Please find below links to some aspects of disaster resilience that were in the news recently…
Recent emergencies/disasters
Over 20 000 evacuated as Typhoon Noul approaches Guangdong, up to 600 mm (24 inches) of rain forecast, China https://watchers.news/2026/07/25/over-20-000-evacuated-as-typhoon-noul-approaches-guangdong-up-to-600-mm-24-inches-of-rain-forecast-china/
Two dead in Upshur County due to catastrophic flooding in West Virginia https://watchers.news/2026/07/25/two-dead-in-upshur-county-due-to-catastrophic-flooding-in-west-virginia/
Wildfires in France and Spain claim lives, forcing 300,000 people to flee their homes https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-07-26/france-spain-wildfires-force-250-000-people-to-flee-homes/106958588
Flash floods kill 10, injure 23 at Shuangshimen scenic area in Gansu Province, China https://watchers.news/2026/07/27/flash-floods-kill-10-injure-23-at-shuangshimen-scenic-area-in-gansu-province-china/
Guam, CNMI suffer impacts from second super typhoon in just 83 days https://www.pdc.org/guam-cnmi-suffer-impacts-from-second-super-typhoon-in-just-83-days/
Almost 4,000 people evacuated from tourist sites near Bordeaux as wildfires rage in France and Spain https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jul/28/france-bordeaux-lacanau-evacuation-wildfires-madrid-spain
Local State of Disaster declared after tornado tears through Menasha, Appleton and Neenah, Wisconsin https://watchers.news/2026/07/28/local-state-of-disaster-declared-after-tornado-tears-through-menasha-appleton-and-neenah-wisconsin/
Strong and shallow M7.1 earthquake hits Kyushu, Japan, hazardous tsunami waves possible https://watchers.news/2026/07/28/strong-and-shallow-m7-1-earthquake-hits-kyushu-japan-hazardous-tsunami-waves-possible/
Weekly disaster update, July 27 https://disasterphilanthropy.org/blog/what-were-watching-weekly-disaster-update-july-27/
Japan races to find survivors as earthquake death toll climbs to 18: ‘I thought a bomb had gone off’ https://au.news.yahoo.com/japan-races-survivors-earthquake-death-112355934.html
The death toll in the Assam floods rose to 75 https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/guwahati/assam-floods-death-toll-rises-to-75-over-3-32-lakh-affected-govt-announces-additional-relief/articleshow/132691197.cms
Race to extinguish blazes across Europe as fire weather breaks records https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jul/30/fire-weather-eu-wildfires-data
Death toll rises to 34 after M7.1 Kumamoto earthquake, over 267 000 remain under evacuation orders, Japan https://watchers.news/2026/07/30/death-toll-rises-to-34-after-m7-1-kumamoto-earthquake-over-267-000-remain-under-evacuation-orders-japan/
3 firefighters confirmed dead, wildfires prompt Category 4 fire risk in Greece https://watchers.news/2026/07/30/3-firefighters-confirmed-dead-wildfires-prompt-category-4-fire-risk-in-greece/
Extreme Weather and Climate Change
Japan records unprecedented five-day streak of temperatures reaching 40°C (104°F), the longest on record https://watchers.news/2026/07/26/japan-records-unprecedented-five-day-streak-of-temperatures-reaching-40c-104f-the-longest-on-record/
Earth is heating up faster than at any time in its history https://www.newscientist.com/article/2581280-earth-is-heating-up-faster-than-at-any-time-in-its-history/
How Weather Whiplash Helped Fuel the Devastating Wildfires in France and Spain https://e360.yale.edu/digest/weather-whiplash-france-spain-fires
Aussies given grim weather warning as ‘super’ El Niño event looms: ‘Strongest since 1950’ https://au.news.yahoo.com/aussies-given-grim-weather-warning-as-super-el-nino-event-looms-strongest-since-1950-073608811.html
Global heat stress intensification and its expanding footprint on the human population https://www.preventionweb.net/publication/documents-and-publications/global-heat-stress-intensification-and-its-expanding
The year climate change came for the Tour de France https://www.preventionweb.net/news/year-climate-change-came-tour-de-france
Millions face long-term coastal flooding risk in UK without climate action, scientists warn https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/jul/21/millions-long-term-coastal-flooding-risk-uk-climate-action
