor-california/
Drillbit tornado hits Ulan Hada Volcanic Geological Park in Inner Mongolia, crushing vehicles https://watchers.news/2025/08/04/tornado-ulan-hada-volcanic-geological-park-inner-mongolia-crushing-vehicles/
Dragon Bravo Fire burns 50 000 ha (123 000 acres), becomes Arizona’s 10th largest wildfire on record https://watchers.news/2025/08/04/dragon-bravo-fire-burns-50000-ha-123000-acres-arizonas-10th-largest-wildfire-record/
Gifford Fire burns over 26 000 ha (65 000 acres) in Los Padres National Forest, California https://watchers.news/2025/08/04/gifford-fire-burns-over-26000-ha-65000-acres-los-padres-national-forest-california/
Firefighters ‘exhausted’ on the second day of Portugal’s state of alert for wildfires https://www.euronews.com/green/2025/08/04/firefighters-exhausted-on-the-second-day-of-portugals-state-of-alert-for-wildfires
Spain and Portugal Battle Wave of Wildfires as Temperatures Expected to Rise https://www.wildlandfirefighter.com/2025/07/31/spain-and-portugal-battle-wave-of-wildfires-as-temperatures-expected-to-rise/
Record winds hit Northern Ireland, as Storm Floris lashes United Kingdom https://watchers.news/2025/08/04/record-winds-northern-ireland-storm-floris-united-kingdom/
Hong Kong records highest August daily rainfall since 1884, four black warnings in 8 days https://watchers.news/2025/08/05/hong-kong-records-highest-august-daily-rainfall-since-1884-four-black-warnings-in-8-days/
Destructive mudslide sweeps through Uttarkashi’s Dharali village, leaving at least 4 dead and over 50 missing https://watchers.news/2025/08/05/destructive-mudslide-uttarkashi-dharali-village-4-dead-50-missing/
Destructive floods hit southern Taiwan after 2 900 mm (114 inches) of rainfall in one week https://watchers.news/2025/08/05/destructive-floods-southern-taiwan-2900-mm-rainfall-one-week/
‘Unprecedented’ wildfire burns area size of Paris in southern France https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/aug/06/france-largest-wildfire-this-year-corbieres-hills
Over 400 pilgrims rescued as severe flash floods hit Kinner Kailash Yatra route, Himachal Pradesh https://watchers.news/2025/08/06/over-400-pilgrims-rescued-severe-flash-floods-hit-kinner-kailash-yatra-route-himachal-pradesh/
Extreme rainfall causes severe flooding in South Korea https://watchers.news/2025/08/06/extreme-rainfall-causes-severe-flooding-south-korea-august-2025/
Extreme Weather and Climate Change
Climate change made Florida’s heat wave five times more likely, experts say https://www.wusf.org/environment/2025-07-30/climate-change-made-florida-heat-wave-five-times-more-likely
Australian scientists record accelerating glacier loss on sub-Antarctic Heard Island https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-08-04/scientists-record-accelerating-glacier-loss-on-heard-island/105605246
Living With Extreme Heat? These Cities Are Taking Action https://time.com/7305946/cities-tackling-extreme-heat/
‘Sponge City’: How Copenhagen Is Adapting to a Wetter Future https://e360.yale.edu/features/copenhagen-sponge-cities
Climate disasters are killing small businesses https://grist.org/extreme-weather/climate-disasters-are-killing-small-businesses/
Nordic countries hit by ‘truly unprecedented’ heatwave https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/aug/02/nordic-countries-hit-by-truly-unprecedented-heatwave
Politicians are betraying Gen Z on climate https://www.theinvadingsea.com/2025/07/18/gen-z-climate-change-crocheting-knitting-thrifting-big-beautiful-bill-trump-gop-carbon-footprint/
Is ‘heat dome’ overhyped? Why some meteorologists dislike this term https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2025/08/is-heat-dome-overhyped-why-some-meteorologists-dislike-this-term/
Weekend heat wave was made more likely by global warming, experts say https://www.cityviewnc.com/stories/weekend-heat-wave-was-made-more-likely-by-global-warming-experts-say/
Quantifying effects of solar power adoption on CO2 emissions reduction https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adq5660
World’s biggest coral survey confirms sharp decline in Great Barrier Reef after heatwave https://theconversation.com/worlds-biggest-coral-survey-confirms-sharp-decline-in-great-barrier-reef-after-heatwave-260563
Extreme heat streaks on the rise in Philadelphia https://www.axios.com/local/philadelphia/2025/07/30/heat-waves-philly-pennsylvania-common
EU, China Chart Path Forward on Climate Action https://sdg.iisd.org/news/eu-china-chart-path-forward-on-climate-action/
Renewables will be world’s top power source ‘by 2026’ https://www.carbonbrief.org/iea-renewables-will-be-worlds-top-power-source-by-2026/
Disaster risk reduction
