A data engineering approach to tracking global climate resilience

What counts as a climate-resilient road? One country might build to withstand a 1-in-50-year flood, another a 1-in-100-year flood, and both report against the same indicator. COP30 in Belém adopted 59 indicators for the Global Goal on Adaptation. Bapon Fakhruddin of the Green Climate Fund and Matti Heikkurinen of CODATA warn that figures which look comparable often are not. Their answer is not a single global standard but the Cross-Domain Interoperability Framework, which acts as a translator between existing sectoral standards, so communities need not change how they collect data. Building it in from the outset costs far less than retrofitting it and decides whether the Global Stocktake measures genuine progress or merely records the attempt to describe it.

Energy strategy: The path for a prosperous, sustainable future

New Zealand’s electricity supply still turns on how much rain reaches a handful of South Island hydro lakes, and dry years keep exposing how little affordable firming sits behind them. Dr Tim Fisher, Group Managing Director of Tonkin + Taylor, argues the country lacks an energy strategy durable enough to survive successive electoral cycles. The cost is mounting: electricity is 65% more expensive than when the retail market opened in 1999, and project delays have cost NZ$11.8 billion over 25 years. Getting it right could add NZ$22 billion a year to GDP by 2035. Fisher calls for distributed renewable generation, a mandatory firming and flexibility market, gas transition planning, and security of supply that accounts for natural hazards and ageing grid assets.

Climate change is driving widespread marine heat waves across the globe

The largest marine heatwave currently on record covers 63 million square kilometres of the Pacific, roughly 17% of the world’s ocean surface, and climate change is responsible for an estimated 86% of it. It is far from alone. Climate Central finds every major ocean basin running unusually warm: 82.9% of the Mediterranean is under marine heatwave conditions, with parts of the western basin 5-6°C above normal. Those conditions also extend across 39.7% of the Gulf of Mexico, 33% of the Indian Ocean and 23.3% of the Atlantic. Some North Pacific hotspots have now persisted beyond 180 consecutive days. Marine heatwaves are no longer discrete events to be waited out, but a background condition the ocean is increasingly held in.

Droughts: Europe’s economy is paying the price, €439 billion already lost while the damage almost doubles with +2°C

Drought is usually costed as an agricultural problem. Research from the Euro-Mediterranean Center on Climate Change (CMCC) and Politecnico di Milano suggests that is where the damage starts, not where it ends. The 2015-2018 European drought cost €439 billion, cutting EU-27 and UK GDP per capita growth by 2.72 percentage points, reducing investment by over 12% and leaving 5.8 million jobs uncreated. Critically, the largest losses accumulated over the following six years: agriculture absorbs the initial hit but recovers within a couple of years, while manufacturing and construction keep losing ground long afterwards. At 2°C of warming the same event would cost close to €760 billion, with Spain’s GDP loss rising from 2.2 to 7.7 percentage points.

Japan’s earthquake shows extreme heat can turn one disaster into two

When an earthquake struck Kumamoto in late July, the response unfolded in temperatures that climbed into the high 30s and, in places, hit 40°C for the first time on record. At least 38 people died in the quake; some 7,000 sheltered across 130 evacuation centres with water and power disrupted, and one older woman died of heatstroke while sheltering in her car. Glenn McGregor argues this is a compound event, in which heat acts as a disaster risk multiplier, raising heatstroke risk among evacuees while degrading responders’ physical performance. The comparison is instructive: the 2016 Kumamoto earthquake struck in mild April conditions. The climate a disaster lands in is becoming as consequential as the hazard itself.

Acting before the crisis: The Colombian Red Cross is combining science and anticipation in its response to the El Niño phenomenon

Colombia’s first fully implemented Early Action Protocol did not wait for the drought to arrive. When forecasts from national hydrology and meteorology institute IDEAM showed a greater than 50% probability of below-normal rainfall from June to August, and a Standardised Precipitation Index at or below -1.4, the trigger was met. The Colombian Red Cross and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) released funds ahead of impact. Some 2,400 people across Tolima and Cesar are being reached: water-retention soil additives for 600 people to stretch irrigation, livestock supplements to prevent deaths during pasture shortages, cash transfers for 900 people without bank accounts, and a community water treatment plant producing 30,000 litres a day. Financed through the anticipatory pillar of the IFRC’s Disaster Response Emergency Fund (DREF), it shows drought response can be pre-agreed and science triggered.

A Livable Future: Protecting Jobs and Growth from Extreme Heat in South Asia’s Cities

In South Asia’s cities the night no longer brings relief: urban areas can run up to 10°C hotter after dark than the countryside around them. Covering six countries from Bangladesh to Sri Lanka, this World Bank report finds heat already costs the region the equivalent of 31 million full-time jobs per year. Without adaptation, GDP could be around 7% smaller by 2050, and by 2070 an estimated 520 million people may face at least one month annually of dangerous heat. Fifteen priority interventions are identified across three pillars — infrastructure, policy and private capital — with Ahmedabad’s heat action plan cited as a proven model that cut peak-heat mortality by 47%. The report makes a compelling case that investment in heat adaptation is as much a fiscal priority as a humanitarian one.

The 2025 small island developing states report of the Lancet Countdown on health and climate change: building resilience in the face of rising heat

Small island developing states (SIDS) contribute less than 1% of global greenhouse gas emissions and are among the first to pay for them. Tracking 28 indicators across health impacts, adaptation, mitigation, finance and public engagement, this Lancet Countdown report compares recent exposure with the 2000-09 baseline. Between 2015 and 2024, infants across SIDS were exposed to seven times more heatwave days than that baseline, and older adults five times more. In 2024 alone, 4.4 billion potential work hours were lost to heat. Drought and heat together contributed to food insecurity for around 2.7 million people across 26 SIDS, compounding risks from vector-borne disease and sea-level rise. Adaptation and climate finance remain far short of what that exposure warrants, and the report argues for health-centred resilience as the organising principle for both.