Strengthening provincial coherence between climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction and management for inclusive and resilient development in Nepal https://www.preventionweb.net/publication/documents-and-publications/strengthening-provincial-coherence-between-climate-change
Climate alarm ‘blaring from every direction’ https://news.un.org/en/story/2026/07/1168042
Pathways to locally led adaptation: Lessons for effective climate resilience finance https://zcralliance.org/resources/item/pathways-to-locally-led-adaptation-lessons-for-effective-climate-resilience-finance/
Financing heat resilience https://zcralliance.org/resources/item/financing-heat-resilience/
How do scientists know if climate change made a heat wave, extreme storm or wildfire worse? https://theconversation.com/how-do-scientists-know-if-climate-change-made-a-heat-wave-extreme-storm-or-wildfire-worse-288232
What two centuries of Perth storm records tell us about future climate risk https://theconversation.com/what-two-centuries-of-perth-storm-records-tell-us-about-future-climate-risk-282971
It’s getting hotter in classrooms and on playgrounds – schools aren’t ready to handle extreme temperatures https://theconversation.com/its-getting-hotter-in-classrooms-and-on-playgrounds-schools-arent-ready-to-handle-extreme-temperatures-287455
Threefold increase in atmospheric–riverine compound heatwaves under climate change https://www.nature.com/articles/s41561-026-02040-y
Disaster risk reduction
Towards enhancing nature-based solutions in flood risk management in Australia: A review of their barriers, enablers, and future perspectives https://www.preventionweb.net/publication/documents-and-publications/towards-enhancing-nature-based-solutions-flood-risk
Floods from space: How remote sensing, AI, and cloud platforms are reshaping Disaster Risk Reduction https://www.preventionweb.net/publication/documents-and-publications/floods-space-how-remote-sensing-ai-and-cloud-platforms-are
Building South America’s First Regional Severe Weather Forecasting Programme https://wmo.int/resources/meteoworld/meteoworld-july-2026/building-south-americas-first-regional-severe-weather-forecasting-programme
Resilient Western Balkans: Strengthening transboundary collaboration and capacities on disaster risk reduction and Early Warning Systems in the Western Balkans https://www.preventionweb.net/publication/documents-and-publications/resilient-western-balkans-strengthening-transboundary
Global Rapid Post-Disaster Damage Estimation (GRADE): Venezuela Earthquakes https://www.preventionweb.net/publication/documents-and-publications/global-rapid-post-disaster-damage-estimation-grade-venezuela
Institutional pathways of anticipatory action and their effects on disaster governance effectiveness: A comparative study of the Philippines and Bangladesh https://www.preventionweb.net/publication/documents-and-publications/institutional-pathways-anticipatory-action-and-their-effects
Exploring the impact mechanisms of tropical cyclone losses: a global analysis integrating hazard, exposure, and vulnerability (1990–2019) https://www.preventionweb.net/publication/documents-and-publications/exploring-impact-mechanisms-tropical-cyclone-losses-global
Impacts of extreme climate events on megacities in West Africa: A case of the Greater Accra Region https://www.preventionweb.net/publication/documents-and-publications/impacts-extreme-climate-events-megacities-west-africa-case
What caused the magnitude 6.8 earthquake in Japan? https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/what-caused-the-magnitude-6-8-earthquake-in-japan/
Ten of the world’s most iconic volcanoes, each renowned for its unique cultural, historical, and geological significance https://www.volcanodiscovery.com/volcanoes/iconic-volcanoes-culture-history-and-geology.html
ECE professor develops AI-driven method to improve forecasts weeks in advance https://source.colostate.edu/ece-professor-develops-ai-driven-method-to-improve-forecasts-weeks-in-advance/
Flash droughts pull ‘alarming’ amounts of moisture from the landscape and intensify wildfires: new research https://theconversation.com/flash-droughts-pull-alarming-amounts-of-moisture-from-the-landscape-and-intensify-wildfires-new-research-287879
AI reveals hidden fault movements beneath the San Andreas Fault https://watchers.news/epicenter/ai-reveals-hidden-fault-movements-beneath-the-san-andreas-fault/
