The News and blogs weekly newsletter introduces the latest news and blogs published by PreventionWeb on disaster risk reduction. In the 02/21/2023 edition:

The News and blogs weekly newsletter introduces the latest news and blogs published by PreventionWeb on disaster risk reduction. Visit us on PreventionWeb to see our other newsletters and subscribe. More newsletters

In the 02/21/2023 edition:

The key role of Regional Coordinating Committees in promoting urban resilience By United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction - Regional Office for Asia and Pacific on Feb 20, 2023 06:15 pm
Among the MCR2030 success stories of 2022 are numerous cities like Kulhuffushi City in the Maldives and Ormoc and Baguio City in the Philippines that are currently developing local disaster risk reduction (DRR) plans.

XDI releases world-first comparison of every state’s physical climate risk By XDI (The Cross Dependency Initiative) on Feb 20, 2023 01:48 pm
The engine rooms of the global economy are among states and provinces most at risk from climate change and extreme weather according to a new ranking of the physical climate risk of every state, province and territory in the world released today by XDI.

World braces for sudden stratospheric warming event By Guardian, the (UK) on Feb 20, 2023 12:01 pm
SSW phenomenon is linked to polar vortex, an area of low pressure across the North Pole. Meanwhile, Argentina has been gripped by a heatwave.

UN Secretary-General calls for radical transformation of global financial system to tackle pressing global challenges, while achieving sustainable development By United Nations - Headquarters on Feb 20, 2023 10:40 am
UN Chief reiterates call for G20 countries to agree on $500 billion annual stimulus for Sustainable Development Agenda

What Australia learned from recent devastating floods – and how New Zealand can apply those lessons now By Conversation Media Group, the on Feb 20, 2023 09:27 am
Australia and New Zealand have faced a series of devastating floods triggered by climate change and the return of the La Niña weather pattern. So it makes sense that Australia has now sent disaster crews to help with the aftermath of Cyclone Gabrielle.

NZ cities urgently need to become ‘spongier’ – but system change will be expensive By Conversation Media Group, the on Feb 20, 2023 09:18 am
Two extreme and deadly weather events within the first two months of 2023 have brought the consequences of climate change into sharp focus. Auckland’s January 27 flood and cyclone Gabrielle.

Earthquake scientists have a new tool in the race to find the next big one By The University of Texas at Austin on Feb 20, 2023 09:09 am
An everyday quirk of physics could be an important missing piece in scientists’ efforts to predict the world’s most powerful earthquakes. Researchers discovered that a frictional phenomenon could be key to understanding when and how violently faults move.

European summer droughts since 2015: most severe over centuries – but not the only multi-year droughts By German Research Centre for Geosciences on Feb 20, 2023 08:58 am
The 2015–2018 summer droughts have been exceptional in large parts of Western and Central Europe over the last 400 years, in terms of the magnitude of drought conditions. This indicates an influence of man-made global warming.

Senegal hosts a peer learning event on National Adaptation Plans for eight countries By National Adaptation Plan (NAP) Global Network on Feb 17, 2023 04:53 pm
Unlocking the full potential of risk and vulnerability assessments in climate change adaptation plans.

Vulnerability and high temperatures exacerbate impacts of ongoing drought in Central South America By World Weather Attribution on Feb 17, 2023 04:44 pm
Since 2019 large parts of Argentina and neighboring countries have been reeling under drought conditions with the last four months of 2022 receiving only 44% of the average precipitation: the lowest rainfall in 35 years.

Two Rhode Island coastal flood defense projects provide lessons for making future infrastructure projects more successful By Princeton University on Feb 17, 2023 04:20 pm
New study thoroughly reviews two U.S. Army Corps of Engineers flood megaprojects in Rhode Island that emerged simultaneously after an active period of hurricane activity around the 1950s.

US housing market overvalued by $200 billion due to unpriced climate risks By Environmental Defense Fund on Feb 17, 2023 04:04 pm
New economic research reveals hidden risks and overvaluations in real estate market, particularly impacting low-income households.

Climate risks threaten major industries & marine ecosystems in Philippines coastal city By Henry L. Stimson Center, The on Feb 17, 2023 02:43 pm
CORVI climate risk assessment finds Dagupan, Philippines vulnerable to flooding, water insecurity, and extreme weather; recommends actionable steps to build climate resilience and support a sustainable blue economy.

Two Years after Eta and Iota: Displaced and Forgotten in Guatemala By Refugees International on Feb 17, 2023 02:36 pm
Chiquimula is in what is called the region’s “Dry Corridor,” and faces frequent drought. Many of its communities also were hit hard by hurricanes Eta and Iota in 2020. People in the area faced significant losses and are still struggling to recover.