Heat-Resilient Infrastructure: Lessons from Emerging Global Experience

Heatwaves already inflict an estimated US$23.9 billion in annual losses on critical infrastructure globally, and the remedy is not simply more concrete. This multi-author issue gathers field experience, policy perspectives and community voices on building heat resilience into infrastructure and urban systems, with a focus on South Asia. Contributors examine the role of water systems in heat action plans, the cooling potential of urban tree cover and green-blue infrastructure, and thermally comfortable housing design for low-income communities. A review of more than 250 city-level heat action plans across India illustrates both rapid progress and significant implementation gaps. The issue’s central argument is that heat resilience cannot be achieved through infrastructure investment alone: it requires governance reform, sustained finance and genuine engagement with the communities most at risk.

Evaluating the implementation and effectiveness of heat action plans

Cities are writing heat action plans faster than anyone can establish whether they work. Reviewing 34 subnational heat action plans worldwide, this Global Disaster Preparedness Center study finds most handle emergency preparedness, early warning and public health interventions competently, but often lack clear indicators to measure effectiveness and long-term outcomes. Governance, stakeholder coordination, sustainable funding and data availability emerge as the factors separating plans that function from plans that merely exist. To close the measurement gap, the authors developed the Heat Action Plan Implementation and Effectiveness (HAPIE) Tool, which helps local governments define goals, monitor progress and evaluate outcomes using practical, context-specific indicators. Piloted in Seattle, Vienna, Cape Town and Nepalgunj, it offers a route to embedding continuous evaluation in heat resilience planning rather than treating publication as the finish line.

Land-use and atmospheric shifts jointly amplify U.S. drought-driven crop losses

Two things determine how badly a drought hits a harvest: the weather, and what has been planted in its path. Using an integrated multi-scale, multi-sector modelling framework across the contiguous United States, researchers project drought-driven production losses through 2055 rising by almost 60% for corn and 135% for soybean against historical levels. The striking finding is that land-use and land-cover change operates as a driver of comparable magnitude to atmospheric change itself, with the sharpest amplification occurring where cropland expansion overlaps drought-prone regions such as the Great Plains. The implication is uncomfortable but useful: a meaningful share of future drought loss is being locked in right now by land-use decisions, which also means a meaningful share of it remains avoidable.

16th Annual Conference of the International Society for Integrated Disaster Risk Management (IDRiM 2026)

Now in its 16th year, IDRiM brings its annual conference to Bali under the theme “Resilient Cities in Multi-Hazard Crises: Bridging Innovation, Implementation Science, and Grassroots Action”. Hosted by the Resilience Development Initiative and the Research Center for Disaster Mitigation at Institut Teknologi Bandung, it draws academics, practitioners, policymakers and community leaders together around urban resilience where several hazards arrive at once. The emphasis on implementation science and grassroots action speaks directly to the gap between what is known about risk and what actually gets built.

Date & location: 5 – 9 September 2026 | Bali, Indonesia

Global Cooling Pledge Assembly 2026

Launched at COP28, the Global Cooling Pledge commits signatories to a triple strategy of passive cooling, super-efficient technologies and climate-friendly refrigerants, targeting a 68% cut in sector emissions by 2050. The Cool Coalition, an initiative of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), hosts the assembly, bringing signatory countries, cities, industry and development finance institutions together to turn that commitment into deployment. Sessions cover national cooling policy, urban heat resilience for cities and subnational governments, and the strategic direction of the Intergovernmental Committee on Cooling, with outcomes intended to shape the global cooling agenda heading into COP31. Access to cooling is the other half of the heat exposure story.

Date & location: 15 – 18 September 2026 | PARKROYAL on Beach Road, Singapore

UNDRR Masterclass series: AI for Multi-Hazard Early Warning Systems

Delivered by the Global Education and Training Institute of the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) with Google, this three-part online series looks at where AI is genuinely useful in early warning. The sessions cover AI-driven flood prediction (16 September), advances in weather prediction (23 September), and Earth science and impact assessment (30 September). Aimed at governments and humanitarian organisations strengthening early warning and anticipatory action programmes, it was capped at 1,000 participants on a first-come basis, with a certificate for those attending all three sessions. Registration has now closed, but the series is worth noting for anyone tracking where AI is being put to practical use in early warning.

Online registration (now closed): https://undrr.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_buu2Xn0dQ8aSNE6Dc5AOEg

Date & location: 16, 23 & 30 September 2026 | Online

Pacific Symposium on Loss and Damage: Understanding Non-economic Losses

Some losses never reach a balance sheet: language, cultural heritage, sense of place, the ties that hold a community together. This symposium focuses on non-economic loss and damage across the Pacific, and on the harder question of measuring it well enough to inform policy and finance. UNDRR’s Pacific sub-regional office leads it alongside the Pacific Community, the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), the Santiago Network and UN partners. Together they work with governments, regional agencies, civil society, Indigenous Peoples and community leaders to strengthen data systems, policy frameworks and institutional capacity. Attendance is by invitation, but the outputs will be worth following.

