What's New in Knowledge | November 2025
On this year’s day of Internation Disaster Risk Reduction, the United Nations Office of Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) launched its new campaign ‘Fund resilience, not disasters’.
A few interesting reports have published recently. The 2nd Global Tipping Points Report has been released, more can be read here, and the 2025 Global Multidimensional Poverty Index report can be accessed via this link.
Towards the end of October 2025, World Tsunami Awareness Day took place across the globe. The United Nations Development Programme and the Government of Japan hosted the Tsunami Amazing Race in Serangan Village, Denpasar city, Bali, Indonesia. Read more about it here.
In understanding consequences and recovery, here is an article that explores the missing link of public engagement between early warnings and early action.
In thinking about systemic risk, this article that delves into 25 years of fault displacement hazards and how the earth has moved over this period of time. This is an article that shares a new framework called STEER that has been created to aid governments in upgrading national risk registers, helping to create a list of global systemic risks.
In disaster risk reduction, this is an article that looks at learning from Ireland as well as lessons in dynamic and adaptive climate pathways. The World Meteorological Organization looks at early warnings for all and what success in early warnings looks like. This article explores what and how local leaders can teach us about floods, read more about this topic here.
The UNDRR created a compendium of success stories and good practices that were shared at the 2025 Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction. Read here for more.
Focusing on First Nations knowledge, The Asian Development Bank has published a brief on using traditional ecological knowledge for climate-resilient primary health care. This is an article that shares how indigenous knowledge has been aiding in Pakistan’s fight against climate change.
For children and young people, this journal article explores strategies for teaching natural hazards to children, specifically those children living in rural communities. During this year’s World Tsunami Awareness Day, youth across the globe participated in the second year of the global initiative, Tsunami United, created by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. Here is an interesting article on how hotter weather may be making more children sick.
Recognising inequity, The World Bank has written a note on how we can improve and carry out the integration of gender sensitive approaches to post-disaster recovery.
Looking at weather and climate change, here is an article that shares research that has been looking at advances in preparedness for extreme weather impacts, specifically in the case of the UK.
There has been quite a focus on many different hazards this month, here is an alarming article written by The Conversation that is looking at how the climate crisis is fuelling fires across the planet.
Focusing on extreme heat, this year it has been 10 years since the beginning of the Paris Agreement on Global Warming, here is a report that shares the present and future of extreme heat across the globe. In the UK, researchers have been looking into heatwaves and the increasing prevalence of wildfires as the soils have been hitting extremely low moisture levels.
In health, this article reframes climate risk through a mental health lens and the overlooked nature of their interconnectedness. This public health article looks at the intersection of housing, health and climate change. The Global Disaster Preparedness Centre has released a solutions brief on increasing healthcare continuity during floods. Here is a conversation article on how wildfires and other climate disasters are putting extreme pressure on healthcare systems.
In governance, leadership and capacity building, the United Nations Environment Programme have released an updated report on the finances needed for adaptation in developing countries, the report indicates who needs to step up to increase adaptation. Here is the 2025 Global Report of the Lancet Countdown report on health and climate change It highlights the increased need for focused governance and momentum towards leadership focused on a healthier future.
Looking at knowledge development and translation, the non-profit humanitarian StreetMaps team are leading the game in mapping a healthier future and mobilising for climate resilience. They are doing this through their group of volunteers around the world who have been working on adding places that either have barely or have never appeared on commercial maps before.
Examining the frontiers in technology, here is an article highlighting how cybersecurity is becoming a nationally significant threat for the UK. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is helping to change our understanding of earthquakes, read more about this here.
On a similar note, here is how AI can help fund resilience, not disasters. Through applying AI to global datasets, it can help flag key factors across different global systems (i.e. economic, financial, social and natural systems).
WNIK radio
Here is a new podcast series hosted and created by Kate Lawrence, the founder of Story Ground. The podcast is called Democracy After Disaster and all 9 episodes are available to listen.
Here is another interesting podcast to listen to, Me, Myself and Disaster.
The ABC has released a new episode of the Pacific Prepared Podcast that talks about the passing on of traditional knowledges.
Sources: Prevention Web, Nature, The Conversation, UNDRR, International Journal on Disaster Risk Reduction, LinkedIn, Sandy Whight, Isabel Cornes.