Please find below links to some aspects of disaster resilience that were in the news recently…
Recent emergencies/disasters
‘Just heartbreak’: At least a dozen homes lost in bushfires near Sydney https://www.smh.com.au/environment/weather/sydney-set-for-its-hottest-day-in-almost-two-years-20251206-p5nldi.html
Tasmania Fire Service confirms 19 homes destroyed and nearly 200 assets damaged in Dolphin Sands bushfire https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-12-07/dolphin-sands-residents-weigh-up-bushfire-risk/106111658
Firefighter killed by falling tree amid NSW wildfires that destroyed over 20 homes https://watchers.news/2025/12/08/firefighter-killed-falling-tree-nsw-wildfires-destroyed-over-20-homes-december-2025/
Magnitude-7.6 earthquake in Japan prompts tsunami warning and evacuation order for 90,000 people https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-12-09/japan-earthquake-prompts-tsunami-warning/106117964
JMA issues advisory of elevated megathrust earthquake risk along Japan Trench after December 8 M7.6 Sanriku quake https://watchers.news/2025/12/09/jma-issues-advisory-of-elevated-megathrust-earthquake-risk-along-japan-trench-after-december-8-m7-6-sanriku-quake/
Up to 80 homes damaged by tornado in Flores da Cunha, Brazil https://watchers.news/2025/12/10/up-to-80-homes-damaged-by-tornado-in-flores-da-cunha-brazil/
Major atmospheric river moves into Washington State, triggering widespread and potentially historic riverine flooding https://watchers.news/2025/12/10/major-atmospheric-river-washington-state-widespread-potentially-historic-riverine-flooding-december-2025/
Houses destroyed in bushfire near St Helens as ‘hundreds’ flee to evacuation centre https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-12-10/tasmania-st-helens-stieglitz-bushfire-houses-destroyed/106123090
Volcanic activity worldwide 10 Dec 2025: Santiaguito volcano, Fuego, Popocatépetl, Semeru, Ibu https://www.volcanodiscovery.com/volcano-activity/news/289140/Volcanic-activity-worldwide-10-Dec-2025-Santiaguito-volcano-Fuego-Popocatepetl-Semeru-Ibu-Rev.html
Extreme Weather and Climate Change
Strictly protected Mediterranean forests stay cooler, study finds https://phys.org/news/2025-10-strictly-mediterranean-forests-stay-cooler.html
New approach narrows uncertainty in future warming and remaining carbon budget for 2°C https://phys.org/news/2025-12-approach-narrows-uncertainty-future-carbon.html
Integrated assessment of climate-related security risks for peace and security in Blue Nile, Sudan, and their gender dimensions https://www.unep.org/resources/report/integrated-assessment-climate-related-security-risks-peace-and-security-blue-nile
Storms in the Southern Ocean are producing more rain – and the consequences could be global https://theconversation.com/storms-in-the-southern-ocean-are-producing-more-rain-and-the-consequences-could-be-global-270880
Temporary carbon removals can offset methane’s short-term warming impact https://phys.org/news/2025-12-temporary-carbon-offset-methane-short.html
Global Warming At 3 °C By 2050? What’s Behind The New German Climate Warning https://worldcrunch.com/focus/green-or-gone/global-warming-at-3c-by-2050-what-s-behind-the-new-german-climate-warning/
How do we know the role of climate change in weather events? Attribution science https://www.climatecentral.org/climate-matters/attribution-science-101
Temperature increase is accelerating in Arab Region, with escalating impacts https://wmo.int/news/media-centre/temperature-increase-accelerating-arab-region-escalating-impacts
COP30 and displacement: Limited political momentum but strategic opportunities for 2026 https://www.internal-displacement.org/policy-analysis/cop30-and-displacement-limited-political-momentum-but-strategic-opportunities-for/
Wildfire emissions in 2025 reach records for Europe and Canada https://internationalfireandsafetyjournal.com/cams-wildfire-emissions-2025/
Satellites play critical role in tracking climate adaptation, researchers say https://phys.org/news/2025-11-satellites-play-critical-role-tracking.html
2025 ‘virtually certain’ to be second- or third-hottest year on record, EU data shows https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/dec/09/2025-virtually-certain-second-or-third-hottest-year-on-record-eu-data-coperincus
Embracing a Wetter Future, the Dutch Turn to Floating Homes https://e360.yale.edu/features/the-dutch-flock-to-floating-homes-embracing-a-wetter-future
Texas makes clean power breakthrough as solar output overtakes coal https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/climate-energy/texas-makes-clean-power-breakthrough-solar-output-overtakes-coal-2025-12-09/
