What's New in Knowledge | June 2025
The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) has released their annual Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction titled ‘Resilience Pays: Investing and Financing for Our Future’.
The US Federal Emergency Management Agency has dropped two new updated policy versions, the Hazard Mitigation Assistance Program and Policy Guide and the Developing and Maintaining Emergency Operations Plans.
The United Nations Development Program has released a new guidance note on community-based resilience-building which can be found here. They have also released their 2025 Human Development Report with the main theme being people and possibilities in the age of AI.
This month has also seen the release of the United Nations World Water Report: Mountains and glaciers - Water Towers.
The latest Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters Crunch newsletter is available to read now with the latest in disaster location data.
Something more local to the state of Victoria is this article reviewing Victoria’s Climate Report 2024.
In understanding consequences and recovery, this article looks at the ability of a community in Portugal to adapt whilst also recovering from wildfires that swept through in 2017. Here is an article by UNDRR that focuses on preparing to act and acting to prepare by sharing good practices ahead of the World Resilient Recovery Conference on 3 June 2025.
In thinking about systemic risk, here is the book Understanding and addressing disaster risk which covers who speaks and who suffers and the opportunities and challenges faced by those engaging with disaster risk and systemic risks.
In disaster risk reduction, here is an article on community-based heat adaptation interventions for improving heat literacy, behaviours and health outcomes. Kyoto University have been investigating how the reduction in urban heat release could help mitigate and control the rapid development of thunderstorms and local rainfall.
This article looks at the opportunities and challenges for people-centered multi-hazard early warning systems and perspectives from the global south.
The Red Cross Global Disaster Preparedness Centre newsletter has highlighted this month the importance of having a world heat day to #beattheheat on 2 June 2025.
The EU Commission has created a new EU preparedness Union Strategy to help respond to crises.
Focusing on First Nations knowledge, there is a new SBS documentary titled the Knowledge Keepers which highlights the need for us to draw on indigenous knowledge to better prepare us for the future in the age of a changing climate. The Risk-informed Early Action Partnership is looking at reframing indigenous and local knowledge in early warning systems in a call to rethink, respect and rebalance.
For children and young people, the Global Alliance for Disaster Risk Reduction and Resilience in the Education Sector has released the results from their global policy survey in the assessment of comprehensive school safety around the world.
For animals in disasters, the London School of Economics has founded a new centre called the Jeremy Coller Centre for Animal Sentience. The aim of the centre is to study animal sentience to better design policies, laws and ways of caring for other animals.
Recognising inequity, here is a book on disability inclusive disaster risk reduction. Here is a positive article on how members of Australia’s increasingly diverse communities are reshaping cricket from the grassroots level up, creating a sense of social cohesion and belonging.
On a more sombre note, the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre have released their 2025 Global Report on Displacement which has topped 80 million for the first time (twice as many as in 2018).
Looking at weather matters and climate change, the Geneva Association has a new report that calls for action to safeguard home insurance amid rising extreme weather risks across the globe. Similarly, the Swiss Reinsurance Company has done research on hurricanes and earthquakes and how they could lead to global insured losses of USD 300 billion in a peak year.
On another note, the European Commission Joint Research Centre has released an article articulating the concerns being raised from the drought that is covering large parts of Europe.
There has been quite a focus on many different hazards this month, as climate change fueled heavy rainfalls in the Central Mississippi River Valley last month with 24 fatalities recorded.
Focusing on extreme heat, the Global Heat Health Information Network has released a report on expert consultation on extreme heat risk reduction. On a similar note, the World Meteorological Organisation in partnership with Copernicus Climate Change Service have released the European State of the Climate and the extreme events in the warmest year on record report.
The warming climate and increased instances of extreme heat is making fine particulate matter from wildfires more deadly and expensive. This article investigates the occurrence of wildfire smoke and extreme heat together which is preparing for the combined health effects of a hot and smoky future.
In health, the World Health Organisation has released an item on coping with disaster-related mental health and whether support programmes help. The Medical Journal of Australia has a new article on fan-first heat health protection highlighting the importance of air conditioning and ventilation and pros and cons of the fan first approach. This article looks at how climate change has been increasing pregnancy risks around the world, mainly due to extreme heat.
Looking at governance, leadership and capacity building, the FutuResilience Labs in Belgium have created a new policy brief that could help call on policy and decision makers to continuously embed participatory foresight into crisis management. The World Bank Group have published a report on financing climate adaptation and nature-based infrastructure to increase private sector participation and financing for climate adaptation in emerging and developing economies.
In governance, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development have released a report on harnessing mission governance to achieve national climate targets which is available here.
The New York Academy of the Sciences has created a series of simulation games for scientists and practitioners to practice how to think and respond to emerging crisis and disasters, learn more here.
This article looks at integrating multi-hazard, socio-physical information in a holistic index for decision making on disaster risk reduction.
Looking at knowledge development and translation, here is a journal article on bridging the gap between national weather service heat terminology and public understanding in the US.
To help with the media and their reporting in the face of disasters, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation is developing a model disaster preparedness and response plan for media institutions.
Examining the frontiers in technology, the UK Resilience Lessons Digest this month covers an interesting topic on learning from cyber incidents. Nvidia Corporation are using new AI technology to aid in wildfire prevention.
WNIK radio
Here is an ABC radio segment featuring Elly Bird from Resilient Lismore and Claire Leppold a research fellow at the Disaster, Climate and Adversity Unit at Melbourne University on Surviving disaster after disaster: new research reveals hidden mental toll.
There is a new podcast episode in the Disrupting Disasters series that features the journey of Briony Rogers, CEO of Fire to Flourish and Professor at Monash University’s Sustainable Development Institute.
The Mental Health and Psychosocial Support International Movement Hub have released a new episode of their Heartbeat of Humanity Podcast titled ‘Mental health, natural hazards and children’.
Sources: Prevention Web, Nature, The Conversation, UNDRR, International Journal on Disaster Risk Reduction, LinkedIn, Sandy Whight, Isabel Cornes, Darryl Glover.
Compiled by John Richardson and Lexi Barrington