Please find below links to some aspects of disaster resilience that were in the news recently…
Recent emergencies/disasters
Stationary storm drops 100 mm (3.9 inches) of rain in one hour, causes severe flooding in Tarazona, Zaragoza, Spain https://watchers.news/2025/07/12/stationary-storm-drops-100-mm-rain-causes-severe-flooding-tarazona-zaragoza-spain/
Fast-spreading wildfires force evacuations in parts of the Grand Canyon National Park https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-07-13/multiple-wildfires-force-evacuations-at-grand-canyon/105526000
Sudden eruption produces dense ash plume at Erta Ale volcano, Ethiopia https://watchers.news/2025/07/15/erta-ale-volcano-eruption-dense-ash-emission-ethiopia-july-2025/
Record rainfall triggers flash floods across Tri-State area, state of emergency declared in New Jersey https://watchers.news/2025/07/15/record-rainfall-flash-floods-tri-state-new-jersey-emergency-july-14-2025/
Typhoon Nari makes historic landfall over Hokkaido, Japan https://watchers.news/2025/07/15/typhoon-nari-historic-landfall-hokkaido-japan-july-2025/
Dragon Bravo Fire destroys Grand Canyon Lodge and 50 to 80 structures, Arizona https://watchers.news/2025/07/14/dragon-bravo-fire-destroys-grand-canyon-lodge-50-structures-arizona/
More of England expected to enter drought status after hottest June on record https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/jul/14/more-of-england-expected-to-enter-drought-status-after-hottest-june-on-record
Large landslide disrupts water supply to 400 000 near Quito, Ecuador https://watchers.news/2025/07/17/large-landslide-disrupts-water-supply-quito-ecuador/
Monsoon rains and floods kill 63 people in 24 hours across Punjab, Pakistan https://watchers.news/2025/07/17/floods-monsoon-rains-kill-63-punjab-pakistan/
Heaviest rains in 120 years leave at least 2 dead, force over 1 000 evacuations in South Korea https://watchers.news/2025/07/17/heaviest-rain-120-years-south-korea-evacuations-deaths/
One dead, 12 injured after severe flooding in La Martinica, Zapopan, Mexico https://watchers.news/2025/07/16/one-dead-12-injured-severe-flooding-la-martinica-zapopan-mexico/
One month’s worth of rain in 2 hours floods roads and tunnels in Moscow https://watchers.news/2025/07/16/moscow-russia-flood-july-15-2025/
Floods create sinkholes, submerge roads in central North Carolina https://watchers.news/2025/07/16/floods-sinkholes-north-carolina-july-2025/
Volcanic activity worldwide 17 Jul 2025: Santiaguito volcano, Popocatépetl, Semeru, Ibu, Dukono https://www.volcanodiscovery.com/volcano-activity/news/275808/Volcanic-activity-worldwide-17-Jul-2025-Santiaguito-volcano-Popocatepetl-Semeru-Ibu-Dukono-Sv.html
Extreme Weather and Climate Change
Pacific islands push back against growing climate threats https://www.climatechangenews.com/2025/07/10/pacific-islands-push-back-against-growing-climate-threats/
Antarctic summer sea ice is at record lows. Here’s how it will harm the planet – and us https://theconversation.com/antarctic-summer-sea-ice-is-at-record-lows-heres-how-it-will-harm-the-planet-and-us-256104
Melting ice will strengthen the monsoon in northern Australia – but cause drier conditions north of the Equator https://theconversation.com/melting-ice-will-strengthen-the-monsoon-in-northern-australia-but-cause-drier-conditions-north-of-the-equator-259992
Experts: Which climate tipping point is the most concerning? https://www.carbonbrief.org/experts-which-climate-tipping-point-is-the-most-concerning/
Extreme heat could lead to 30,000 deaths a year in England and Wales by 2070s, say scientists https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/jul/10/extreme-heat-death-rate-england-wales-by-2070-climate-change
‘It can’t withstand the heat’: fears ‘stable’ Patagonia glacier in irreversible decline https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/jul/11/glacier-patagonia-perito-moreno-decline
Heat waves put older persons at high risk, warns UN report https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/press-release/heat-waves-put-older-persons-high-risk-warns-un-report
‘We don’t want to be climate refugees’: Torres Strait uncles fear for their islands and their people https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/jul/13/we-dont-want-to-be-climate-refugees-torres-strait-uncles-fear-for-their-islands-and-their-people
Tamil Nadu’s heat crisis: Either build sustainably or burn https://www.newindianexpress.com/xplore/2025/Jul/11/tamil-nadus-heat-crisis-either-build-sustainably-or-burn
‘Profound concern’ as scientists say extreme heat ‘now the norm’ in UK https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/jul/14/profound-concern-as-scientists-say-extreme-heat-now-the-norm-in-uk
New Index Ranks Vulnerabilities of 188 Nations to Climate Shocks https://www.rockefellerfoundation.org/news/new-index-ranks-vulnerabilities-of-188-nations-to-climate-shocks/
Safer, Climate-Resilient Roads Set to Improve Lives of 13,000 people in Comoros https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2025/07/07/safer-climate-resilient-roads-set-to-improve-lives-of-13-000-people-in-afe-comoros
School’s out for summer: What does extreme heat do to children? https://www.context.news/climate-risks/schools-out-for-summer-what-does-extreme-heat-do-to-children
To help people prepare for extreme heat, we must communicate better https://www.climatechangenews.com/2025/07/14/to-help-people-prepare-for-extreme-heat-we-must-communicate-better/
Australia got off on a technicality for its climate inaction. But there are plenty more judgement days to come https://theconversation.com/australia-got-off-on-a-technicality-for-its-climate-inaction-but-there-are-plenty-more-judgement-days-to-come-261305