Date & location: 28 – 29 September 2026 | Tanoa International Hotel, Nadi, Fiji

Global Heat Forum: Unlocking Solutions to Scale Heat Resilience

The Global Heat Health Information Network runs the forum with support from the World Meteorological Organization, gathering more than 500 policymakers, scientists, funders, community leaders and private sector representatives around a single question: how to scale what already works. The programme spans plenaries, workshops and field visits, with the stated aim of moving past documenting the problem to building an investable roadmap for heat resilience. Pre-registration is open on a rolling basis, and plenaries will be live streamed for those unable to travel.

Date & location: 6 – 9 October 2026 | Bangkok, Thailand + online

Release of the Cross-Domain Interoperability Framework (CDIF) Version 1.1

The Committee on Data (CODATA) has released Version 1.1 of the Cross-Domain Interoperability Framework (CDIF), a practical framework that enables organisations across sectors to share and combine data without manual translation. Resulting from two years of implementation and development, including a disaster preparedness initiative in Malawi and implementation in the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC) climate adaptation project (Climate-Adapt4EOSC), the release strengthens FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable) data sharing. New features include standardised core data fields, improved packaging tools, and a developer toolkit, with future updates planned to enhance data quality, semantic mapping, and support for complex data and software resources.

Climate risk and disclosure in ports: Lessons from New Zealand and Australia

Climate risk and disclosure in ports: Lessons from New Zealand and Australia
Ports sit on the front line of climate risk, and increasingly on the front line of climate disclosure too. Drawing on a webinar with Lyttelton Port Company, Flinders Port Holdings and Tonkin + Taylor, this article shows how leading ports are turning mandatory climate reporting from a compliance chore into a strategic advantage: sharpening governance, informing investment decisions and building resilience across operations. As reporting regimes mature on both sides of the Tasman, the ports getting ahead are the ones treating disclosure as navigation, not paperwork.
Watch the webinar

Climate adaptation, governance gaps and the future of Europe’s coastal fisheries

The fish are moving; the rules aren’t keeping up. As warming waters push species into new territories, Europe’s fisheries governance, built for a stable ocean, is struggling to adapt. Using the North Sea brown shrimp fishery as a case study, this article makes the case for adaptive governance and climate services such as early warning systems and decision-support tools, so coastal communities can manage change proactively rather than react to it.

Mapping Africa’s changing coastline

Sea-level rise is not uniform, and for Africa’s coastal communities the local details matter. A new interactive platform combines more than a century of data with future climate projections to show how land subsidence, ocean warming and melting ice sheets shape flood risk from one location to the next. The aim is to give governments the site-specific evidence to decide where to strengthen defences, where to build resilience, and where managed relocation may be the wiser path.

Ocean warming, marine heatwaves and sea-level rise pose increasing risk in South-West Pacific region

2025 was the South-West Pacific’s second warmest year on record (behind 2024), and the ocean is bearing the brunt. A new World Meteorological Organization report documents widespread marine heatwaves driving coral bleaching, fisheries disruption and biodiversity loss, alongside the destruction wrought in Indonesia and Malaysia by Cyclone Senyar. Most striking of all: Indonesia’s last tropical glacier could vanish by 2027. The report calls for urgent strengthening of early warning systems, climate services and coordinated adaptation across the region.

Opinion: Financing Early Warning Systems That Deliver and Endure

Drawing on a 2026 independent evaluation of the Green Climate Fund’s (GCF) approach to and Portfolio of Climate Information and Early Warning System Interventions, the authors argue that investment scale alone does not guarantee impact. The GCF is the world’s largest financier of climate information and early warning systems, committing close to two billion US dollars across more than 140 projects in over 100 countries, yet the evaluation finds these investments have grown in isolation, without a unifying framework. The authors highlight that critical gaps remain in decisive stages of system performance, including gaps in communication channels, user-centred design, tailored risk based information, and local preparedness capacity. They call for a shift toward blended finance models, integrated system design, and measuring real-world capability rather than simple coverage.

Mainstreaming Disaster Resilience into Infrastructure Projects

When roads, railways and power networks fail in disasters, the losses ripple across entire economies, and much of that damage is avoidable. Focusing on India’s roads, railways and power sectors, this CDRI report pinpoints where policy, project design, financing and risk assessment fall short. The fixes are practical: embed resilience across the whole infrastructure lifecycle, from planning and procurement through to operation, assess hazards up front, monitor assets in real time using digital systems, and back it all with dedicated financing, insurance and risk-transfer options. The result is a roadmap for reducing economic losses and keeping essential services running, so that future infrastructure keeps standing, and keeps serving, in a changing climate.

Small but mighty — climate resilience in Europe’s small municipalities

Around 40% of the EU’s population lives in municipalities of fewer than 20,000 people, communities that also support much of Europe’s agricultural production and ecosystem services. Yet only 16% of these small municipalities have adaptation plans, compared with 28% of larger ones. This European Environment Agency briefing shows how small towns are punching above their weight through local leadership, partnerships and folding adaptation into plans, budgets and policy, even as limited funding, staffing, technical expertise and access to climate data hold many back. The call is for stronger national and EU support, through funding, knowledge-sharing and capacity building, so no region is left behind.

Physical Vulnerability of The Gambia’s Coastline in the Context of Climate Change

The Gambia’s entire 80 km coastline is under pressure, but some stretches are far more exposed than others. With rising seas, erosion and flooding threatening communities, ecosystems and key industries such as tourism, agriculture and fisheries, knowing where to act first matters. Using the Coastal Vulnerability Index, this study pinpoints the hotspots, from Buniadu Point to Barra and Banjul to Cape Point, where erosion, low-lying terrain and fragile geology converge. The prescription is integrated coastal management: nature-based solutions such as mangrove and wetland restoration, flood-resistant infrastructure, improved drainage, land-use planning and managed retreat from the highest-risk areas, backed by coordinated action across government, communities and regional partners.