Five ways cities across Europe and Central Asia are adapting to extreme heat https://www.preventionweb.net/news/five-ways-cities-across-europe-and-central-asia-are-adapting-extreme-heat
Scientists make alarming discovery while studying Arctic ice: ‘Powerful’ https://www.thecooldown.com/outdoors/warming-arctic-rainfall-patterns-sea-ice/
Australia’s energy grid must triple capacity by 2050 with major increase to wind and solar, Aemo says https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/dec/10/australia-must-increase-energy-grid-capacity-wind-solar-aemo
The State of Climate Resilience and Water Governance in the City of Toronto: Advancing Adaptation at the Climate–Water Interface Through Baseline Assessment Research https://rmets.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/cli2.70025
Even ‘weak’ cyclones are being turned into deadly rainmakers by fast-warming oceans https://theconversation.com/even-weak-cyclones-are-being-turned-into-deadly-rainmakers-by-fast-warming-oceans-271550
A 30-year-old sea level rise projection has basically come true https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2025/12/a-30-year-old-sea-level-rise-projection-has-basically-come-true/
Excessive Heat Harms Young Children’s Development, Study Suggests https://www.nyu.edu/about/news-publications/news/2025/december/-excessive-heat-harms-young-children-s-development–study-sugges.html
Three things that might trigger massive ice sheet collapse https://theconversation.com/three-things-that-might-trigger-massive-ice-sheet-collapse-267275
A climate-neutral pathway makes 90 percent of fossil fuels in the EU redundant by 2050 https://www.pik-potsdam.de/en/news/latest-news/eu-climate-target-could-cut-fossil-fuel-use-by-90-per-cent
Ocean warmed by climate change fed intense rainfall and deadly floods in Asia, study finds https://apnews.com/article/climate-change-asia-cyclones-ef733af1a6b5acf08335e672e8476c32
Hundreds of iceberg earthquakes detected at the crumbling end of Antarctica’s Doomsday Glacier https://theconversation.com/hundreds-of-iceberg-earthquakes-detected-at-the-crumbling-end-of-antarcticas-doomsday-glacier-268893
Europe agrees to cut emissions 90% by 2040 https://www.cnbc.com/2025/12/10/europe-agrees-to-slash-emissions-90.html
Disaster risk reduction
8 blazing new technologies that could spark change in wildfire risk reduction https://www.preventionweb.net/news/8-blazing-new-technologies-could-spark-change-wildfire-risk-reduction
Why the Philippines can’t escape its endless cycle of disaster https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3335387/why-philippines-cant-escape-its-endless-cycle-disaster
Asia-Pacific Disaster Report 2025: Rising heat, rising risk https://www.preventionweb.net/publication/documents-and-publications/asia-pacific-disaster-report-2025-rising-heat-rising-risk
Australia’s bushfires were held at bay by five wet years — but experts warn the country is ‘ready to burn’ https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/dec/09/australia-nsw-tasmania-bushfires-warning-experts
Coastal regions and climate change: how better risk assessment can help protect infrastructure and livelihoods https://theconversation.com/coastal-regions-and-climate-change-how-better-risk-assessment-can-help-protect-infrastructure-and-livelihoods-269441
When disaster strikes: How fire insurance protects lives and property in informal settlements https://www.ilo.org/resource/article/when-disaster-strikes-how-fire-insurance-protects-lives-and-property
Why does the U.S. flood insurance gap persist, and how can private insurance transform the market? https://www.moodys.com/web/en/us/insights/insurance/us-flood-insurance-gap-how-private-insurers-can-transform-the-market.html
Volcanic eruptions set off a chain of events that brought the Black Death to Europe https://www.cam.ac.uk/stories/volcanoes-black-death
Six-year study reveals ancient quakes along 150-mile fault system in Nepal https://news.vt.edu/articles/2025/11/CM-earthquake-research-Nepal-2025.html
Developing community resilience index for flood (CRIF): evidence from extreme flood-prone Jamalpur district of Bangladesh https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2452292925000979
Postfire recovery trajectories of bulldozed versus burned chaparral eight years postfire https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s42408-025-00428-6
Integrated fire management as an adaptation and mitigation strategy to altered fire regimes https://www.preventionweb.net/publication/integrated-fire-management-adaptation-and-mitigation-strategy-altered-fire-regimes
The 2025 Blatten disaster in the Swiss Alps followed exceptional warming and highlights the vulnerability of people and heritage in glaciated landscapes https://www.nature.com/articles/s43247-025-02994-8