Scaling up climate adaptation and resilience in the Andes By World Meteorological Organization on Feb 17, 2023 02:27 pm
A new project to build regional capacity and resilience to climate variability and change in the Andes has been approved.

Climate change aided malaria expansion into highland east Africa and towards the Cape in 100 years: Study By Down To Earth on Feb 17, 2023 02:16 pm
Direct links between climate, biodiversity change and disease emergence will help identify, address healthcare needs in newly vulnerable populations in future.

Heavy causalities in Turkey-Syria earthquakes highlights urgency, necessity of global early warning system: leading Chinese scientist By Global Times, the on Feb 17, 2023 02:09 pm
Wang Tun, head of the Chengdu-based Institute of Care-life, who developed an earthquake early warning system in China, said that the disaster is a reminder to all governments in the world on the significance of setting a global network on early warning.

Extreme heat waves, floods and weakened security: Israel's grim climate forecast for 2050 By Haaretz Daily Newspaper Ltd. on Feb 17, 2023 01:37 pm
Extremely hot days and heat waves will increase, floods and wildfires will intensify, agriculture and public health will be threatened and rising sea levels will encroach on Israel's coastline. Here is Israel's climate change forecast for 2050.

Why did a Turkish city withstand the quake when others crumbled? By New York Times, the on Feb 17, 2023 01:30 pm
For miles around the small Turkish city of Erzin, the earth is shattered and buildings are razed, towns and cities turned into tombs of concrete by last week’s 7.8-magnitude earthquake. But Erzin still stands. Why?

Case study call - 2023 State of the Climate Service Report: Health By World Meteorological Organization on Feb 17, 2023 11:57 am
WMO annually issue a high-level multi-agency report on the State of Climate Services. The 2023 Report will examine global and regional demand, uptake, and opportunities for climate information services in the health sector.

How can we better understand the threat that climate risk poses to financial stability? By London School of Economics and Political Science, the on Feb 17, 2023 11:42 am
This commentary explains a new way to measure how the scope and speed of the economic transformation needed to mitigate climate change and the associated credit risk vary across sectors, jurisdictions and time.

Ministry of Climate Change and UNDP building a resilient Pakistan through Early Warning Systems By United Nations Development Programme - Pakistan on Feb 17, 2023 11:38 am
Ministry of Climate Change and UNDP Pakistan held a four-day training, supported by the Green Climate Fund, for government officials and technical teams on assembling, installing, commissioning and operating Early Warning Systems (EWS).

We need disaster data to save lives and guide recovery By World Bank, the on Feb 17, 2023 11:26 am
I have been horrified by the heartbreaking news and images coming out of Türkiye and the Syrian Arab Republic after the deadliest earthquakes of the century left tens of thousands of people injured and killed.

US coastal communities underestimate the danger posed by rising seas By Springer Nature on Feb 17, 2023 11:16 am
Local guidance in many coastal regions is inconsistent with the latest climate science, analysis shows.

How New Zealand’s improved earthquake resilience helped withstand Wellington quake By New Civil Engineer on Feb 16, 2023 01:57 pm
New Zealand’s North Island was struck by a 6.1 magnitude offshore earthquake yesterday, coming shortly after the nation’s most destructive cyclone in decades, but the infrastructure and resilience systems are in place to cope with it effectively.

Turkey-Syria earthquake: the scandal of not being prepared By Conversation Media Group, the on Feb 16, 2023 12:26 pm
Building in earthquake resilience adds maybe 20% to to costs of a construction project, so the temptation to ignore the regulations is obvious. The government not only failed to enforce its own building codes, but also encouraged non-compliance.

Longer term earthquake forecasts and brief warnings are possible By Conversation Media Group, the on Feb 16, 2023 12:10 pm
Science has not yet found a way to make actionable earthquake predictions. A useful prediction would specify a time, a place and a magnitude – and all of these would need to be fairly specific, with enough advance notice to be worthwhile.

WFP helps half a million people recover from loss and damage with climate insurance in West Africa By World Food Programme on Feb 16, 2023 12:02 pm
WFP has received US$15.4 million worth of insurance payouts from African Risk Capacity (ARC) Limited that will provide a cash transfer to affected people from March to May 2023, enabling them to recover from the impacts of drought.