The role of the spatial scale in flood hazard and risk mapping for informing land-use planning: Insights from Aotearoa New Zealand

Does the scale of a flood map change the decisions it supports? This Aotearoa New Zealand study says yes: regional maps work well for strategic planning and flagging broad areas of concern, but local planning and development decisions demand finer-scale mapping. With extreme rainfall intensifying and development continuing in flood-prone areas, the stakes are rising. The catch is consistency — approaches differ between regions, and there is no clear national guidance on how flood hazard and risk information should be applied in planning, producing uneven outcomes. The authors call for consistent national standards, greater transparency about the limits of each mapping scale, and closer collaboration between planners, scientists and decision-makers.

OntoPortal Workshop 2026 Announced

The OntoPortal Alliance, who develop and maintain open-source ontology repositories that help scientists across disciplines share and reuse structured, machine-readable knowledge, announces its fifth annual gathering in Paris. A free public online session on 23 September features a platform introduction, panel discussion, hands-on tutorial, and a Q&A session. A valuable opportunity for both newcomers and practitioners to explore and discover how ontology tools can improve data interoperability, hear from community members, and discuss future directions.

Online registration: https://zfrmz.eu/bAXGoKYQgWZwTw27fEPr

Online date & location: 23 September 2026 | Zoom (online)

Pacific Webinar on the Global Disaster-Related Statistics Framework (G-DRSF)

Endorsed by the United Nations Statistical Commission in 2026, the Global Disaster-Related Statistics Framework (G-DRSF) offers countries a common foundation for producing, sharing, and using disaster-related data, from loss and damage tracking to Sendai Framework monitoring and risk-informed planning. This webinar introduces the framework and explores what it means in practice for Pacific countries, where data gaps and the growing impacts of climate-related disasters make robust statistical systems especially critical.

Bringing together regional partners and country representatives, the session will feature presentations, a Pacific country panel, and an interactive Q&A, with a focus on how the G-DRSF can strengthen national statistical systems and support regional collaboration going forward.

Date & location: 4 August 2026 | Online

2026 Int’l Symposium on Construction and Disaster Management (CADM 2026)

The International Symposium on Construction and Disaster Management returns this August in Kunming, China, bringing together researchers and practitioners to share the latest findings at the intersection of construction and disaster management. For those working on disaster-resilient infrastructure, risk-informed building practices, and post-disaster reconstruction, CADM 2026 offers a focused forum to exchange methods, results, and emerging approaches.

Date & location: 10 – 12 August 2026 | Kunming, Yunnan Province, China

UNCCD COP17          

Up to 40% of the world’s land is degraded, affecting 3.2 billion people, and this August, the world’s governments will gather in Mongolia to respond. The 17th Session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD COP17) brings together delegates from 197 Parties, heads of state, scientists, and civil society to advance action on desertification, land degradation, and drought: three interconnected drivers of disaster.

As the first of the three Rio Convention COPs in 2026, COP17 is expected to set the tone for global ambition on land, climate, and biodiversity this year. For DRR practitioners, it is a critical event to follow closely.

Date & location: 17 – 28 August 2026 | Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

World Water Week 2026 

Organised by the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI), World Water Week 2026 brings together policymakers, practitioners, and researchers under the theme “Water for People and Progress” to advance equitable, climate-resilient water solutions. The programme will address water security, sanitation, and health, with a particular focus on marginalised communities and the intersections of water, gender, and climate change. For those working in disaster risk reduction, where floods, droughts, and water insecurity sit at the heart of community resilience, this is a key event to follow.

Date & location: 23 – 27 August 2026 | Stockholm, Sweden and Online

Creating Effective Warnings For All Workshops 2026

Three focused workshops at University College London are taking place this September. Spanning climate risk communication, health impacts, and community-inclusive approaches, the series covers some of the most pressing challenges in translating warnings into protective action.

The three workshops are:

• 2 September – Warnings to Action: Aligning Climate Risk Alerts with Climate Change Policy
• 3 September – Warnings for Health in an Era of Rapid Climate Change
• 4 September – Knowing Risk: Co-developing Community-Inclusive Early Warning Systems (co-run with the University of Glasgow and Malawi University of Science and Technology).

Date & location: 2 – 4 September 2026 | University College London, UK

El Niño likely to return: the case for early action

Climate models point to a likely return of El Niño by mid-2026. Its strength remains uncertain, but waiting for certainty can increase exposure to avoidable losses. History tells the risks; drought, agricultural collapse, and disease outbreaks, hitting poor and food insecure regions the hardest. Unfortunately, this return arrives with governments and households less resilient than before, and climate change pushing risks further. The priorities should be; turning climate forecasts into actionable ground-level decisions, early financing options, and strengthened coordination across sectors. The window for preparation and long term resilience opportunities is open.

How controlled burns can help save taxpayers billions

Indigenous nations have been clearing underbrush and trees or employing prescribed burns for centuries. A study published in Science confirms what land managers have long argued; preventing wildfires is cheaper than fighting them. Every dollar spent on clearing underbrush and trees, and prescribed burns avoided $3.73 in damage. Yet US federal policy has moved recently in the opposite direction, with suppression prioritised over prevention and one million fewer forest acres with prevention measures adopted in 2025 than 2024. Wildfire prevention can also bring benefits for ecology and recreation, however, not everyone is in support of the tactic.