Interdisciplinary perspectives on the intersections of roads, sustainable development, and disaster resilience https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212420925005151
On Controlling Fire, New Lessons from a Deep Indigenous Past https://e360.yale.edu/features/lori-daniels-interview
Building a resilient society https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11069-025-07529-0
The Tricky Problem of ‘Zombie’ Fires https://insideclimatenews.org/news/02082025/zombie-fires-and-climate-change/
NISAR satellite has launched successfully, leading a new era for Earth observations https://www.openaccessgovernment.org/nisar-satellite-has-launched-successfully-leading-a-new-era-for-earth-observations/196331/
Exposure to large landslides in cities outpaces urban growth https://www.preventionweb.net/publication/documents-and-publications/exposure-large-landslides-cities-outpaces-urban-growth
Landslide-prone Nepal tests AI-powered warning system https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20250801-landslide-prone-nepal-tests-ai-powered-warning-system
Why some underwater earthquakes cause tsunamis – and others, just little ripples https://theconversation.com/why-some-underwater-earthquakes-cause-tsunamis-and-others-just-little-ripples-262352
Drivers of flash floods in the Indian sub-continental river basins https://www.nature.com/articles/s44304-025-00121-3
Deciphering human influence on annual maximum flood extent at the global level https://www.preventionweb.net/publication/deciphering-human-influence-annual-maximum-flood-extent-global-level
‘Wake-up call’: Officials say giant Pacific earthquake serves as warning for local megaquakes, tsunamis https://www.columbian.com/news/2025/aug/02/wake-up-call-officials-say-giant-pacific-earthquake-serves-as-warning-for-local-megaquakes-tsunamis/
Emergency Management
What we’re watching: Weekly disaster update, July 28 https://disasterphilanthropy.org/blog/what-were-watching-weekly-disaster-update-july-28/
Dramatic videos show NYC subways and train stations flooding in torrential downpour https://www.nbcnews.com/weather/floods/dramatic-videos-show-nyc-subways-train-stations-flooding-torrential-do-rcna222435
Fires? “It would be good to have EU aerial support mechanisms.” https://www.portugalpulse.com/fires-it-would-be-good-to-have-eu-aerial-support-mechanisms/
Current wildfire situation in Europe https://joint-research-centre.ec.europa.eu/projects-and-activities/natural-and-man-made-hazards/fires/current-wildfire-situation-europe_en
Newsletters of FIRE-RES https://fire-res.eu/get-informed/newsletters/
Cyprus wildfires prompt investigation into fire response delays https://internationalfireandsafetyjournal.com/cyprus-wildfires-prompt-investigation-into-fire-response-delays/
Iberia declares high-alert due to fire risk as Europe faces record heatwaves https://www.euronews.com/green/2025/08/04/iberia-declares-high-alert-due-to-fire-risk-as-europe-faces-record-heatwaves
Disaster Education, Communications and Engagement
Fire to Flourish is a long-term community impact program providing direct support to communities as the first and last responders to disasters https://www.monash.edu/msdi/initiatives/fire-to-flourish
An agenda for change: Community-led disaster resilience https://www.monash.edu/msdi/initiatives/reports/an-agenda-for-change-community-led-disaster-resilience
Why flash floods are so dangerous: What you can do to stay safe https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/spotlight/flash-flooding-explained-what-causes-it-why-its-so-dangerous-and-how-to-stay-safe/articleshow/123032888.cms
Call for participation: Resilient futures foresight sprint https://www.undrr.org/news/call-participation-resilient-futures-foresight-sprint
Disaster psychology
Individual Resilience as a Mediator Between Demographic and Sociopolitical Factors, Community Resilience and Psychological Distress: A Five-Wave Study Following October 7 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/smi.70080
Psychosocial Impacts of Belgium’s 2021 Floods https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/disaster-by-choice/202508/psychosocial-impacts-of-belgiums-2021-floods
Sociology and disasters
Calling on and thanking God: the role of faith and faith communities in disaster recovery https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12317155/
Establishing community partnerships to maintain social connection and healthcare access during an emergency declaration: virtual veterans socials https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1548618/full
The dynamics and underlying factors shaping rural-urban connections for rural flood hazard susceptibility in Pakistan: the case of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0301479725018079
Disaster Resilience News 