Cause and surface faulting of the Türkiye earthquakes of February 6, 2023 By Risk Frontiers Holdings Pty Ltd on Feb 16, 2023 11:51 am
Türkiye and the surrounding regions are seismically active due to earthquakes that occur on faults that form the boundaries between four tectonic plates.

Canada’s latest building codes don’t account for more severe climate By Globe and Mail, the on Feb 16, 2023 11:31 am
Ottawa is being irresponsible for not hastening the adoption of construction standards that would make new homes more resilient to the harsher climate, the insurance industry says, after a year of severe weather events

Study on disaster risks to help improve safety By China Daily on Feb 16, 2023 11:24 am
China released its survey results on the integrated risk of natural disasters on Wednesday, the first of its kind in the country aiming to help prevent disasters in the future.

Colorado may force new homes in wildfire-prone areas to adhere to a state building code By The Colorado Sun on Feb 15, 2023 01:52 pm
Fire chiefs fearing disaster from wildfires where open space meets urban areas are joining lawmakers to push for a statewide board with power to define wildland-urban interface danger zones and impose preventive building codes on local governments. 

For disaster-hit Afghans, a brutally cold winter and shrinking aid By The New Humanitarian on Feb 15, 2023 11:32 am
On a remote hillside in Afghanistan’s Logar province, the tents of some 300 families stretch across the snow-covered ground. This makeshift village has stood here since last July, when unusually strong floodwaters destroyed hundreds of nearby homes.

Bangladesh is a global pioneer in preparing for climate migrants By Context on Feb 15, 2023 11:26 am
To offer people uprooted by climate impacts a better future, urban centres are seeking local adaptation solutions, including jobs

Words matter: stop using the phrase ‘natural disasters’ By Asian Development Bank on Feb 15, 2023 11:26 am
The phrase 'natural disaster' is used in the news, in social media, and in everyday conversations to describe extreme events like hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, or volcanoes. But the term is problematic – if not harmful.

In earthquake-prone Turkey, fury rises over poor construction standards after buildings suffer ‘pancake collapse’ By South China Morning Post on Feb 15, 2023 11:22 am
More than 12,000 buildings, some constructed only six months ago, fell apart in a country where construction firms that are often close to the government overlook safety standards

Turkey-Syria earthquakes: Concrete construction under scrutiny By Risk Management Solutions on Feb 15, 2023 11:17 am
Pictures of the devastation in Turkey and Syria from the Mw7.8 and Mw7.5 earthquakes on February 6, 2023, generate a terrible feeling of déjà vu as we see the term 'pancaked' back in usage to describe the fate of many multi-story buildings.

Massive outages caused by Cyclone Gabrielle strengthen the case for burying power lines By Conversation Media Group, the on Feb 15, 2023 11:16 am
Another extreme weather event has highlighted the weak points in New Zealand’s critical infrastructure. As Cyclone Gabrielle ripped across the North Island, nearly 225,000 people lost power.

Erdoğan under fire as shoddy Turkish building standards exposed by earthquake By Financial Times on Feb 15, 2023 11:10 am
President faces backlash over 2018 amnesty for faults in millions of buildings despite history of natural disasters

Sea level rise poses ‘unthinkable’ risks for the planet, Security Council hears By United Nations - Headquarters on Feb 15, 2023 10:53 am
“The impact of rising seas is already creating new sources of instability and conflict,” said UN Secretary-General António Guterres, who opened the meeting.

Secondary crises after the Turkey-Syria earthquakes are now the greatest threat to life By Conversation Media Group, the on Feb 15, 2023 10:49 am
While hard to track, we know from other cases that death tolls rise because of a lack of adequate medical care, clean water and shelter following disasters. These secondary crises can have devastating impacts, as past disasters around the world have shown

How floods in Pakistan threaten global security By World Resources Institute on Feb 15, 2023 10:48 am
The country is now experiencing mass displacement, food insecurity, loss of livelihoods and an increased risk of waterborne disease, drowning and malnutrition. Six months later, flood waters have still not fully receded.

Earthquake in Turkey exposes gap between seismic knowledge and action – but it is possible to prepare By Conversation Media Group, the on Feb 15, 2023 10:37 am
Two days after a devastating earthquake struck, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan visited one of the worst affected areas and declared that it was “not possible to be prepared for such a disaster.”

Sudan’s water crisis and the women fighting back By United Nations Environment Programme on Feb 15, 2023 10:23 am
Scientists predict that temperatures in Sudan will continue to rise dangerously, and if current rainfall trends continue, the Sahara Desert will continue advancing southward at a rate of 1.5km a year swallowing agricultural and grazing land.