Tulane researchers say Louisiana could lead global climate adaptation efforts

Louisiana is losing land faster than almost anywhere on Earth. New research published in Nature Sustainability has identified an ancient shoreline roughly 30 miles north of New Orleans, which formed 125,000 years ago when temperatures were just 0.5-1.5°C warmer than preindustrial levels. With global temperatures now approaching that 1.5°C threshold, a similar retreat may already be locked in. The authors are clear in that this does not have to be an inevitable disaster. An early start with planned, managed relocation, can transform retreat into renewal. Sweden’s city of Kiruna, currently relocating 6,000 residents due to mining activity, proves it can be done. The window to plan is open, but it will not stay open for long.

From forecasts to futures: how Ugandan communities are turning early warnings into everyday action

In Uganda’s flood-prone Kamuli and drought-affected Pakwach districts, the Water at the Heart of Climate Action (WHCA) programme is transforming how communities prepare for climate hazards. Launched in 2024, WHCA unites government agencies, the Uganda Red Cross Society, and humanitarian partners to build community-rooted early warning systems. Recognising that “people know their risks better than any map,” the programme began by listening, engaging over 3,000 participants to shape its roadmap. At the heart of the programme is training the community and trusted groups, because “when people hear advice from their church or local radio, they act faster”. Ultimately, WHCA aims to turn early warning into an everyday culture of preparedness, leading the way in learning to live with climate hazards.

Cities are rehearsing for deadly heat. Will it help when disaster comes?

In a tunnel beneath Paris, kept at a cool 18°C, schoolchildren acted to simulate the chaos of a 50°C heatwave. They faked food poisoning from spoiled refrigerated goods and carbon monoxide leaks from emergency generators. Above ground, firefighters and city officials worked through the cascading failures such heat would trigger across power, transport and health systems. The drill led to 50 recommendations now embedded in Paris’ Climate Action Plan, with a few other cities following suite. The lessons learnt being that a heat action plan on paper is not the same as knowing how to execute it under pressure, and residents (not just officials) must be prepared.

Revolution’s aftermath: population based cross-sectional study to understand the intergeneration mental health and wellbeing following the 2024 student-led uprising

When Bangladesh was gripped by a nationwide student uprising in July 2024, millions were exposed to prolonged unrest and traumatic events. This open-access, population-based study is among the first to quantify the psychological impact, using the validated PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 to assess probable PTSD among Bangladeshis aged 15 and over within three months of the uprising. The study highlights the value of applying Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable (FAIR) principles to post-crisis mental health data and provides a rigorous, reproducible framework for studying the mental health impacts of disasters. Findings reveal high probable PTSD rates following large-scale confrontations, underscoring the need for culturally appropriate interventions and continued monitoring. As political unrest, climate shocks, and displacement increasingly overlap worldwide, interoperable mental health data is becoming essential to effective recovery and disaster risk reduction.

Open Science, Health Data and Epistemic Harms: A Multidisciplinary Reflection

Open Science (OS) promises to democratise knowledge and reduce inequalities, but does it deliver? This interdisciplinary essay from researchers at the University of Warwick argues that, particularly in health data, OS can amplify structural vulnerabilities for already marginalised communities. Drawing on a September 2025 workshop, the authors bring perspectives from law, epidemiology, disability studies and data justice to critically examine OS’s “promise and paradox.” They highlight how OS infrastructures can perpetuate Eurocentric knowledge norms, corporate capture and data colonialism. The authors call for OS to move beyond techno-optimism and instead embrace relational data governance, CARE principles, Indigenous data sovereignty, accessibility as a core principle, and stronger accountability frameworks, ensuring openness genuinely serves collective benefit rather than reinforcing existing power structures.

Preparatory phase of large earthquakes illuminated by unsupervised categorization of earthquake catalog features

Predicting large earthquakes remains a major scientific challenge due to the complexity and variability of fault systems and their preparatory processes. This study applies an unsupervised machine learning framework to seismicity catalogues to identify patterns that may signal the lead‑up to large earthquakes. For earthquakes with a clear preparatory phase, certain clusters of smaller earthquakes became increasingly localized and interconnected in the lead-up to the main event. These “critical” patterns reflected higher levels of strain release and earthquake interaction compared to background seismicity. Importantly, the method did not detect the same signals before earthquakes with no clear preparatory phase, suggesting it may help distinguish when meaningful precursory activity is occurring. The researchers say the approach shows promise for improving operational earthquake forecasting, while also highlighting that not all earthquakes exhibit detectable warning patterns beforehand.

Disaster risk planning in an evolving risk landscape: Barriers and enablers in the integration of land use and preparedness actors

Integrating land use planning with preparedness actors such as fire and rescue services and crisis management is becoming increasingly important in disaster risk management. Evolving risks linked to climate change, urban densification, and complex hazard interactions require both preventive and resilience‑based approaches. Four key themes were identified shaping collaboration: institutional structures and data sharing, alignment of priorities and risk perceptions, resource availability and capacity, and role clarity and mutual understanding. Evidence shows that fragmentation, unclear responsibilities, limited information exchange, and competing priorities constrain effective coordination across these actors. As responsibilities for prevention and response remain organised across separate systems, insufficient integration can weaken feedback between planning and operational practice, limiting the ability to reduce risks and adapt to emerging threats over time.

Reinterpreting disasters and urban resilience in the Anthropocene: Disaster management or transforming with disasters?