Thousands of years of climate data refined to better predict future environmental changes https://phys.org/news/2025-07-thousands-years-climate-refined-future.html
Study finds cities with proactive, risk-tolerant governing styles most likely to have ambitious climate strategies https://news.ku.edu/news/article/study-finds-cities-with-proactive-risk-tolerant-governing-styles-most-likely-to-have-ambitious-climate-strategies
With increase in extreme weather, removing outdated dams and barriers benefits communities https://www.americanrivers.org/media-item/new-analysis-with-increase-in-extreme-weather-removing-outdated-dams-and-barriers-benefits-communities/
A proposed approach for New Zealand’s adaptation framework https://www.preventionweb.net/publication/documents-and-publications/proposed-approach-new-zealands-adaptation-framework
Disaster risk reduction
No Warning: It’s Time to Fix our Broken Public Warning System https://www.hstoday.us/subject-matter-areas/emergency-preparedness/perspective-no-warning-its-time-to-fix-our-broken-public-warning-system/
Rivers choose their path based on erosion, a discovery that could transform flood planning and restoration https://phys.org/news/2025-07-rivers-path-based-erosion-discovery.html
Role of plate convergence rate in shaping earthquake recurrence in subduction zones https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-04766-y
Scholars and designers of early warning systems say that there are still huge gaps in our ability to predict flash floods and warn those at risk https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/12/climate/flash-floods-disaster-prevention.html
The Frontiers Report spotlights emerging environmental issues before they escalate into global or regional crises https://www.unep.org/resources/frontiers-2025-weight-time
Southern Concord Fault found to be slowly shifting, changing seismic hazard maps for Bay Area suburbs https://watchers.news/2025/07/13/southern-concord-fault-creep-study-seismic-hazard-bay-area/
Berg winds in South Africa: the winter weather pattern that increases wildfire risks https://theconversation.com/berg-winds-in-south-africa-the-winter-weather-pattern-that-increases-wildfire-risks-260612
How is earthquake-driven sea-level rise changing our coasts? https://blogs.egu.eu/divisions/nh/2025/07/14/how-is-earthquake-driven-sea-level-rise-changing-our-coasts/
As wildfires spread to Europe’s cities, what can LA teach us? https://www.context.news/climate-risks/as-wildfires-spread-to-europes-cities-what-can-la-teach-us
Interdisciplinary solutions to enable nature-based solutions for coastal protection achieve ecological and engineering outcomes https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S146290112500173X
Coastal infrastructure increases the vulnerability of sandy beaches https://www.climatechangepost.com/news/coastal-infrastructure-increases-the-vulnerability-of-sandy-beaches/
How restoring river catchments can minimise drought and flood risks https://theconversation.com/how-restoring-river-catchments-can-minimise-drought-and-flood-risks-258840
Drivers of flash floods in the Indian sub-continental river basins https://www.nature.com/articles/s44304-025-00121-3
Japan agency aims to better predict ‘linear precipitation bands’ as rain disasters worsen https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20250715/p2a/00m/0na/024000c
DBCA documents reveal damage to rare forest after hundreds of trees felled by controlled burn https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-07-16/giant-red-tingle-trees-felled-controlled-burn-wa-south-coast/105512970
Emergency Management
Bipartisan support picks up for a natural disaster review board https://www.nbcnews.com/science/climate-change/bipartisan-support-picks-natural-disaster-review-board-rcna218331
UA Researchers Develop More Effective Model for Wildfire Evacuation https://news.ua.edu/2025/07/ua-research-wildfire-evacuation-planning/
Summer floods of July 2021 exposed the Meuse’s vulnerability https://www.wur.nl/en/newsarticle/summer-floods-of-july-2021-exposed-the-meuses-vulnerability.htm
CDC says COVID-19 cases rising in 25 states https://www.upi.com/Health_News/2025/07/14/covid19-rising-25-states-cdc/6121752517504/
Disaster Education, Communications and Engagement
Educating for psychological, community, and ecological resilience: a case study from North Carolina, USA https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13412-025-01034-3
The Problem With ‘Move to Higher Ground’ https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2025/07/texas-flood-emergency-alert-failures/683461/
Why it can be hard to warn people about dangers like floods – communication researchers explain the role of human behavior https://theconversation.com/why-it-can-be-hard-to-warn-people-about-dangers-like-floods-communication-researchers-explain-the-role-of-human-behavior-260780
New App Alerts Users to Rising Rivers and Streams https://www.sevendaysvt.com/news/new-app-alerts-users-to-rising-rivers-and-streams-43894060
Disaster psychology
Disaster Psychology https://www.psychologytoday.com/au/basics/disaster-psychology
Sociology and disasters
Social vulnerability triage: a dynamic scenario-based system for disaster planning and response https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13669877.2025.2522660
Knowledge gaps in disaster resilience: Public understanding of social and green infrastructure in Japan https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212420925005114