What's New in Knowledge | February 2024
The United Nations (UN) Senior Leadership Group (SLG) on Disaster Risk Reduction endorsed recommendations that will guide the UN system to support disaster risk reduction (DRR), climate change adaptation and resilience building towards 2030. The UN SLG will make recommendations relating to strengthening risk governance at all levels – within and across sectors – accelerating efforts to include risk-informed programming and investing in disaster risk reduction for resilience while reforming the financial system to better consider climate change the environment and other risk. The resulting actions should boost inclusive disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation measures, with particular a focus on human rights, gender and children and maximise efforts around strengthening multi hazard early warning systems.
In November, AIDR released the updated Managing Exercises Handbook and companion guides. The January edition of the Australian Journal of Emergency Management features a tribute to fire scientist, Kevin Tolhurst, a reflection on the 50 years of the Brisbane floods, and interesting pieces on dust early warning systems, people presenting to emergency departments after floods, and setting up a research agenda on older people and bushfire risk. The January edition of the International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction can also be found here.
In understanding consequences and recovery, the Social Recovery Reference Group have released a literature review undertaken by RMIT on post disaster temporary housing issues. This article from the United States’ National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration outlines the sheer number of billion-dollar disasters in the US since 1980, with 28 of them occuring last year. This article shows us what can we put those savings towards if we get disaster risk reduction right. Furthermore, Munich Re has released its costing of disasters for 2023 and has put the figure at $250 billion. The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) have used this report to release an analysis examining the uncounted costs of disaster, which ultimately hides the true impacts of disasters. In addition, this ABC article addresses the very fraught issue of tourism and visiting areas impacted by disaster, while UNDRR provide a reminder of the prolong impacts of nuclear power accidents.
Looking over the horizon, the World Economic Forum released its 20th Global Risk Report (or Global Pessimism Report as I heard it described). The top perceived global risk over the next two years is AI generated disinformation and misinformation. Given that half of the world’s population is going to the polls in 2024, the consequences could be enormous. Similarly, the Stockholm Environment Institute held their Currents 2024 webinar, in which they looked at global risk and opportunities, seeing three currents of missing the 1.5C mark in climate change, the new space race, and a new world order around multilateralism. Lastly, the Copenhagen Institute for Futures Studies held a webinar on carving out a role for foresight in organisations.
In thinking about systemic risk, late last year the Australian Government released their 2023-2030 Cyber Security Strategy, which is important for us in recognising the systemic disaster risk implications of cyber harm. This Conversation article unpacks the aforementioned report. This article on the challenges to cargo ships in the Red Sea also reminds of the fragile nature of our systems. Polycrisis is also a term that is beginning to gather some attention – this article from Daniel Aldrich and colleagues looks at some of the definitions.
Looking at First Nations knowledge, the community of Pigeon Hole in the Northern Territory is the focus of calls for relocation, while on Yorta Yorta Country, traditional owners are calling on authorities to listen to mob and read the language of the land.
For children and young people, this ABC story focuses on how to help kids deal with the emergency season.
Considering animals in disasters, this piece raises the issue about whether animals can predict disasters.
Inequity is a significant driver of disaster risk, and our knowledge base is increasing on this important topic. DRR Dynamics has released this addendum to Artificial Intelligence, disasters and marginalised groups which focuses specifically on Early Warning Systems. In respect to bushfire recovery in the US, this research looks at inequities in respect to crowdfunding and Go Fund Me campaigns.
In disaster risk reduction, this is an interesting article relating to the dark side of preparedness. And no, it’s not about people with trip wires and tactical boots, but what it might mean for marginalised communities. In addition, UNDRR has released new guidance on financing disaster risk reduction, while on the upside, a preparedness culture in Japan has been shown to saves lives. This article looks at personal financial resilience. Another good article documenting another good approach to community based risk reduction, this time Plan C in Northern New South Wales. This piece looks at rewilding gold courses, which helps with nature based solutions and doesn’t remove viable agricultural land. Landscape architecture and horticulture comes to the fore with this article on fire wise planting for gardens.
Sadly, there have been too many drownings this summer already. This article looks at the emergency beacons installed on NSW South Coast. A piece on rethinking urban planning from Leonie Sandercock is a reminder where many of the solutions will need to come from: better and safer places to live. This is an excellent example of resourcefulness, where an electric car is used to power dialysis. The European ROADMAP2 has developed a framework for identifying good practices in disaster risk management and a database of good practice to support it. This article looks at the intersection of managing COVID and managing hurricanes in Florida. It is important to include DRR in all sectors, and not treating it as a separate issue. One way of doing this is community based disaster management. The warnings controversy in Far North Queensland gets examined in this Conversation article, with the call to go beyond communications, to proper engagement with communities to build resilience.