Disasters are increasingly shaped by the conditions of the Anthropocene, where human-driven environmental change is producing more frequent, interconnected, and unpredictable events. The analysis argues that disasters can no longer be understood as discrete, natural occurrences, but as chronic, systemic processes arising from complex interactions between social and ecological systems. In this context, traditional disaster management approaches—based on control, prediction, and recovery—are increasingly limited by uncertainty and the breakdown of stable cause‑effect relationships. Instead, the study highlights a shift toward “transformative resilience,” where disasters are understood as potential catalysts for systemic change. This approach emphasises reconfiguring socio‑ecological systems, addressing structural drivers of vulnerability, and enabling cities to reorganise and evolve in response to disruption, rather than returning to pre‑disaster conditions.

Emergency Preparedness, Disaster Displacement and Climate Migration

Climate‑related hazards are reshaping patterns of human mobility, with preparedness emerging as a key factor determining whether displacement is safe, planned, or chaotic. The analysis shows that linking risk assessment, early warning systems, and pre‑arranged financing enables earlier and more effective action, reducing losses and distress migration. Inclusive risk communication and evacuation planning are critical to ensuring that vulnerable populations can move safely or access protection in place. The duration and impacts of displacement are strongly influenced by the pace of recovery, including housing reconstruction and access to social protection. Over the longer term, combining adaptation measures that support habitability with safe, voluntary migration pathways is identified as essential to strengthening resilience under increasing climate pressures.

16th UCL Risk & Disaster Reduction annual conference | UCL Risk & Disaster Reduction

How do cities confront emerging risks and build more resilient futures? The 16th UCL Risk and Disaster Reduction Annual Conference brings together researchers, practitioners, and policymakers across disaster risk — from multi-hazard modelling to AI ethics in crisis management. The programme features a keynote from UNDRR’s Loretta Girardet, and sessions span from engineering to social science, as well as an explorative hackathon reimagining future cities.

Date & location: 24 June 2026 | UCL, London, United Kingdom

2nd Bonn Risk Finance Dialogue

Vulnerable communities remain dangerously under protected as climate risks intensify and financing gaps widen. The 2nd Bonn Risk Finance Dialogue will bring together practitioners, researchers, and policymakers to tackle this challenge head-on. Structured around three themes; scaling up policy and financing frameworks, scaling out financial protection solutions, and scaling deep through stronger delivery systems, the Dialogue aims to advance climate and disaster risk finance and insurance (CDRFI) for those who need it most. The event organisers welcome contributions to the Dialogue.

Date & location: 17-18 June 2026 | Haus der Evangelischen Kirche (EViB), Bonn, Germany

Integrating Risk Reduction and Risk Finance: From Strategy to Implementation

National financing for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) remains insufficient, fragmented, and too disconnected from implementation processes. Yet countries are increasingly seeking practical tools to change that. A workshop will be held to explore emerging solutions, including the Climate Insurance and Resilience Programme (CIRP) and the G20 Compendium on Risk Transfer Instruments, and assess their real-world applicability. The workshop will strengthen national DRR financing strategies, advance anticipatory financing, and gather country feedback to shape joint technical guidance. This workshop is a complementary event to the 2^nd Bonn Risk Finance Dialogue event.

Date & location: 17 June 2026 | Haus der Evangelischen Kirche (EViB), Bonn, Germany

CESSDA “Future-Ready Social Science: Data, Policy, and Impact” (50th Anniversary)

As digital transformation, open science, and AI reshape research, the need for trustworthy, interoperable, and policy-relevant social science data has never been greater. To mark its 50th anniversary, CESSDA, the Consortium of European Social Science Data Archives, convenes researchers, data experts, policy actors, and funding partners from across Europe and beyond to reflect on five decades of collaboration and chart a shared vision for the future. Anchored in CESSDA’s strategic pillars of Data, People, and Landscape, the conference creates space for bold questions and stronger synergies, advancing a European Research Area where data is as open as possible and as closed as necessary.

Date & location: 15–18 June 2026 | Bergen, Norway

CODATA-RDA School of Research Data Science

Contemporary research cannot be done effectively without strong data skills, yet access to quality training remains unequal. The CODATA-RDA School of Research Data Science offers early-career researchers and professionals from Africa and South America a self-paced, online curriculum covering ten themes in research data science, from technical skills to responsible research practices. Delivered through video lectures, exercises, and live question-and-answer sessions, the school equips participants with the foundational skills needed to work with data effectively in 21st-century research. Open to master’s students, postdoctoral researchers, and professionals, this initiative reflects CODATA’s commitment to building an inclusive, globally connected research data community.

Date & location: 1 June – 17 July 2026 | Online (short course)

Why disaster risk financing must evolve to meet the climate crisis

Climate-related disasters are increasing in frequency and severity, while global adaptation and resilience finance remains largely reactive and far below estimated needs. Evidence shows finance flows often rise only after disaster losses occur, reinforcing a cycle of response rather than prevention. The analysis highlights mismatches between current adaptation funding and projected requirements, alongside findings that policy uncertainty discourages private investment. Financial instruments such as parametric insurance, catastrophe bonds, and blended finance are used in regions including the Caribbean, Pacific, and parts of Asia, but remain underutilised globally. Examples from Mexico, Indonesia, Kenya, and the Philippines show how pre-arranged disaster risk financing enables faster, more predictable responses to climate shocks.

CDIF4EOSC: watch this space!

CODATA has advanced with the Grant Agreement Preparation process with the European Commission for CDIF4EOSC, a three‑year project aimed at strengthening cross‑domain interoperability within the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC). Building on the existing Cross‑Domain Interoperability Framework, the project will extend recommendations through profiles, guidelines, and use‑case examples to produce an actionable playbook supporting FAIR integration across EOSC and related data spaces. CDIF4EOSC will promote a FAIR‑by‑design approach to digital objects, supported by AI‑assisted FAIRification tools and tested through use cases in ocean science, climate adaptation, and safe and sustainable materials. With a total budget of €8 million, the project brings together a large European consortium and targets direct integration with EOSC Federation Nodes and Common European Data Spaces.

