What's New in Knowledge | November 2024
The biannual State of the Climate Report produced by CSIRO and BOM has been released. It has found Australia’s weather and climate continues to change, with an increase in extreme heat events, longer fire seasons, more intense and heavy rainfall, and rising sea levels.
Two of the major federal reviews have been released. The Independent Review of Commonwealth Disaster Funding (Colvin Review) focuses on system wide uplift, the criticality of data, a national disaster outcomes policy, evidence-informed and risk-based approaches, program reform of the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements, Disaster Ready Fund, the Australian Government Disaster Recovery Payment, engagement beyond government, and building a more effective disaster management system.
The Independent Review of National Disaster Governance arrangements also was released. Led by Dr Robert Glasser, this report found that the governance arrangements do not adequately address the threat to our national resilience. It notes that siloed approaches to address risks and threats that should be integrated, governance meetings need to focus on emerging, more fundamental, and therefore more urgent challenges, there is underinvestment in risk reduction and resilience and there is insufficient consideration of the sweeping changes and innovations required to address the emerging risks.
The independent inquiry into Australia’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic identified lessons learned to improve Australia’s preparedness for future pandemics. The report includes 9 guiding recommendations that are aligned with 9 pillars of a successful pandemic response. The report identifies 19 immediate actions for the next 12-18 months, and a further 7 medium-term actions prior to the next national health emergency.
We have released the 8th Major Incidents Report, identifying 30 major incidents, with 5 case studies selected for in-depth discussion.
In understanding consequences and recovery, the US Census asks as one of its annual questions if people have been displaced by disaster. This article looks at the data and identifies issues related to displacement. While on displacement, this research examines how disaster risk reduction plans must address displacement in a participatory way. The role of the insurance industry in facilitating building back better is examined in this piece, which draws upon this report from Financial Counselling Victoria on climate risk and cash settlements after the 2022 Victorian Floods.
While on insurance, the parliamentary inquiry into flood insurance relating to the 2022 floods has released its report, making 86 recommendations for improvements in the insurance industry. This article looks at the issue of extreme weather and cost of insurance making it challenging for householders to protect themselves. This one looks at evacuation behaviour and the reasons why people may not evacuate, as does this RAND report. This article highlights the challenges from flooded industrial sites and toxic chemical releases. This study looks at quantifying post disaster community wellbeing after Hurricane Harvey.
Looking at knowledge, the 2024 October edition of the Australian Journal of Emergency Management hits the newsstands. The EU’s Union Civil Protection Knowledge Network’s Newsletter is here. This is an old paper, but new to me, and features AIDR’s Disaster Mapper, and the importance of disaster impact databases for informing research policy and decision-making. This article calls for democratising knowledge for transformative climate action. This paper looks at the ethics of data management in disasters.
In thinking about systemic risk, the EU Policy Lab attempts to introduce a foresight approach to analysis of future risks. This paper looks at creating a multilevel, European wide indicator to assess vulnerability dynamics across time and space. The GEOGLAM Crop Monitor for Early Warning (CM4EW) is a monthly international assessment of the crop growing conditions, status, and agro-climatic conditions that are likely to impact global production. This article looks at how social protection measures can build food security. This article looks at the role of geography in understanding complex crises. This is a piece on the complexity of risk as a concept, while this is a guide to journalists on how to report risk.
In disaster risk reduction, this is the report of Cal Fire’s Risk Modelling Advisory Workgroup which focuses on modelling risk to structures and communities in California. Carers NSW hosted a short webinar on disaster preparedness for carers. The European Commission has undertaken a Europe wide survey of citizens levels of preparedness. This study highlights the benefits of using salt marshes in front of seawalls to protect communities from storm surge and sea level rise. A preparedness guide for cities for flooding and drought has been released by the C40 network of mayors.
This paper looks into the complex concept of resilience and attempts to develop practical actions. This news article outlines the Resilient Villages initiative in the Blue Mountains, NSW and their involvement in the Australian Disaster Resilience Conference. The paper looks at Vietnamese migrants engagement in disaster risk reduction in New Zealand. This paper seeks to better understand the relationship between elements of social capital and social infrastructure in the US. Also on green and social infrastructure, this paper examines public awareness. ARISE is the UNDRR private sector alliance for disaster resilience and they have just released their annual report. This paper examines people’s perspectives on buyouts in the US. This report details how safety messaging can be drowned out on social media channels.
Focussing on First Nations knowledge, this is a reflection from DisasterWise on the NIDR Gathering in Lismore. Bhiamie Williamson gets to the heart of the cultural, strategic and technical importance of cultural burning. NHRA hosted Indigenous Canadian perspectives in fire and land management. This article examines the challenges of decolonising bird names, which helps us think about the complexity of engagement with First Nations peoples across the country. Karajarri and Ngurrara Traditional Owners describe how they returned cultural burning to the Great Sandy Desert. The challenges with digital inclusion for First Nations communities is the focus of this piece. This article looks at how science and traditional knowledge are linking in New Zealand.
For children and young people, this guidance bridges climate related risks, peace and security and what this means for young people. This article outlines the need to ensure safe learning and teaching within schools in the context of increased disasters. This report focuses on education for climate action and how it is currently largely overlooked as an agent of change. This piece highlights action young people are taking to be disaster free. A child friendly booklet on tsunamis has been published. This is guidance on building disaster resilient schools. In Brazil, students are forming school safety committees that focus on disaster resilience.
