Please find below links to some aspects of disaster resilience that were in the news recently…
Recent emergencies/disasters
Wildfires spread dangerously close to southern European capitals https://www.ft.com/content/3ad89dd8-f79d-466f-97d4-24d22cce4b13
M5.6 earthquake, largest onshore in Queensland in 50 years, strikes near Kilkivan, Australia https://watchers.news/2025/08/16/m5-6-earthquake-queensland-largest-in-50-years-kilkivan/
Over 160 killed in deadly monsoon floods and landslides across Pakistan https://watchers.news/2025/08/15/over-160-killed-monsoon-floods-landslides-pakistan-august-15-2025/
Wildfire in Molezuelas, Zamora becomes largest in Spain’s recorded history, leaves three dead https://watchers.news/2025/08/15/wildfire-molezuelas-zamora-largest-spain-history-three-dead/
Hurricane Erin grows in size as it barrels towards Caribbean https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cdxyezqx4r5o
Sydney’s relentless rain now highest since weather station opened in 1858 https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-08-19/sydney-s-endless-rain-breaks-all-time-rain-record/105667858
Category 4 Hurricane Erin located just east of southeast Bahamas, life-threatening surf expected along U.S. East Coast https://watchers.news/2025/08/18/category-4-hurricane-erin-east-of-bahamas-life-threatening-surf-us-east-coast/
Shallow M5.8 earthquake in Central Sulawesi kills one, injures 41; church collapse and minor tsunami reported https://watchers.news/2025/08/18/shallow-m5-8-earthquake-central-sulawesi-kills-one-injures-41-tsunami-reported/
Lewotobi volcano eruption sends ash cloud to 9.8 km (32 000 feet), Indonesia https://watchers.news/2025/08/18/lewotobi-volcano-eruption-sends-ash-cloud-to-9-8-km-32-000-feet-indonesia/
Wildfires rage in Spain and Portugal amid searing heat https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/aug/18/wildfires-spain-portugal-heat-extreme-temperatures-southern-europe
Wildfires burn 600 000 ha (1.5 million acres) in Spain and Portugal, killing six and forcing mass evacuations https://watchers.news/2025/08/20/wildfires-burn-600-000-ha-1-5-million-acres-in-spain-portugal-killing-six-forcing-mass-evacuations/
Record-breaking rainfall leaves six dead or missing in Ordos, Inner Mongolia https://watchers.news/2025/08/19/record-rainfall-six-dead-missing-ordos-inner-mongolia/
Extreme rainfall paralyzes Mumbai, leaving three dead and two missing https://watchers.news/2025/08/19/extreme-rainfall-paralyzes-mumbai-three-dead-two-missing/
Flooding triggered by intense rainfall leaves one dead in Caracas, Venezuela https://watchers.news/2025/08/19/flooding-rainfall-caracas-venezuela-one-dead/
Tropical Storm Lingling makes rare rapid landfall in Kagoshima, Japan https://watchers.news/2025/08/21/tropical-storm-lingling-makes-rare-rapid-landfall-kagoshima-japan/
Severe flooding disrupts transport and damages homes in Guadalajara, Mexico https://watchers.news/2025/08/21/severe-flooding-disrupts-transport-damages-homes-guadalajara-mexico/
Heavy rains trigger flash floods on Elba Island, Italy https://watchers.news/2025/08/21/heavy-rains-trigger-flash-floods-elba-island-italy/
Large-scale helicopter evacuation after glacial lake outburst flood in Bugaboo Provincial Park, Canada https://watchers.news/2025/08/21/glacial-lake-outburst-flood-bugaboo-provincial-park-canada-helicopter-evacuation/
Volcanic activity worldwide 21 Aug 2025: Etna volcano, Santiaguito, Popocatépetl, Ibu, Dukono https://www.volcanodiscovery.com/volcano-activity/news/278561/Volcanic-activity-worldwide-21-Aug-2025-Etna-volcano-Santiaguito-Popocatepetl-Ibu-Dukono-Reve.html
Extreme Weather and Climate Change
60 percent of the world’s land area is in a precarious state https://www.pik-potsdam.de/en/news/latest-news/60-percent-of-the-worlds-land-area-is-in-a-precarious-state
Comprehensive Disaster and Climate Risk Management https://www.undrr.org/climate-action-and-disaster-risk-reduction/comprehensive-disaster-and-climate-risk-management
Aging under a warming planet, how Philly is preparing to support its older population https://whyy.org/articles/aging-population-global-warming-philadelphia-climate-change/
Canada’s targets for cutting greenhouse gases fit the definition of insanity https://torontosun.com/news/national/goldstein-canadas-targets-for-cutting-greenhouse-gases-fit-the-definition-of-insanity
‘Pray for rain’: wildfires in Canada are now burning where they never used to https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/aug/17/new-canada-wildfires-locations
“Possible” renewables reach record 99.3 pct share of Australia’s most coal dependent grid https://reneweconomy.com.au/possible-renewables-reach-record-99-3-pct-share-of-australias-most-coal-dependent-grid/
British solar power surges past 2024 total https://www.ft.com/content/9e49fa5a-d43e-4c32-80ff-68a3ce1ede5e
‘Sponge City’: Copenhagen Adapts to a Wetter Future https://e360.yale.edu/features/copenhagen-sponge-cities
Why the climate crisis is a child rights crisis — and what we can do about it https://www.savethechildren.org.au/about-us/save-the-childrens-charity-work/how-climate-change-is-reshaping-childhood
