Please find below links to some aspects of disaster resilience that were in the news recently…
Recent emergencies/disasters
Landslide-triggered mine collapse kills more than 200 at Rubaya coltan site in North Kivu, DR Congo https://watchers.news/2026/01/31/landslide-triggered-mine-collapse-kills-more-than-200-at-rubaya-coltan-site-in-north-kivu-dr-congo/
Historic cold breaks multiple February records across Florida https://watchers.news/2026/02/02/historic-cold-breaks-multiple-february-records-across-florida/
Japan deploys Self-Defense Forces in Aomori for first time in 21 years as record snowfall kills 30 https://watchers.news/2026/02/03/japan-deploys-self-defense-forces-in-aomori-for-first-time-in-21-years-as-record-snowfall-kills-30/
Tropical Storm Penha (Basyang) expected to make multiple landfalls over Mindanao and Visayas, Philippines https://watchers.news/2026/02/05/tropical-storm-penha-basyang-expected-to-make-multiple-landfalls-over-mindanao-and-visayas-philippines/
At least 12 dead, 2 000 homes destroyed as Tropical Cyclone Fytia hits Madagascar https://watchers.news/2026/02/05/at-least-12-dead-2-000-homes-destroyed-as-tropical-cyclone-fytia-hits-madagascar/
Homes on verge of collapse as 4 km (2.5 miles) landslide destabilizes hillside above Gela plain, Italy https://watchers.news/2026/01/30/homes-on-verge-of-collapse-as-4-km-2-5-miles-landslide-destabilizes-hillside-above-gela-plain-italy/
Volcanic activity worldwide 4 Feb 2026: Santiaguito volcano, Fuego, Popocatépetl, Soputan, Tangkuba https://www.volcanodiscovery.com/volcano-activity/news/293898/Volcanic-activity-worldwide-4-Feb-2026-Santiaguito-volcano-Fuego-Popocatepetl-Soputan-Tangkuba.html
Extreme Weather and Climate Change
Anatomy of a heatwave: how a cyclone, humid air and atmospheric waves drove brutal heat in the southeast https://theconversation.com/anatomy-of-a-heatwave-how-a-cyclone-humid-air-and-atmospheric-waves-drove-brutal-heat-in-the-southeast-274511
Extreme heat resilience https://www.undrr.org/our-work/extreme-heat-resilience
Australia’s grid now relies on renewable energy as much as coal https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/jan/31/australias-grid-now-relies-on-renewable-energy-as-much-as-coal-those-who-doubted-it-look-foolish
Climate change is accelerating, scientists find in ‘grim’ report https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2025/09/climate-change-is-accelerating-scientists-find-in-grim-report/
Heatwaves are changing the way Australians live and spend their money, study finds https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-02-02/heatwaves-changing-australians-spending-habits-study-finds/106287812
Climate change is not making extreme cold more common https://www.carbonbrief.org/factcheck-climate-change-is-not-making-extreme-cold-more-common/
Extreme heat, cold, precipitation and fires mark the start of 2026 https://wmo.int/media/news/extreme-heat-cold-precipitation-and-fires-mark-start-of-2026
Unexpected Climate Feedback Links Antarctic Ice Sheet With Reduced Carbon Uptake https://lamont.columbia.edu/news/unexpected-climate-feedback-links-antarctic-ice-sheet-reduced-carbon-uptake
China to See Solar Capacity Outstrip Coal Capacity This Year https://e360.yale.edu/digest/china-solar-coal-2026
Climate change and La Niña made ‘devastating’ southern African floods more intense https://www.carbonbrief.org/climate-change-and-la-nina-made-devastating-southern-african-floods-more-intense/
Global population living with extreme heat to double by 2050 – Oxford study https://www.smithschool.ox.ac.uk/news/global-population-living-extreme-heat-double-2050-oxford-study
Parts of the tropics may warm more than expected as CO2 rises, study finds https://www.brown.edu/news/2026-02-02/tropical-warming-co2
Extreme Heatwaves Across the Caribbean Are Becoming More Frequent and Severe https://www.albany.edu/news-center/news/2026-study-extreme-heatwaves-across-caribbean-are-becoming-more-frequent-and
Climate Change Responses in the Pacific: Just Transformation or Transforming Justice? https://rgs-ibg.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/geo2.70058
Climate ‘fingerprints’ mark human activity from the top of the atmosphere to the bottom of the ocean https://theconversation.com/climate-fingerprints-mark-human-activity-from-the-top-of-the-atmosphere-to-the-bottom-of-the-ocean-274659
Disaster risk reduction
South Wales council to buy and demolish homes prone to flooding https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/feb/02/south-wales-council-buy-demolish-homes-flooding-clydach-terrace-ynysybwl
More than 87m people impacted by climate-related disasters in 2025 https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/01/more-than-87m-people-impacted-by-climate-related-disasters-in-2025/
