Please find below links to some aspects of disaster resilience that were in the news recently…
Recent emergencies/disasters
Flash flood emergencies erupt as more torrential rain targets storm-weary South, Midwest https://www.accuweather.com/en/severe-weather/flash-flood-emergencies-erupt-as-more-torrential-rain-targets-storm-weary-south-midwest/1763006
Around 30 dead in Congo capital flooding, authorities say https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/around-30-dead-congo-capital-flooding-authorities-say-2025-04-06/
At least 33 killed in one of Kinshasa’s worst floods in recent history, DR Congo https://watchers.news/2025/04/07/at-least-33-killed-in-one-of-kinshasas-worst-floods-in-recent-history-dr-congo/
Very strong M6.9 earthquake hits Papua New Guinea, hazardous tsunami waves possible https://watchers.news/2025/04/04/very-strong-m6-9-earthquake-hits-papua-new-guinea-hazardous-tsunami-waves-possible/
Ash soars kilometres into air as Philippines’s Kanlaon Volcano erupts https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-04-08/kanlaon-volcano-erupts-in-philippines/105150562
Wildfires in Siberia destroy 65 buildings, Russia https://watchers.news/2025/04/08/wildfires-in-siberia-destroy-65-buildings-russia/
Severe weather claims 23 lives across South and Midwest; Kentucky among the hardest hit https://watchers.news/2025/04/08/severe-weather-claims-23-lives-across-south-and-midwest-kentucky-among-the-hardest-hit/
Flooding has created an ‘inland tsunami’ around Innamincka likened to Sydney Harbour https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-04-10/outback-flooding-deluges-cooper-creek-with-water-inundation/105154796
Deadly floods and landslides strike Java and Kalimantan provinces, Indonesia https://watchers.news/2025/04/10/deadly-floods-and-landslides-strike-java-and-kalimantan-provinces-indonesia/
Floods claim 16 lives in Namibia and displace thousands https://watchers.news/2025/04/10/floods-claim-16-lives-in-namibia-and-displace-thousands/
1 dead, 3 missing after severe floods in Badakshan, Afghanistan https://watchers.news/2025/04/09/1-dead-3-missing-after-severe-floods-in-badakshan-afghanistan/
Widespread forest fires ravage Mahottari, Nepal https://watchers.news/2025/04/10/widespread-forest-fires-ravage-mahottari-nepal/
Volcanic activity worldwide 10 Apr 2025: Santiaguito volcano, Popocatépetl, Semeru, Ibu, Dukono https://www.volcanodiscovery.com/volcano-activity/news/269033/Volcanic-activity-worldwide-10-Apr-2025-Santiaguito-volcano-Popocatepetl-Semeru-Ibu-Dukono-Re.html
Extreme Weather and Climate Change
An early but interesting end to the 2024-25 polar vortex season https://www.climate.gov/news-features/blogs/polar-vortex/early-interesting-end-2024-25-polar-vortex-season
Wildfires offset the increasing but spatially heterogeneous Arctic–boreal CO2 uptake https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-024-02234-5
Global warming of more than 3°C this century may wipe 40% off the world’s economy, new analysis reveals https://theconversation.com/global-warming-of-more-than-3-c-this-century-may-wipe-40-off-the-worlds-economy-new-analysis-reveals-253032
Consecutive El Niños are happening more often and the result is more devastating – new research https://theconversation.com/consecutive-el-ninos-are-happening-more-often-and-the-result-is-more-devastating-new-research-251504
Antarctica’s hidden threat: meltwater under the ice sheet amplifies sea-level rise https://theconversation.com/antarcticas-hidden-threat-meltwater-under-the-ice-sheet-amplifies-sea-level-rise-250780
‘Thirstwaves’ are growing more common across the United States https://phys.org/news/2025-04-thirstwaves-common-states.html
We passed the 1.5C climate threshold. We must now explore extreme options https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/apr/07/climate-solutions-extreme-options
Did climate change supercharge the ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ storm pummeling the central US? https://grist.org/climate/climate-change-supercharge-storm-atmosphere-gulf/
Extraordinary March heatwave in Central Asia up to 10 °C hotter in a warming climate https://www.worldweatherattribution.org/extraordinary-march-heatwave-in-central-asia-up-to-10-c-hotter-in-a-warming-climate/