The spatial extent of heat waves has changed over the past four decades https://www.preventionweb.net/publication/documents-and-publications/spatial-extent-heat-waves-has-changed-over-past-four-decades
What Does a Climate-Resilient Rural Water Supply System Look Like? An Interdisciplinary Approach to Climate Resilience Mapping in Nepal https://rmets.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/cli2.70014
Heat streaks are more frequent and intense across Arizona, Mountain West https://www.kjzz.org/science/2025-08-11/analysis-heat-streaks-are-more-frequent-and-intense-across-arizona-mountain-west
At Europe’s melting glaciers, signs of climate peril are everywhere https://www.nbcnews.com/science/climate-change/europes-melting-glaciers-signs-climate-peril-are-everywhere-rcna223824
State of the climate: 2025 on track to be second or third warmest year on record https://www.carbonbrief.org/state-of-the-climate-2025-on-track-to-be-second-or-third-warmest-year-on-record/
Iconic Antarctic species at risk amid ‘regime shift’, scientists say, with ‘rapid and self-perpetuating changes’ https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-08-21/iconic-antarctic-species-at-risk-amid-antarctic-regime-shift/105676324
Inquiry into the climate resilience of Victoria, Australia https://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/climateresilience
The strange divide in how Americans experience summer temperatures https://edition.cnn.com/2025/08/19/climate/us-summer-warming-hole-vis
Europe’s Soaring Heat and the Great Air Conditioning Dilemma https://www.wri.org/insights/europes-heat-and-air-conditioning-dilemma
Rapid loss of Antarctic ice may be climate tipping point, scientists say https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/cop/rapid-loss-antarctic-ice-may-be-climate-tipping-point-scientists-say-2025-08-20/
Climate Change Brings More Rapidly Intensifying Hurricanes; NOAA Cuts Make Forecasting Them Harder https://cleantechnica.com/2025/08/20/climate-change-brings-more-rapidly-intensifying-hurricanes-noaa-cuts-make-forecasting-them-harder/
Australia’s Climate Targets https://www.climatecouncil.org.au/resources/climate-targets-in-australia-fact-sheet/
Deadly wildfires show Spain must better prepare for climate crises, says Sánchez https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/aug/19/wildfires-spain-climate-crises-pedro-sanchez
Disaster risk reduction
A new generation of wildfires: Welcome to the Pyrocene! https://www.climatechangepost.com/news/a-new-generation-of-wildfires-welcome-to-the-pyrocene/
WMO Systems for Global and National Benefit https://wmo.int/media/magazine-article/wmo-systems-global-and-national-benefit
Setting Operational Thresholds for Heat Early Warning Systems https://www.preventionweb.net/resource/setting-operational-thresholds-heat-early-warning-systems
UCLA researchers unveil AI-powered tool for near real-time, large-scale wildfire fuel mapping https://www.preventionweb.net/news/ucla-researchers-unveil-ai-powered-tool-near-real-time-large-scale-wildfire-fuel-mapping
Beyond lives saved: Why early warning systems are a smart investment https://www.unescap.org/blog/beyond-lives-saved-why-early-warning-systems-are-smart-investment
Words into Action guidelines: The Science–Policy–Society ecosystem for disaster risk reduction https://www.undrr.org/publication/words-action-guidelines-science-policy-society-ecosystem-disaster-risk-reduction
Exploring the use of Artificial Intelligence for flood forecasting in Scotland https://www.crew.ac.uk/publication/artificial-intelligence-for-flood-forecasting-in-scotland
For decades, successive governments have avoided acknowledging that the Himalayan mountains are fragile and highly vulnerable to natural hazards because of their limited carrying capacity https://www.thestatesman.com/opinion/a-disaster-waiting-to-happen-2-1503471292.html
Making sense of the synergies: how anticipatory action connects to other approaches and sectors https://www.anticipation-hub.org/news/making-sense-of-synergies-how-anticipatory-action-connects-to-other-approaches-and-sectors
Why does Australia have earthquakes? The whole continent is under stress from distant forces https://theconversation.com/why-does-australia-have-earthquakes-the-whole-continent-is-under-stress-from-distant-forces-263334
New technology boosts bushfire risk mapping https://www.bnhcrc.com.au/news-and-events/news-and-views/new-technology-boosts-bushfire-risk-mapping
Volcano alert: Scientists discover a signal that could transform early warning systems https://www.earth.com/news/volcano-eruptions-alerts-shear-wave-signals-discovered-that-could-transform-early-warning-systems/
Global South Faces “Disproportionately High” Urban Flood Risk, Study Warns https://english.cas.cn/newsroom/research_news/earth/202508/t20250818_1050908.shtml
70 years of data reveal adaptation measures slash European flood losses and fatalities https://phys.org/news/2025-08-years-reveal-slash-european-losses.html
Emergency Management
For the first time, Spain seeks support from European allies to fight forest fires, joining multiple other nations https://wildfiretoday.com/for-the-first-time-spain-seeks-support-from-european-allies-to-fight-forest-fires-joining-multiple-other-nations/