On animals in disasters, the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) have released guidelines on countering disinformation and misinformation in animal health emergencies. WOAH have also developed guidelines for simulation exercises with the aim of strengthening veterinarian services.
Recognising inequity, this is a general article on inequality in New Zealand. The World Bank sets out a framework for thinking about climate change and poverty, and how climate polices impact on household welfare. This paper looks into social vulnerability in the era of big data. A new report from UNDP highlights good practices, concrete tools, and actionable lessons in forest management to help policy makers and practitioners put gender and climate theory into action. Another excellent policy brief from Kevin Blanchard on the role of specialised advocacy NGOs in inclusive risk reduction.
This flash report from ROADMAP2 highlights practices in engaging people in vulnerable situations in disaster risk management. The nuanced shift in language around vulnerability is welcome. The Making Mitigation Work webinar series from the Natural Hazards Center in Boulder Colorado focuses on people experiencing homelessness living near levees. This report looks at how inclusive colour maps are being developed to help people with colour deficiency. Further evidence on the awful phenomenon of gender-based violence post disaster.
Looking at weather matters and climate change, this paper looks at how attribution of climate change to extreme weather events is improving. This paper looks at the increase in extreme El Nino by examining past glacial changes. This article looks at the strategic challenges posed by climate emergencies and the need for whole of system reform to planning. This grim article looks at what 2.7C warming this century will look like.
These reports outline the role of climate change in contributing to extreme storms in Italy and Spain. While on Spain, this research looks at climate risks to world cultural heritage sites. This paper examines flood insurance and responsibility in the Australian context. This article examines how marine heatwaves contribute to rapid intensification of hurricanes. This article explains why hurricanes/cyclones are becoming more intense and harder to predict.
There’s been quite a focus on different hazards, this article looks at the role of bushfire smoke in deaths during fires. Its increasingly understood that urban areas create wet islands, where they influence rainfall events and are making cities wetter. This research looks into information seeking behaviour during the 2020 Oregon bushfires. This is the latest from Hamish Clarke’s Future of Fire blog, looking at the School of Life’s How to survive the Modern world.
These papers look at health consequences of hurricanes 15 years after the event. This research looks into the long term communication of aftershock forecasts from earthquakes. This article looks at how fires that ignite from human sources are more destructive and harder to contain. This piece looks at how earthen based building blocks can reduce fire risk. This article takes aim at conspiracy theorists and human engineered hurricanes, and this one highlights the risks with geoengineering. Severe weather post fires in California are changing erosion patterns and water quality.
Focussing on extreme heat, the Global Heat Health news bulletin has a range of articles and research released over the past month. The University of Sydney’s Heat and Health Research Centre released the recording of their Reducing the health impacts of extreme heat and hot weather webinar. This research examines the effect that lighter coloured roofs had on London’s extreme heat last summer.
In health, this paper looks at the health benefits of volunteering after disasters for young people. The guidelines provide a resource to communities on peri urban fire hazards, outlining practical strategies to protect communities and reduce health risks before, during, and after a wildfire. The folks from Yale Climate Connections outline the short, medium and long term health impacts of hurricanes. The Lancet Countdown 2024 report on health and climate change has been released.
This article examines improving public health communications and tackling distrust and misinformation. This article looks at 5 health lessons learned from Cyclone Gabrielle in New Zealand. A new variant of COVID is in Australia. The Global Preparedness Monitoring Board has released a report on an equitable approach to developing pandemic frameworks and strategies. The UK’s COVID Inquiry has also been released, calling for a radical simplification of civil emergency preparedness and resilience systems, and a new approach to risk assessments. This DW article looks at how hospitals are dealing with climate change.
Looking at governance, leadership, and capacity building, this article calls for a global governance mechanism to help manage pandemics. The 8th edition of the UNDAC Handbook has been released and focuses on the what and how of international emergency response. This report looks into demystifying prearranged financing arrangements for governments, and while on the same topic, this report looks at the state of prearranged financing globally.
The UK’s Emergency Planning College has released updated Exercise Best Practice Guidelines and Lessons Management Best Practice Guidance. This is an interesting article on collective sensemaking during emergencies. This one is on governance, placemaking and memorials in Japan. The SECURe framework is an approach to thinking about power and politics when using coproduction interventions for urban resilience. The International Atomic Energy Agency highlights the role that its Incident and Emergency Centre plays in preparing and responding to potential nuclear or radiological emergencies. The AGU has developed an ethical framework for geoengineering climate interventions.
Examining the frontiers in technology, this article recommends 5 books looking at technology and disinformation. This report from the International Telecommunications Union focuses on AI for good. Machine learning could improve extreme weather warnings. The National AI Centre have released an introductory guide to AI and ESG. AI is being trained to predict diarrhoea outbreaks post disaster.
Did you know how trees prevent flooding? What makes a thunderstorm severe?
Sources: Prevention Web, The Conversation, UNDRR, UNEP, Nature, International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, Linkedin, Global Health Health Network, European Geological Union, American Geological Union, RAND Corporation, Rob Webb, Claire Leppold
Compiled by Lexi Barrington and John Richardson