Climate change and atmospheric dynamics unveil future weather extremes
From late June to mid-July of 2021, the Pacific Northwest was scorched under an unprecedented heat dome, shattering temperature records and igniting a wave of concern over climate extremes. As cities like Portland and Seattle, known for their mild summers, grappled with triple-digit heat, scientists delved into the whys and hows of this meteorological anomaly.

1 billion people left dangerously exposed to heat stress by gaps in
climate monitoring
Our new research shows poor weather station coverage across the tropics leads to underestimates of heat stress in cities. Concentrated across tropical Asia and Africa, informal settlements, commonly known as “slums”, are on the front line of climate exposure. The shortfalls in climate monitoring leave these communities dangerously vulnerable to rising humid heat. With few options to adapt, millions could be forced to seek refuge away from the hottest parts of the tropics.

After the earthquakes: Experts discuss building codes in Türkiye and the U.S.
On Feb. 6, 2023, two major earthquakes, with magnitudes of 7.8 and 7.5, occurred nine hours apart in the southern region of Türkiye. We sat down with two experts, Mustafa Erdik, Professor of Civil Engineering, and Evan Reis, Executive Director and co-founder of the U.S. Resiliency Council, to explore lessons that architects, engineers and policymakers in Türkiye and the U.S. may learn from this catastrophe.

Uncounted costs – Data gaps hide the true human impacts of disasters in 2023
Munich Re – the world’s largest reinsurer – has released its global disaster loss calculation for 2023, coming in at a total of US $250 billion. This roughly equals the entire GDP of New Zealand or Portugal. It is also slightly lower than the previous estimate for 2022, which originally came in at US $270 billion.

Alpine glaciers will lose at least a third of their volume by 2050,
whatever happens
By 2050, we will have lost at least 34% of the volume of ice in the European Alps, even if global warming were stopped. This is the prediction of a new computer model developed by scientists from the Faculty of Geosciences and Environment at the University of Lausanne (UNIL), in collaboration with the University of Zürich, ETHZ and the University of Grenoble. In this scenario, developed using machine-learning algorithms and climate data, warming is stopped in 2022, but glaciers continue to suffer losses due to inertia in the climate system.

Community-led disaster management: Soulinh’s path to resilience
Having recognized that locust infestations, droughts, and animal epidemics posed significant threats to their livelihoods, the Soulinh villagers identified proactive measures, including preparedness and response activities, in the village disaster risk management plan to cope with the potential impact.

Technical guidance on application of climate information for comprehensive
risk management
These guidelines and tools provide the necessary know-how to develop and strengthen a policy basis for DRR and risk-informed development. This guidance concludes that information on climatic averages and statistics of variability for future periods are important for strategic decisions and those involving long-term commitments.

A giant fund for climate disasters will soon open. Who should be paid first?
More than three billion people stand to benefit from a historic climate loss-and-damage fund. But spending it involves agonizing choices about who has
suffered most.

Manual for climate change adaptation measures for transport infrastructure in Central Asia with a focus on Uzbekistan
This manual provides an overview of climate-driven stressors relevant to transport infrastructure in Central Asia and explores adaptation strategies. Over the next few decades, the effects of climate change will likely exert considerable pressure on the transport infrastructure of Central Asia. In response, policymakers and the engineering community needs to implement resilient yet sustainable designs and construction solutions.

Fiscal risks of climate change: Sources and practical solutions
The fiscal risks of climate change facing countries in Asia and the Pacific are immense. This governance brief explores ways that climate change poses risks to public finances and several practical solutions to mitigate these risks.

Advancing disaster risk communications
Effective communication of disaster threats to decision-makers and at-risk communities is a growing challenge in a people-centred approach to disaster risk reduction. Traditional communication approaches tend to involve either top-down risk management practices or bottom-up community health and education practices. However, the strategic intent of communications should be guided by a ‘theory of change’ that delivers clear and coherent DRR goals.

The global risks report 2024: 19th edition
The Global Risks Report explores some of the most severe risks we may face over the next decade, against a backdrop of rapid technological change, economic uncertainty, a warming planet and conflict. As cooperation comes under pressure, weakened economies and societies may only require the smallest shock to edge past the tipping point of resilience.

International Conference: Big Data for Disaster Response and Management in Asia and the Pacific (15 – 17 Feb)
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the International Research Institute of Disaster Science (IRIDeS) in partnership with the APRU Multi-Hazards Program will organize the conference in Sendai, Japan on February 15–17, 2024.

Global Summit for Disaster Risk Reduction (20 – 22 Feb)
The Global Summit for Disaster Risk Reduction will take place in Nairobi, Kenya on 20-22 February 2024. Hosted by GNDR, the international event will bring together sector leaders and innovators, predominantly from the Global South, who work in disaster risk reduction and resilience building.

VizAfrica Conference Coming Soon, (5-7 Feb)
The VizAfrica 2024 Conference will take place from 5th -7th February 2024 at the African Institute for Capacity Development (AICAD) located at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT), Juja town in Kenya.

Global high-level technical meeting on noncommunicable diseases in humanitarian settings: building resilient health systems,leaving no-one
behind (27 – 29 Feb)
The Global high-level technical meeting, hosted by the Government of the Kingdom of Denmark and co-organized by the World Health Organization and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) will take place 27–29 February, 2024 in Copenhagen.

Building Resilient Societies: Insights from Post-Disaster Recovery in Asia and
the Pacific (16 Feb)
The book launch event will commence with opening remarks from ADBI Dean Tetsushi Sonobe and a keynote speech from Muralee Thummarukudy, Director of the Coordination Office of the G20 Initiative on Land, United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), focusing on disaster resilience. The discussions will continue with explanations from the book’s editors and a Q&A session with some of the chapters’ authors.