Natural catastrophes in 2025: The persistent rise of wildfire and storm risk https://www.preventionweb.net/publication/documents-and-publications/natural-catastrophes-2025-persistent-rise-wildfire-and-storm
Scientists capture seafloor spreading in action for the first time beneath the Indian Ocean https://watchers.news/epicenter/scientists-capture-seafloor-spreading-in-action-for-the-first-time-beneath-the-indian-ocean/
Knowing what the weather will do: A guide for practitioners on impact-based early warning https://www.preventionweb.net/publication/documents-and-publications/knowing-what-weather-will-do-guide-practitioners-impact-0
Emergency Management
As communities face more frequent hazard warnings, we need better systems to avoid ‘emergency fatigue’ https://theconversation.com/as-communities-face-more-frequent-hazard-warnings-we-need-better-systems-to-avoid-emergency-fatigue-284940
Photos Show the Destruction in France and Spain From Ferocious European Wildfires https://time.com/article/2026/07/27/france-spain-europe-wildfires-destruction-photos/
Why we should prepare for landslides ahead of time https://www.tbsnews.net/thoughts/why-we-should-prepare-landslides-ahead-time-881191
Repeated storms are turning disaster recovery into a way of life, and leaving communities facing disaster fatigue https://theconversation.com/repeated-storms-are-turning-disaster-recovery-into-a-way-of-life-and-leaving-communities-facing-disaster-fatigue-287147
‘It’s our home, it’s our forest’: BBC speaks to locals fighting France wildfire https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c62q5we799ro
Unprecedented ‘fire clouds’ are fanning the flames in France https://www.newscientist.com/article/2581585-unprecedented-fire-clouds-are-fanning-the-flames-in-france/
Disaster Education Communications and Engagement
How volunteer map makers save lives in a disaster https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvg40g1x53jo
Community resilience action groups to strengthen climate resilience https://www.preventionweb.net/publication/documents-and-publications/community-resilience-action-groups-strengthen-climate
Pacific emergency broadcasting: vital but critically underfunded https://www.preventionweb.net/publication/documents-and-publications/pacific-emergency-broadcasting-vital-critically-underfunded
Media coverage of environmental disasters doesn’t come with a content warning. It’s time for change https://theconversation.com/media-coverage-of-environmental-disasters-doesnt-come-with-a-content-warning-its-time-for-change-286564
When it comes to predicting the future, why are TV writers better than politicians? https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jul/27/predicting-the-future-why-tv-writers-better-than-politicians
A ‘crisis communication gap’ threatens Indigenous peoples https://grist.org/global-indigenous-affairs-desk/a-crisis-communication-gap-threatens-indigenous-peoples/
Mapping participatory approaches in disaster risk management: A scoping review https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212420926003286
Disaster psychology
Repeated storms are turning disaster recovery into a way of life, and leaving communities facing disaster fatigue https://theconversation.com/repeated-storms-are-turning-disaster-recovery-into-a-way-of-life-and-leaving-communities-facing-disaster-fatigue-287147
Sociology and disasters
“Welcome to the Club”: Unpacking Administrative Burdens in Conservation Incentive Programs Supporting Natural Flood Resilience https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2026CSJ000191
For India’s women, indoor heat is theirs to bear and theirs to fix https://dialogue.earth/en/climate/for-indias-women-indoor-heat-is-theirs-to-bear-and-theirs-to-fix/
Too hot to work, too poor to rest: health and economic impacts of heat stress on informal workers in urban India https://www.preventionweb.net/publication/documents-and-publications/too-hot-work-too-poor-rest-health-and-economic-impacts-heat
Structural factors rather than reconstruction investment drive depopulation after Japan’s 2011 disasters https://www.nature.com/articles/s43247-026-03843-y
Study on disability-inclusive and gender-responsive Early Warning Systems in Khulna, Bangladesh https://www.preventionweb.net/publication/documents-and-publications/study-disability-inclusive-and-gender-responsive-early
Disaster Resilience News 