Unlocking the Economic Dividend of Resilience Investment

Resilience spending isn’t just “avoiding future damage”—it can be an economic stimulus right now. Resilience investment is often sold as insurance against tomorrow’s disasters. Tonkin + Taylor says that framing is too narrow—and it slows action when budgets are tight. Instead of counting only “avoided losses” from floods, slips, or coastal inundation, it urges decision-makers to capture the “triple dividend”: preventing damage, unlocking economic and development gains (jobs, growth, business confidence), and delivering social and environmental benefits that accrue even if no disaster strikes. It points to New Zealand’s long history of flood protection, noting assets valued at $3.6b delivering $13b in benefits each year. With public funding constrained, it backs beneficiary‑pays and value‑capture tools, and faster property-level upgrades supported by insurance and low-interest finance.

Systemic risk is the hidden tax on growth: insurance can help

Systemic risk is increasingly shaping economic growth as climate shocks, geopolitical disruption, public‑health crises and technology concentration collide. The article argues these risks often begin invisibly, raising capital costs, discouraging innovation and weakening resilience until they cascade into crises, as COVID‑19 demonstrated. Climate disasters are widening insurance “protection gaps” as coverage retreats in higher‑risk areas, affecting property markets and investment. Supply‑chain shocks and threatened shipping choke points add volatility and inflation pressure, while AI’s reliance on concentrated data centres and semiconductor supply chains creates fragile failure points. The proposed shift positions insurance as a growth stabiliser through risk modelling and risk‑sharing, early warning, incentives for adaptation, and public‑private risk pools.

Building the Market for Resilience: A new opportunity for financial institutions

Insured losses from natural catastrophes have exceeded $100 billion for six straight years. Banks in emerging markets are already seeing the consequences through higher loan defaults, weakened collateral after repeated storms, and uninsured small businesses. Adaptation is no longer primarily a government responsibility, as firms are investing in resilience to protect assets, operations, and supply chains. With resilience solutions markets growing, financial institutions can accelerate the shift by integrating physical climate risk into credit and investment decisions, financing resilience through debt and equity, and using tools like contingent finance and resilience bonds. As more countries publish National Adaptation Plans and clearer taxonomies emerge, early-mover banks could help unlock a $130 billion-a-year resilience financing opportunity by 2030.

AI and drones team up to find climate-resilient wheat

AI and drones are helping wheat breeders find varieties that stay productive as weather becomes more erratic. A 2026 study tracked 64 durum wheat varieties in Mediterranean conditions, comparing irrigated plots with rainfed fields. Drones carrying multispectral and thermal sensors captured early signs of plant stress and moisture, and AI models used that data to predict not only yield but “production stability” across good and bad seasons. The key finding challenges a common assumption: staying green late into the season did not reliably boost yields and could reduce stability. Instead, the most resilient performers showed vigorous early growth and earlier maturation, helping them avoid late-season heat and drought.

How AI’s language barrier limits climate disaster responses

AI is increasingly used by governments and organisations to scan social media for early warning signals during floods, heatwaves and other climate emergencies, but a major blind spot is language as it’s actually used online. Posts often rely on code switching, slang, Pidgin, sarcasm, and locally shared cues of urgency, so an AI trained on western‑centric, standard English data can misread a genuine call for help as casual commentary. That cultural fingerprint in training data can systematically diminish underrepresented voices in developing countries, with real consequences when misinterpretation delays response and puts lives and property at risk. The fix is practical: train and test models on real regional posts, and build systems that recognize cultural context and urgency signals.

Integrating climate adaptation and peacebuilding: capacity development in climate and conflict-affected communities

Communities affected by armed conflict face heightened vulnerability to climate change due to displacement, infrastructure damage, restricted mobility, and limited access to land and water. Climate change adaptation and peacebuilding interventions both seek to reduce vulnerability and build resilience, yet they have largely developed in separate policy and practice domains. Using a two‑stage case study from a conflict‑affected region of Colombia, based on semi‑structured interviews and document analysis, the analysis identifies areas of convergence and divergence between these approaches. Six domains of potential synergy emerge— access to information, education, social networks, employment, environmental management, and healing. Two notable gaps remain, relating to protection and safety, and socio‑cognitive factors such as social identity and risk perception. An integrated framework is proposed to better align adaptation and peacebuilding efforts and reduce reinforcing cycles between climate vulnerability and violent conflict.

Landscape of climate finance in Ethiopia

Ethiopia has built an ambitious climate policy platform since launching its Climate Resilient and Green Economy strategy in 2011, aiming to combine rapid growth with low‑carbon development and stronger resilience. But the report’s 2019/20 mapping shows climate finance remains far below need: around USD 1.7 billion a year was committed, just 7% of estimated requirements of USD 25.3 billion and under 2% of GDP. Funding skews toward adaptation at 56% compared with 38% for mitigation, and flows are dominated by international public finance, mostly delivered through grants. To close the gap, the report argues for stronger tracking and transparency, more blended finance and PPP approaches to de-risk investments, central-bank reforms to unlock green lending and capital markets, and long-term capacity support so sub-national and non-state actors can build investable pipelines.

