Disaster Risk Reduction and Open Data Newsletter: December 2020 Edition

Heatwaves in Southland (NZ) expected to double in 20 years
A report presented to the Southland District Council’s water supply subcommittee meetings in November says climate change has the most potential to affect the general wellbeing of the district, particularly over the next 20 to 80 years.

Modelling the Cascading Infrastructure Impacts of Climate Change
New research highlights how interdependencies among infrastructure systems like roads can complicate climate adaptation.

CODATA Task Group on FAIR Data for Disaster Risk Research wins 2020 GEO SDG Award
Developed as part of the response to the Canterbury Earthquake Sequence, the Rapid Damage Mapping tool (RDM) uses LiDAR, satellite images, and other Earth observational data to gather integrated initial damage mapping information within that first post-disaster period – fundamental in aiding an efficient, effective disaster response and recovery.

Droughts in the Amazon rainforest can be predicted up to 18 months in advance
A study within the TiPES project has revealed how surface temperatures in two coupled areas of the tropical Atlantic Ocean can be used to accurately predict these severe climate events.

Scientists improve model of landslide-induced tsunami
MIPT researchers have created a model of landslide-induced tsunamis that accounts for the initial location of the landslide body. Reported in Landslides, the model reveals that tsunami height is affected by the coastal slope and the position of the landmass before slipping.

Can Climate Preparedness Mitigate Emerging Pandemics?
The coronavirus pandemic presents different challenges in different countries, but it was never going to be easy in Indonesia, an archipelago of more than 500 islands and 274 million people. But according to development workers, the fight against coronavirus is getting a boost from an unexpected source: climate preparedness.

New Report from SDSN TReNDS and DataReady on COVID-19 Data and Data Sharing Agreements
There has been an explosion in new technologies and new data partnerships in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet, this has also brought about a range of new questions around how data should or should not be used; intellectual property rights; limitations on data re-use; how long data should be used for; and ultimately what should happen to collected data once the pandemic is over. This report explores these issues and the potential of sunset clauses and sunset provisions to safeguard rights and limit the future use of data post-COVID-19.

Should I stay or should I go now? Why risk communication is the critical component in disaster risk reduction
This paper discusses the importance of risk communication as a critical component of early warning systems and explores the constant challenges that vulnerable communities face, how early warning systems sit within the wider Sendai Framework, and what governments have learned from the COVID-19 pandemic, and discusses how we can communicate more effectively in the future to reduce harm.

UNDRR: Status report on Target E implementation 2020
With the deadline for achieving Target E of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 just around the corner at the end of 2020, the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) presents this report as an overview of the status of countries’ progress towards this target. This report covers progress made by Member States from 2015 to 2019.

UN World Data Forum one-pager
The 2020 Virtual UN World Data Forum’s one-pager provides highlights from the forum including session highlights and participant profiles.

UN-Habitat – World Cities Report 2020: The Value of Sustainable Urbanisation
The World Cities Report 2020 shows that the intrinsic value of sustainable urbanisation can and should be harnessed for the wellbeing of all. The report provides evidence and policy analysis of the value of urbanisation from an economic, social and environmental perspective, including the unquantifiable value that gives cities their unique character; and also explores the role of innovation and technology, local governments, targeted investments and the effective implementation of the New Urban Agenda in fostering the value of sustainable urbanisation.

WHO technical guidance notes on Sendai Framework reporting for Ministries of Health
The World Health Organization (WHO) technical guidance notes on Sendai Framework reporting by ministries of health aims to guide the health sector, in particular ministries of health, on their role in collecting and reporting data that are relevant for the Sendai Framework targets and other related frameworks, such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The guidance notes comprise an overview and specific guidance notes for each of the seven Sendai Framework targets.

UNDP Issues Brief on Urban Climate Resilience
Cities globally are highly exposed to disaster and climate-related risks. With accelerating urban growth, increasing exposure to climate change risks and multi-dimensional vulnerability, it is critical for cities to employ an integrated, climate risk-informed development approach to advance resilient lives and livelihoods and achieve progress towards the SDGs.

World Bank – Resilient industries: Competitiveness in the face of disasters
Based on the studies of global cases, this report calls for proactive approaches to industry resilience, provides policymakers with ways to boost industry competitiveness in the face of disasters, and considers the roles of various stakeholders in advancing these goals.

Plenary Session 4: Crisis Reduction and Response and the Role of FAIR Data – Dec 4 (Online)
This double plenary session will explore the role of FAIR data in crisis reduction and response, with a specific focus on the COVID-19 pandemic.

International Urban Resilience Forum Seoul 2020 – Dec 9 (Online)
The forum is aimed at introducing trends and best practices and facilitating discussions about ways to strengthen resilience and sustainable city development in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The forum will provide excellent opportunities for city leaders and executives, experts, relevant organisations, and members of civil society to share their experience and knowledge regarding recent disaster-related issues.

Columbia University Climate School: Engaging the World’s Future Now – Dec 14 (Online)
Columbia is establishing this school to marshal its powerful assets in climate research and applied climate and Earth sciences to confront the myriad challenges of climate change. By establishing this first-of-its-kind school, the university will accelerate progress, nurture the most talented research community anywhere, launch innovative education programs, and forge new solutions.

Open Science for a Global Transformation: Call for Papers for a Special Collection in Data Science Journal – Dec 15
To encourage further discussion around the issues addressed in ‘Open Science for a Global Transformation’ and the draft Recommendation on Open Science, CODATA invites the global research data community to share their views, critiques and positions in an open discussion prompted by the draft recommendation and the CODATA-coordinated document.

Natural Hazards Center: The Opportunities and Challenges of Implementing Buyouts – Dec 8 (Online)
In this webinar, a panel of cross-sector experts will review the current state of knowledge about buyouts and discuss questions, concerns, and possibilities associated with relocation through buyout programs.

Using DDI-CDI to Describe Data Processing and Provenance: Dec 9 (Online)
In order to introduce potential reviewers to the parts of the specification which apply to the description of data processing and provenance, a webinar will be held on Weds 9 Dec at 15:00 UTC. The specification will be introduced, followed by a discussion period, with each the webinar lasting for an hour.