A review of the UK’s climate in 2025 https://www.carbonbrief.org/met-office-a-review-of-the-uks-climate-in-2025/
South Pacific carbon uptake controlled by West Antarctic Ice Sheet dynamics https://www.nature.com/articles/s41561-025-01911-0
New study identifies warning signs for extreme flash flooding https://www.ncl.ac.uk/press/articles/latest/2026/01/warningsignsforextremeflashflooding/
Aussie bushfire prevention tech goes global https://www.preventionweb.net/news/aussie-bushfire-prevention-tech-goes-global
Six years after COVID-19’s global alarm: Is the world better prepared for the next pandemic? https://www.who.int/news/item/02-02-2026-six-years-after-covid-19-s-global-alarm-is-the-world-better-prepared-for-the-next-pandemic
“Jerk”, a promising new method for early warning of volcanic eruptions https://www.gfz.de/en/press/news/details/jerk-eine-vielversprechende-neue-methode-zur-fruehwarnung-vor-vulkanausbruechen
Five smart ways to reduce wildfire risk before the blaze begins https://www.preventionweb.net/news/five-smart-ways-reduce-wildfire-risk-blaze-begins
National and Sub-national disaster risk and resilience assessment and roadmap for India’s telecommunications sector https://www.preventionweb.net/publication/national-and-sub-national-disaster-risk-and-resilience-assessment-and-roadmap-indias
Revolutionizing Wildfire Detection Through UAV-Driven Fire Monitoring with a Transformer-Based Approach https://www.mdpi.com/2571-6255/7/12/443
Flood risk is rising at Britain’s most famous landmarks https://www.unda.co.uk/news/flood-risk-is-rising-at-britains-most-famous-landmarks/
Forest Fire Prediction: A Spatial Machine Learning and Neural Network Approach https://www.mdpi.com/2571-6255/7/6/205
How Increasing Rainfall Is Changing Flood Risk in the UK https://www.unda.co.uk/news/how-increasing-rainfall-is-changing-flood-risk-in-the-uk/
Emergency Management
Integration of Industry 4.0 Technologies in Fire and Safety Management https://www.mdpi.com/2571-6255/7/10/335
Australian Climate and Homelessness Alliance to help rough sleepers through extreme weather https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-02-03/australian-climate-change-homelessness-alliance/106226294
Fast-moving floodwater poses hidden danger for cities https://www.canterbury.ac.nz/news-and-events/news/2026/fast-moving-floodwater-poses-hidden-danger-for-cities-
In a warming Arctic, Norwegian Red Cross ’snow-how’ helps communities prepare for emergencies https://www.climatecentre.org/16606/in-a-changing-arctic-norwegian-red-cross-snow-how-helps-communities-prepare-for-emergencies/
Over 100 deaths linked to January storms – here’s how to stay safe when cold, snowy weather moves in https://theconversation.com/over-100-deaths-linked-to-january-storms-heres-how-to-stay-safe-when-cold-snowy-weather-moves-in-274605
Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) https://wmo.int/site/wmo-common-alerting-protocol
Disaster Education, Communications and Engagement
StormShare: A Crowdsourcing Web Application to Enhance Resiliency during Hurricanes https://ascelibrary.org/doi/10.1061/NHREFO.NHENG-2230
Disasters are not natural: review of Disasters By Choice: How our Actions turn Natural Hazards into Catastrophes https://knowledge.aidr.org.au/resources/ajem-january-2026-disasters-are-not-natural-review-of-disasters-by-choice-how-our-actions-turn-natural-hazards-into-catastrophes
Be Flood Ready: The Importance of Having a Household Flood Plan https://rainnorthants.co.uk/be-flood-ready/
Disaster risk reduction (DRR) badge manual https://www.preventionweb.net/publication/educational-materials/disaster-risk-reduction-drr-badge-manual
Disaster psychology
Sense of Community and Adaptive Capacity: Insights from the 2019/2020 Australian ‘Black Summer’ Bushfires https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0272494426000319
Sociology and disasters
The role of social infrastructure in community-based disaster resilience: A case study of the 2024 Noto Peninsula earthquake https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212420926000452
Panel response and attrition in a disaster-recovery survey: trajectories and determinants following the Great East Japan Earthquake https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s44367-026-00028-4
Community Resilience and Social Support: A Qualitative Study of Coping Strategies Among Tsunami Survivors in Kerala, India https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-032-09621-0_23
Social connection and loneliness in the era of extreme weather and climate change https://www.nature.com/articles/s44360-025-00041-6
Storytelling Networks and Social Capital for Disaster Resilience: Empowering Narrative Agency in Diverse Communities https://www.cogitatiopress.com/mediaandcommunication/article/view/11508/4924
Disaster Resilience News 