Gender in climate and disaster risk finance and insurance in Bangladesh

Bangladesh’s escalating climate hazards are intersecting with entrenched gender and social inequalities, and the paper argues CDRFI will not deliver fair outcomes unless inclusion is built into the financial architecture, not added on through pilots. It finds Bangladesh has extensive policies, but implementation is held back by weak coordination across ministries, limited gender-relevant tracking and data, and market rules that still make access harder for women—especially when customer data are not disaggregated and enrolment processes rely on documentation many women do not hold. The recommendations focus on enforceable levers: linking budget release to gender markers and results, strengthening legal and regulatory requirements for gender-responsive product design, using microfinance networks as a scalable delivery channel, investing in awareness and trust-building, and creating a standing coordination mechanism so finance, data, and delivery systems work together.

Introduction to financial assessments to address climate change

Turning climate plans into action increasingly depends on knowing what measures cost, where the money can come from, and how to shift finance at scale. UNDP’s financial assessments are designed to estimate the incremental, direct funding required to implement climate measures, identify the size of the financing gap, and map potential sources of public and private finance. The aim is to help countries move from targets to delivery by strengthening budget planning, aligning ministries around a shared investment pathway, and building evidence that can support policy reform and stronger climate finance proposals. The assessments can be applied to different national goals, including NDCs and long-term strategies, and are positioned as a repeatable planning tool that supports implementation decisions as well as engagement in international climate finance and negotiations.

AI for Social Risk Forecasting and Explanation: The Power of Machine Learning–Based Social Risk Models

AI is increasingly being used to forecast social risks that can destabilise fragile and climate-affected settings, including conflict, displacement, and crime. The article presents three proof-of-concept machine-learning models that combine satellite imagery, text analysis of news and social media, and economic, climate, and geospatial indicators to detect changing risk patterns and generate usable proxies where official statistics are limited. Reported out-of-sample accuracy ranges from 63–76% for conflict prediction and 70–74% for population change, and the explanatory signals most associated with elevated risk include politically sensitive language, economic pressure and price shifts, climate stress, and changing social perceptions. The takeaway is that social-science-informed AI can complement conventional analysis by improving monitoring, enabling earlier action, and supporting more targeted allocation of limited resources.

Dataverse Community Meeting 2026

The Dataverse Community Meeting 2026 has announced it will convene in Barcelona, Spain. This year’s theme, “Advancing Data and Dataverse: AI, Interoperability, and Sensitive Data”, highlights key areas of interest for data professionals and researchers. The three focus areas are building AI solutions for data to enhance repository workflows, data quality, and AI-ready data; improving interoperability to enable richer linkage and reuse across datasets, domains, and platforms; and expanding support for sensitive and restricted data.

Date & location: 12-15 May 2026, World Trade Center, Barcelona, Spain

TWO WEEKS TO GO – Call for participation: UNESCO and CODATA survey on open science for data policy for times of crisis

UNESCO, in collaboration with the International Science Council’s Committee on Data (ISC CODATA), has launched a global survey to assess how organizations are implementing data policies for times of crisis, in alignment with open science principles. The survey builds on the Data Policies for Times of Crisis Facilitated by Open Science (DPTC) resources as part of the UNESCO Open Science Toolkit. By participating in this survey, organizations contribute to shaping global dialogue and advancing coordinated, ethical, and effective data management for future crises.

The questionnaire takes approximately 10 – 15 minutes to complete. The deadline to submit your response is 11 May 2026.

GEO Symposium & GEO-21 Plenary

The 2026 GEO Symposium and GEO-21 Plenary explore how Earth Intelligence can drive transformative, resilient solutions for people and the planet at a pivotal moment in the implementation of GEO’s Post-2025 Strategy. This year’s theme is “Investing in Earth Intelligence for a Resilient Future”. It will convene governments, space agencies, research organizations, private sector innovators, and development partners.

Date & location: 26-28 May 2026, World Meteorological Organisation, Geneva, Switzerland

Global Water Summit 2026

The need for a water transition is easy to endorse. Delivering it is harder. Climate extremes, rising energy demands, and pressures on capital mean the systems we rely on must adapt — quickly. New technologies and AI will tackle such challenges, even as they place new demands on water. How do we strike a balance? This year’s Global Water Summit is about turning that question into action — adapting faster, smarter, and at scale

Date & location: 18-20 May 2-26, Madrid Marriott Auditorium, Spain

WDS-ECR Co-Chair Opportunity: Apply Now! 

The World Data System Early Career Researcher Network (WDS-ECR) invites applications for a co-chair position. The selected candidate will join two current co-chairs in leading a global network dedicated to promoting best practices in research data management and fostering professional growth among early-career researchers. This is a three-year term, starting in July-August 2026, offering an excellent opportunity for early-career data stewards who aspire to make an impact on the international stage.

Application deadline: 31 May 2026

CALIBRATE 2026: Africa’s Climate Entrepreneurship Summit

Calibrate 2026 invites researchers, innovators, and practitioners to contribute to Africa’s premier climate entrepreneurship summit through research papers and innovation showcases. Visit the website for thematic areas of each. Selected papers will be considered for publication in the Journal of Nature-Based Solutions and Innovations (JNSI), while outstanding innovations will be featured in Nature-Based Solutions Magazine and eligible for the pitch competition with investment opportunities.

Abstract submission due 30 April 2026, full paper deadline due 11 May 2026

Date & location: 21-23 May 2026, Accra, Ghana

10th International Conference on Flood Management (ICFM10)

The International Conferences on Flood Management (ICFM) stand as a distinguished global platform committed to addressing and advancing the field of flood management. The theme for this years conference is “Adapting to Global Change: Innovative Approaches to Flood Management and Resilience”. The ICFM brings together experts, practitioners, policymakers, and researchers from across the globe to deliberate on contemporary challenges and innovations in flood management.

Date & location: 20-22 May 2026, London, Ontario, Canada