What's New in Knowledge | February 2025
The World Economic Forum’s Global Risk Report has arrived and argues that the outlook is bleak, with 23% of the Global Risk Perception Survey indicating that state based armed conflict is the top threat globally. This is followed by extreme weather events, geoeconomic confrontation, mis and disinformation, and societal polarisation.
In understanding consequences and recovery, this article looks at restoring place attachment in post-disaster recovery. This paper looks at disaster response and rebuilding after the LA wildfires. Recovering cultural heritage post-disaster is a focus of this article in relation to the floods in Valencia , inSpain, in late 2024.
This article highlights the importance of climate finance, care services and public investment in a post-disaster recovery landscape. In addition, this article highlights key opportunities as well as challenges relating to community investment in disaster zones.
Looking at knowledge, this report by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe looks at data for climate action and how National Statistical Offices can contribute to reporting under the Paris Agreement.
In thinking about systemic risk, this article highlights the failures of the insurance sector in the wake of the LA wildfires, including large portions of the population loosing insurance in the months prior, whilst this article navigates how the fires have highlighted national security risks. The Australian Centre for Social Innovation has written a paper on building networks for systemic impact.
The Munich Re group have identified that increased heat is causing a cascade of floods, hurricanes, and thunderstorms which are costing many industries large sums of money. The UK government have developed a 2025 edition of the National Risk Register where risks are identified and assessed.
In disaster risk reduction, a new RiskPACC platform has been developed that blends technological and conceptual tools to help in disaster risk reduction. The US have released their latest National Adaptation and Resilience Planning Strategy for 2025. The LA fires have highlighted how the changing climate demands constant and focused preparation. Research in Squamish, Canada has revealed that multi-hazard emergencies are causing international agencies to develop and adopt a multi-hazard approach to risk management in order to enhance resource allocations, improve early warning systems, and build community resilience.
Here is an analysis of a community resilience toolkit for health (ARC-D health) created by GOAL in 2016. National societies across Europe are preparing for the winter season and the associated risks and changing hazards. Here is an empirical study paper on realised resilience after major community flooding events. This article highlights the importance of diaspora groups in providing humanitarian assistance post-disaster and how they can help in disaster risk reduction. The Global Disaster Preparedness Center have released their Small Business Preparedness Toolkit.
Focusing on First Nations knowledge, the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the strengths of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and organisations.
For children and young people, nearly a quarter of a billion children’s schooling has been impacted by climate crises in the past year.
Recognising inequity, heatwaves are increasingly effecting the elderly and those exposed to heat through their occupation. This article looks at housing for women after the Lismore floods. This US article looks at the Latino and other underserved communities in LA and how the bushfires that have ravaged the city have impacted them.
Looking at weather matters and climate change, research has noted that much of Australia shares the same Mediterranean climate as the east coast of America, bushfires being a common occurrence. The LA fires show the whiplash between wet and dry extremes and the impact/cost on humans.
There has been quite a focus on many different hazards this month, the Bureau of Meteorology in Australia is suggesting an upcoming wet end to summer and a rough winter with a possibility of a La Niña event. 2024’s ocean temperatures broke records. The need for emergency preparedness for nuclear hazard events has seen an increase. Industrial disasters and hazards cause a wide range of consequences for surrounding areas.
Focusing on extreme heat, the global water report is showing that global warming is taking the water cycle to new extremes. Without rapid action, extreme heat will kill millions across Europe. The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction and Making Cities Resilient 2030 have developed a resource package on urban extreme heat risk management. Here are 3 studies that point to El Niño being behind the 2023 season of extreme heat that broke records.
In health, wildfires can ignite infection risks, and wildfire smoke inside homes can create health risks that linger for months on end. Access to air-conditioning could impact wildfire related health outcomes. Bird flu could spark a new human pandemic in this article. What makes an epidemic a disaster?
This research article explains the relationship of prior flood experience to post-traumatic stress and depression in minority communities after Hurricane Harvey. In Australia, there has been an increase in burnout and mental health and wellbeing among practicing psychologists following COVID-19 and major weather disasters across the country.
Looking at governance, leadership and capacity building, we see in this article the importance of multi-sector stakeholder collaboration. Building capacity for and optimising resettlement planning in climate induced migration is building traction. An interesting article by Hugo Slim suggests that it’s important for nature to have a seat at the table in Geneva’s policy making decisions. Here is a capacity assessment of tsunami preparedness in the Indian Ocean Basin.
This is an interesting report on trust flows between governments and communities in Australia conducted by Centre for Resilient and Inclusive Societies and the Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation. Similarly, here is an article on building institutional trust with public service organizations during a disaster.
Examining the frontiers in technology, US firefighters are using AI to fight fires and combat growing wildfire threats. Computer simulations are being used to help save lives in disaster evacuations.
In good news, the Australian government has recently released a landmark 10-year-plan for addressing health disparities among the LGBTQIA+ community, and nominations are being taken for the 2025 United Nations Sasakawa award for-disaster risk reduction. A universal building code checklist has been developed by the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery for addressing accessibility issues.
WNIK TV
A new and interesting development where we list the webinars/films that have been released in the last month. This month’s selection of webinars includes the Stockholm Environment Institute webinar on emerging trends and key issues shaping global sustainability agendas, How We Survive webinar on enablers for attaining the right to adequate housing in an Australian disaster recovery context, and an interesting film created in the US titled ‘Fireforest: When forest fire met forest restoration’.
WNIK Radio
The Red Cross Red Crescent Hub on mental health and psychosocial support has released a podcast miniseries on ambiguous loss as part of their Heartbeat of Humanity Podcast. The Stockholm Environment Institute have released a new episode of their podcast, Grounds for Change on currents in sustainability.
Sources: Prevention Web, Nature, The Conversation, UNDRR, International Journal on Disaster Risk Reduction, LinkedIn, Sandy Whight, Isabel Cornes, Darryl Glover.
Compiled by Lexi Barrington