Colombia paves the way from adaptation planning to local implementation in five agricultural sub-sectors By United Nations Development Programme - Headquarters on Feb 15, 2023 10:23 am
Colombia is focusing on improving the capacities of 10 agricultural subsectors (rice, corn, palm, potato, beef cattle, dairy cattle, cocoa, banana, coffee, and sugar cane) to adapt to climate change.

How Mauritania can reduce the impact of climate disasters on its economy By International Monetary Fund on Feb 15, 2023 09:58 am
Improving access to healthcare and electricity can go a long way toward reducing the costs to growth from climate disasters.

If Singapore were to come under attack or face a natural disaster, how prepared would you be? By Channel NewsAsia on Feb 15, 2023 09:34 am
A recent study shows that only 31% of households in Singapore have a plan for what to do in the event of a disaster. This does not bode well, says Jared Ng of the Institute for the Public Understanding of Risk.

How to build a climate-resilient water supply By Eos - AGU on Feb 14, 2023 01:12 pm
Scientists developed a new model to help water utility companies minimize weather-based disruptions to clean water access.

The Routledge Handbook of Disaster Response & Recovery: Call for authors By Routledge on Feb 14, 2023 12:25 pm
A new book entitled The Routledge Handbook of Disaster Response & Recovery is being prepared.

Wildfire smoke-weather interaction amplifies extreme fire activity and air pollution By American Association for the Advancement of Science on Feb 14, 2023 12:07 pm
Wildfire smoke affects local weather, creating conditions that accelerate wildfire expansion and air pollution exposure at a regional scale, according to a new study.

Puducherry scientists develop flood-resistant rice variety By Business Insider India on Feb 14, 2023 11:58 am
The Agriculture institute in Karaikal, Puducherry has developed a new rice variety that can tolerate floods. The rice variety was developed with the support of the Department of Biotechnology, Central government.

A new strategy for western states to adapt to long-term drought: Customized water pricing By Conversation Media Group, the on Feb 14, 2023 11:52 am
Basic economics teaches us that a higher price for water would encourage conservation. Up until now, however, concerns about harming low-income households have limited discussions about raising water prices to reduce demand.

Why climate resilience is vital for Tajikistan’s future By United Nations Development Programme - Headquarters on Feb 14, 2023 11:40 am
In May 2021, Tajikistan was hit by torrential rains that triggered floods, landslides, and mudflows across much of the country. The worst impact was felt in the Tebalay River watershed, home to more than 300,000 people.

Pakistan floods: Need for tackling development from a different perspective By Inter Press Service International Association on Feb 14, 2023 11:31 am
The 2022 Pakistan floods call for a rethink of the development planning process if it is to be ensured that the existing productive, social and service delivery infrastructure is resilient to such shocks in the future.

Kenya Red Cross early-action seeds help farmers beat drought By Kenya Red Cross Society on Feb 14, 2023 11:25 am
Farmers in Kenya’s southern Kwale county who had turned to logging and quarrying after prolonged drought have been harvesting crops over the past few weeks thanks to an early-action distribution of specialized seeds by the Kenya Red Cross Society.

Pathways towards anticipatory action in Pacific Island countries By Anticipation Hub on Feb 14, 2023 10:55 am
There is growing curiosity about the potential to scale up anticipatory action in Pacific Island countries – and with good reason. Pacific Island countries are among the most vulnerable to natural hazards.

Illuminating the dark: understanding our social interactions to improve influenza pandemic preparedness and response By World Health Organization on Feb 14, 2023 10:35 am
The WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific has taken steps to explore the role and potential of dark social communication for promoting health messages and reducing the spread of misleading information during and between influenza pandemics.

Who moves and who pays? Managed retreat is hard, but lessons from the past can guide us By Conversation Media Group, the on Feb 14, 2023 09:59 am
As the cleanup from the Auckland floods continues, and Cyclone Gabrielle hits already saturated parts of the North Island, many people and communities are wondering about the future of their cherished places and homes.

Cyclone Gabrielle: how microgrids could help keep the power on during extreme weather events By Conversation Media Group, the on Feb 14, 2023 09:44 am
Tens of thousands of homes and businesses are left without power as Cyclone Gabrielle batters New Zealand’s North Island, causing widespread damage to the power network.

Cyclone Gabrielle - The infrastructure flaws exposed in our major cities By New Zealand Herald, the - APN Holdings NZ Limited on Feb 14, 2023 09:36 am
The furious storms over the summer have served to expose a number of weaknesses in the infrastructure of our major cities and towns.

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