New satellite data shows NZ’s major cities are sinking – meaning rising seas will affect them sooner https://theconversation.com/new-satellite-data-shows-nzs-major-cities-are-sinking-meaning-rising-seas-will-affect-them-sooner-252881
‘Doom loops’ are accelerating climate change – but we can break them https://theconversation.com/doom-loops-are-accelerating-climate-change-but-we-can-break-them-253457
From global to national GHG budgets: the REgional Carbon Cycle Assessment and Processes-3 (RECCAP3) https://academic.oup.com/nsr/article/12/4/nwaf037/8005396
For climate and livelihoods, Africa bets big on solar mini-grids https://knowablemagazine.org/content/article/technology/2025/nigeria-bets-on-solar-minigrids-for-climate-livelihood
World surges past 40% clean power in record renewables boom https://electrek.co/2025/04/07/world-surges-past-40-percent-clean-power-in-record-renewable-boom/
Five ways to improve net zero action – our new research highlights lessons from the past https://theconversation.com/five-ways-to-improve-net-zero-action-our-new-research-highlights-lessons-from-the-past-244195
Estimating the sea level rise responsibility of industrial carbon producers https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/adb59f
Arctic sea ice hits record March low as global powers eye shipping routes https://www.ft.com/content/f8083632-e6bc-45f5-8032-0ee60e263cf6
As the debate around renewables and nuclear continues, here is what the experts say https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-04-10/act-solar-and-nuclear-experts/105155684
Why some storms brew up to extreme dimensions in the middle of America – and why it’s happening more often https://theconversation.com/why-some-storms-brew-up-to-extreme-dimensions-in-the-middle-of-america-and-why-its-happening-more-often-254123
Pacific sub-decadal sea surface temperature variations contributed to recent Aantarctic Sea ice decline trend https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-58788-1
Global and regional drivers for exceptional climate extremes in 2023-2024: beyond the new normal https://www.nature.com/articles/s41612-025-00996-z
Solar panels and pristine forest: how one Amazon village is adapting to protect itself – in pictures https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/gallery/2025/apr/09/brazil-amazon-environment-indigenous-capoto-jarina-kayapo-chiefs-raoni-metutkire-climate-illegal-mining-in-pictures
Clean energy’s share of world’s electricity reaches 40%, report says https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cq80ygdd3zlo
Assessing the Global Climate in March 2025 https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/global-climate-202503
Disaster risk reduction
One-month earthquake forecast for western Myanmar following the devastating magnitude 7.7 Mandalay shock https://www.preventionweb.net/news/one-month-earthquake-forecast-western-myanmar-following-devastating-magnitude-77-mandalay
Lightning strike: the AI model that predicts wildfires https://www.preventionweb.net/news/lightning-strike-ai-model-predicts-wildfires
Scientists present new ML tool for improved fire prediction https://www.ecmwf.int/en/about/media-centre/news/2025/scientists-present-new-ml-tool-improved-fire-prediction
Three ways American cities can become more flood-resilient and beautiful https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2025/04/three-ways-american-cities-can-become-more-flood-resilient-and-beautiful/
The Crucial Role of Damage Surveys in Tornado Science https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/tornado-damage-surveys-are-a-crucial-tool-for-understanding-these-dangerous/
Soil conditions significantly increase rainfall in world’s megastorm hotspots https://www.ceh.ac.uk/press/soil-conditions-significantly-increase-rainfall-worlds-megastorm-hotspots
How do mangroves protect coastal communities from extreme weather? https://www.context.news/climate-risks/how-do-mangroves-protect-coastal-communities-from-extreme-weather
Mechanisms by which growth and succession limit the impact of fire in a south-western Australian forested ecosystem https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1365-2435.14305