Looking at weather matters, this article looks at finding new ways to adapt to a growing weather threat. The Climate Adaptation Platform outline ten extreme climate events for 2023. There continues to be more articles on climate change, and it’s good to start with the good news, with four good news stories.
Wine to the rescue, as this article outlines how ancient roman viticulture may hold clues to managing climate change (what have the romans ever done for us?). While we are on wine, this piece looks at encouraging us to drink sustainable wine (no real encouragement needed). Sobering though, we are reminded by CSIRO that 2023 was the hottest on record, with many climate extremes amplified by global warming, and that Yale University and Nature suggests 2024 is likely to surpass it.
This article poses the question of where we will ski in a 2C world. This report flags that alpine glaciers will lose a third of their volume by 2025. However, this one reminds us that extreme cold can still happen in a warming world. Central banks as climate fighters, as outlined in this article, is a reminder that climate change is an economic issue as it is an environmental issue. The London Climate Resilience Review looks into London’s’ preparedness for more extreme events such as heat and flash flooding. Writing about climate change is seen as a way of managing eco-anxiety
There’s been quite a focus on different hazards this month. UNDRR have put out these pieces on what we learned about different hazards in 2023; bushfires, floods and earthquakes. The trials relating to adhering to building standards in Türkiye begin, while in this article a range of experts discuss building codes in the US and Türkiye. Continuing with earthquakes, this article looks at what Japan has learned over a century since the Great Tokyo Earthquake. Out of Berlin, this team is looking at human caused earthquakes. This article reinforces the knowledge that high urban flood risk and no access to shelter disproportionately affects disadvantaged communities. This study highlights that cities on the east coast of the US are sinking, which is a reminder for us with so many people living on the coast. This piece is on the highly dubious and dangerous tourist activity of volcano chasing, with this news report from the ABC reinforces the dangers and tragedy of volcano tourism. And getting a bit further into left field, this article details how NASA are investigating unexplained UFO sightings. It’s not a plotline for the X Files.
Focussing on extreme heat, this is a really interesting and important article on legally preparing for heatwaves, and it is excellent to see the legal sector turning their minds to preparedness. An article on the gaps in climate monitoring sees nearly one billion people exposed to extreme heat. This piece examines the four factors that drove the extreme heat in the northern hemisphere in 2023.
In health, the Red Cross’ Psychosocial Reference Centre have relaunched their website. An interesting article on training in the arts for mental health workforce. This is a good article on building and maintaining trust during the pandemic. This report looks into the lung function of babies born during and after the Hazelwood mine fire. This is an excellent approach to preparing journalists to interview trauma survivors, and this one distinguishes between a TikTok expert on PTSD and a real expert.
Looking at governance and leadership, the Diplomat looks at the need for a central emergency management agency for Japan. This article explores multi-criterion group decision-making for emergency management leadership.
As we move on to examining advances in technology, there continues to be a strong focus on the potential for, and challenges of AI. This report from Rand in the US examines the role of AI and large language models in potentially facilitating biological attacks. This is the European Geosciences Union’s position on the use of AI in the presentation and publication of research. This article looks at the global efforts to regulate AI, while this one poses the question about trust deficits. This article looks at how rampant disinformation is on social media. Looking towards the benefits, this piece outlines how AI can help with forecasting relief demand, while this one looks into AI and weather. The Australian Government has released its seven year Cybersecurity plan, and this article examines the strategy.
Back in time
January saw the 50th anniversary of the Brisbane floods. These stories outline the devastation of the floods, and feature the wonderful Margaret Cook. This article focuses on the campaign to memorialise the deaths of two ADF personnel who were assisting with the rescue.
This article examines the second year after the Tonga volcanic eruption, and this one reminds us that Black Saturday was 15 years ago.
Did you know?
The role of the dew point in how we feel heat, and why was there so much lightning in Queensland thunderstorms.
In good news
The folks from the Averted Disaster Awards have announced that the leading five projects will be awarded an independent counterfactual analysis, that is looking at what would have happened to beneficiaries in the absence of a particular intervention.
And finally
A useful self-care tip, given the content above can be confronting and don’t underestimate what repeated exposure to this content can have.