Primed to burn: what’s behind the intense, sudden fires burning across New South Wales and Tasmania https://theconversation.com/primed-to-burn-whats-behind-the-intense-sudden-fires-burning-across-new-south-wales-and-tasmania-271499
Associate student develops efficient fire fuel model https://naturalhazards.com.au/news-and-events/news-and-views/associate-student-develops-efficient-fire-fuel-model
G7 initiative on extreme weather prediction, preparedness, and response https://www.canada.ca/en/services/environment/weather/climatechange/canada-international-action/g7-initiative-extreme-weather.html
From soil to space: Building flood-resilient cities https://www.preventionweb.net/news/soil-space-building-flood-resilient-cities
Study reveals wildfire risk and resource mismatch in Colorado https://warnercnr.source.colostate.edu/study-reveals-wildfire-risk-and-resource-mismatch-in-colorado/
UN Global Risk Report https://unglobalriskreport.org/
COV-FCE-Based Evaluation of Old Community Fire Resilience: A Case Study of Xuzhou City, China https://www.mdpi.com/2571-6255/8/12/473
Potential drivers of fire severity in Golden Gate Highlands National Park: a case study of the November 2022 big fire event https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s42408-025-00427-7
Emergency Management
Devastated families grapple with ferocity of NSW Central Coast bushfires https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-12-08/nsw-central-coast-families-devasted-by-fierce-koolewong-bushfire/106111938
Survivors plead for urgent aid after catastrophic floods and landslides killed over 1,500 in Asia https://www.castanet.net/news/World/588014/Survivors-plead-for-urgent-aid-after-catastrophic-floods-and-landslides-killed-over-1-500-in-Asia
Integrating Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, Mixed Reality, Extended Reality, and Simulation-Based Systems into Fire and Rescue Service Training: Current Practices and Future Directions https://www.mdpi.com/2571-6255/8/6/228
Medical shortages and disease cases rise as Cyclone Senyar death tolls climbs to 940, Indonesia https://watchers.news/2025/12/08/medical-shortages-disease-cases-rise-cyclone-senyar-death-tolls-climbs-940-indonesia/
New findings reveal that Thailand must act swiftly to prepare schools for future emergencies https://www.unicef.org/thailand/press-releases/new-findings-reveal-thailand-must-act-swiftly-prepare-schools-future-emergencies
When Animals Complicate Disasters: Why Scotland Must Rethink Emergency Planning https://ncr.glasgow.ac.uk/?p=2490
Record-breaking Floods Spark Warning of ‘Major Damage’ To River Levees https://www.newsweek.com/record-breaking-floods-spark-warning-major-damage-river-levees-11188116
Disaster Education, Communications and Engagement
Children should help shape disaster preparedness https://www.preventionweb.net/drr-community-voices/children-should-help-shape-disaster-preparedness
Participants who received localized messages were twice as likely to seek further information about wildfire preparedness compared with those who received generic communications https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-025-02352-w
Art as a tool to enable resilience against tidal flooding https://india.mongabay.com/2025/12/art-as-a-tool-to-enable-resilience-against-tidal-flooding/
Stop Hurricane Disaster Game https://www.stopdisastersgame.org/game/?scenario=hurricane&dificulty=easy=en
Disaster psychology
The devastating Hong Kong fire reminds us it’s okay not to be calm in an emergency https://www.abc.net.au/religion/hong-kong-fire-its-ok-not-to-be-calm-in-emergency/106088380
How to talk with young people about the climate crisis https://ecojustice.ca/news/how-to-talk-with-young-people-about-the-climate-crisis/
Sociology and disasters
Building a connected and resilient Australia by measuring our invisible infrastructure https://www.researchgate.net/publication/396792279_Building_a_connected_and_resilient_Australia_by_measuring_our_invisible_infrastructure_October_2025_Publisher_Acknowledgement_of_Country
Who’s at the table? Disaster committee composition and policy pathways after Hurricane Sandy https://www.researchgate.net/publication/395327514_Who’s_at_the_table_Disaster_committee_composition_and_policy_pathways_after_Hurricane_Sandy
A geospatial and quantitative analysis of agricultural exemption passes during the California wildfires https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17477891.2025.2566203
Repoliticizing Social Infrastructure: Framing Uneven Geographies of Social Infrastructure in Times of Crisis https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00330124.2025.2586113
Disaster Resilience News 