Monitoring lava lake fluctuations and crater refilling with continuous laser rangefinders https://appliedvolc.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13617-025-00152-5
How satellites have become Earth’s new health and nature watchdogs https://theconversation.com/how-satellites-have-become-earths-new-health-and-nature-watchdogs-247319
Insurance cost of Los Angeles wildfires may be felt in Australia https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-01-14/los-angeles-wildfires-insurance-australia-costs-premiums/104804164
Call for submissions: Youth-led innovation in early warning systems https://www.preventionweb.net/news/call-submissions-youth-led-innovation-early-warning-systems
Interconnected disaster risks: Turning over a new leaf (2025 report) https://www.preventionweb.net/publication/interconnected-disaster-risks-turning-over-new-leaf-2025-report
Disasters that never happened: Six preventive actions https://www.preventionweb.net/drr-community-voices/disasters-never-happened-six-preventive-actions
Redefining flood hazard and addressing emerging risks in an era of extremes https://www.preventionweb.net/publication/redefining-flood-hazard-and-addressing-emerging-risks-era-extremes
Emergency Management
Twenty years on: Indonesia ‘better prepared’ following tsunami https://news.un.org/en/story/2024/10/1155616
Flooding damage from latest round of storms that has left at least 21 dead estimated at a staggering $90 billion https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/midwest-south-storm-floods-tornadoes-death-toll-damage-b2729007.html
Arkansas Levee Fails: Urgent Warning Tells People to Move ‘Immediately’ https://www.newsweek.com/arkansas-levee-fails-urgent-warning-tells-people-move-immediately-2056419
The ‘Bullet’ Pump: Modernizing Flood Management in Guyana https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2025/04/07/the-bullet-pump-modernizing-flood-management-in-guyana
An Atmospheric River Exacerbated Türkiye’s 2023 Earthquake Crisis https://eos.org/articles/an-atmospheric-river-exacerbated-turkiyes-2023-earthquake-crisis
Honolulu Launches New Real-Time Emergency Alert System https://www.govtech.com/em/preparedness/honolulu-launches-new-real-time-emergency-alert-system
Disaster Education, Communications and Engagement
High Ground Hike: Tsunami preparedness event https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/safety/emergency-management/education-programs-toolkits/high-ground-hike
Deputy UN chief praises resilience of Bali students in face of disaster threats https://news.un.org/en/story/2022/05/1118942
National Weather Service no longer translating products for non-English speakers https://apnews.com/article/weather-spanish-translation-noaa-nws-trump-71c727dbe2e4956247c9d9152494f1dc
After Lahaina fire, Hawaii residents address their risk by becoming ‘Firewise’ https://apnews.com/article/hawaii-wildfire-lahaina-maui-urban-fires-fire-risk-firewise-fireproof-f0fbef8b12b11c262c23f505f07d4933
Game Keeps Players ‘Virtually’ Safe From Lightning https://today.umd.edu/game-keeps-players-virtually-safe-from-lightning
Disasters Avoided https://disastersavoided.com/
Qualitative Guide to run Focus Group Discussions (FGD) with communities and local authorities on Early Warning Systems https://preparecenter.org/resource/qualitative-guide-to-run-focus-group-discussions-fgd-with-communities-and-local-authorities-on-early-warning-systems/
Disaster psychology
Exposure to wildfire smoke linked with worsening mental health conditions https://hsph.harvard.edu/news/exposure-to-wildfire-smoke-linked-with-worsening-mental-health-conditions/
Reducing risk-taking in disasters: Practical solutions for safer choices https://www.preventionweb.net/drr-community-voices/reducing-risk-taking-disasters-practical-solutions-safer-choices
Sociology and disasters
Strengthening community resilience through participation – a conceptual exploration https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/23251042.2025.2479666
Emergency preparedness and extreme weather experiences of Indigenous people, 2024 https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/250408/dq250408a-eng.htm
Social resilience research on climate-related hazards: Trends, accomplishments and shortcomings https://journals.plos.org/climate/article?id=10.1371/journal.pclm.0000496