Evacuation maps, new leadership, more staffing mark changes at Maui Emergency Management Agency after fires https://mauinow.com/2025/08/05/evacuation-maps-new-leadership-more-staffing-mark-changes-at-maui-emergency-management-agency-after-fires/
Fire in Aude: the factors behind an extraordinary disaster, in maps and graphs https://www.lemonde.fr/planete/article/2025/08/10/incendie-dans-l-aude-les-facteurs-a-l-origine-d-un-sinistre-hors-norme-en-cartes-et-en-graphiques_6627646_3244.html
Europe confronts an unprecedented wildfire season – What can we do to prevent them? https://www.preventionweb.net/news/europe-confronts-unprecedented-wildfire-season-what-can-we-do-prevent-them
Construction of the Greek Canadair 515s that will fight fires even at night has begun – The first arrives by the end of 2027 https://en.protothema.gr/2025/08/19/construction-of-the-greek-canadair-515s-that-will-fight-fires-even-at-night-has-begun-the-first-arrives-by-the-end-of-2027/
Unveiling hidden risks in healthcare from flood-induced transportation disruption in Germany https://www.nature.com/articles/s43247-025-02645-y
Smarter skies: How tech innovations are boosting helicopter firefighting missions https://verticalmag.com/features/smarter-skies-how-tech-innovations-are-boosting-helicopter-firefighting-missions/
Firefighter exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and black carbon during prescribed burns and wildfires https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0045653525005600
NEMA identifies what caused emergency alert issues during Kamchatka tsunami event https://www.civildefence.govt.nz/resources/news-and-events/news-and-events/nema-identifies-what-caused-emergency-alert-issues-during-kamchatka-tsunami-event
AI-generated misinformation can create confusion and hinder responses during emergencies https://theconversation.com/ai-generated-misinformation-can-create-confusion-and-hinder-responses-during-emergencies-263081
UCLA researchers unveil AI-powered tool for near real-time, large-scale wildfire fuel mapping https://www.preventionweb.net/news/ucla-researchers-unveil-ai-powered-tool-near-real-time-large-scale-wildfire-fuel-mapping
Pathways to the Success/Failure of Recovery Projects Based on Communities’ Perspective; Bam Recovery Project https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-981-95-0113-7_6
A novel activity space approach to discover displacement patterns via mobile phone data: an analysis of the 2023 Türkiye-Syria earthquakes https://epjdatascience.springeropen.com/articles/10.1140/epjds/s13688-025-00572-8
Grieving parents of Camp Mystic flood victims testify before Texas lawmakers https://baynews9.com/fl/tampa/news/2025/08/20/texas-senate-hearing-camp-mystic-flood-victims
Disaster Education, Communications and Engagement
Promoting Stakeholder Interaction to Facilitate Wildfire Management: Insights From a Case Study in Monreale, Sicily https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/eet.70008
Drought: What you need to know about this growing global risk https://www.weforum.org/stories/2025/08/drought-what-to-know-global-risk/
Bushfire Ready team in Denmark to speak at AFAC25 Conference and Exhibition on success of preparation program https://www.albanyadvertiser.com.au/news/albany-advertiser/bushfire-ready-team-in-denmark-to-speak-at-afac25-conference-and-exhibition-on-success-of-preparation-program-c-19682986
Disaster education materials https://www.preventionweb.net/knowledge-base/type-content/educational-materials
Business Flood Planning Toolkit https://thefloodhub.co.uk/business-flood-planning-toolkit/
Case Study Pedagogy in Disaster Education https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11191-024-00598-w
Disaster psychology
Drought can make farmers feel worried and hopeless: Ghana study finds social networks help https://theconversation.com/drought-can-make-farmers-feel-worried-and-hopeless-ghana-study-finds-social-networks-help-262627
Extreme weather and climate-related adverse childhood experiences are a humanitarian crisis during the 21st century https://www.preventionweb.net/publication/documents-and-publications/extreme-weather-and-climate-related-adverse-childhood
Sociology and disasters
England’s most ethnically diverse areas are 15 times more likely to face extreme heat https://www.carbonbrief.org/analysis-englands-most-ethnically-diverse-areas-are-15-times-more-likely-to-face-extreme-heat/
One of Hurricane Katrina’s most important lessons isn’t about storm preparations – it’s about injustice https://theconversation.com/one-of-hurricane-katrinas-most-important-lessons-isnt-about-storm-preparations-its-about-injustice-261936
‘Whether rich or poor, it was the longest of nights’: How a 2003 blackout brought New York City to a standstill https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20250807-how-a-2003-blackout-brought-new-york-city-to-a-standstill
Unveiling the Interplay of Climate Vulnerability and Social Capital: Insights from West Bengal, India https://www.mdpi.com/2225-1154/13/8/160#
Disaster Resilience News 