Ensuring resilient water infrastructure in a changing climate

Climate change is having a fundamental effect on the water sector, and if we look at this from the point of view of Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) itself, there is an impact of decision making not only on the economy, but also on key aspects of the national development goals and issues such as food security, environment, health and of course SDG 6.

Water management has a huge economic impact, and if you are able to ensure that IWRM has been embedded into decision making through processes like multicriteria assessment, it is possible to make judgements about how to make the most efficient use of limited water resources.

New AI-led science initiative will help protect communities hit by climate change in East Africa

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), Oxford University Physics Department, IGAD Climate Prediction and Applications Centre (ICPAC), and various national forecasting and meteorology agencies across east Africa are joining forces to pioneer a transformative initiative that is revolutionising extreme weather forecasting and early warning systems in the region.

Avoiding gridlock: The impact of climate on electric grids

Grids are the arteries and veins of electricity circulation. Comprising of power stations, substations, transformers, transmission and distribution lines, the grid connects electricity supply to demand. It is a complex and intricate network, exposed to many natural and man-made risks.

Shaping a resilient future: GEM’s innovations at WCEE2024

The Global Earthquake Model (GEM) Foundation is gearing up for the 18th World Conference on Earthquake Engineering (WCEE2024) in Milan, Italy, from July 1st to 5th, 2024. This premier earthquake engineering conference brings together researchers, industry professionals, and policymakers to navigate the ever-evolving landscape of earthquake preparedness and mitigation strategies. GEM will be at the forefront, presenting a wide range of technical sessions and presentations by its leading scientists.

Wildfires increasingly threaten oil and gas drill sites, compounding potential health risks, study says

More than 100,000 oil and gas wells across the western U.S. are in areas burned by wildfires in recent decades, a new study has found, and some 3 million people live next to wells that in the future could be in the path of fires worsened by climate change.

Researchers from the University of California, Berkeley, said their analysis, which was published last week in the journal One Earth, is the first to examine historical and projected wildfire threats on oil and gas facilities in the U.S.

Communicating the links between climate change and heat waves with the Climate Shift Index

Extreme weather, including heat waves, poses a significant threat to human health and ecosystems. As global temperatures continue to rise, heat waves are becoming more frequent and severe. Because of this, communicating heat-related risks to the public is increasingly important for both their own protection and to encourage mitigation policies.

We conducted a message experiment with 3,902 Americans, focused on the July 2023 heat wave that occurred in much of the United States.

Community engagement in anticipatory action: Snapshot of experiences and good practices from focus countries

In this framework, FAO has developed a Compendium of experiences and good practices from focus countries, namely Bangladesh, Guatemala, the Niger and Zimbabwe. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), as one of the leading operational organizations implementing Anticipatory Action and providing technical advice and normative guidance on corresponding approaches in the agriculture and food security sector, has embarked on a project funded by the Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance of the United States Agency for International Development with the aim to capture emerging and good practices to improve community engagement in Anticipatory Action.

Using climate financing wisely to address multiple crises

In this review, the authors examine how investments in food, land and water systems can reduce the risk of crises if aligned to harness multiple benefits. A convergence of several risk drivers creates the compound crises seen across the globe today. At the same time, the global humanitarian community and national institutions in affected countries are increasingly resource constrained. In this context, existing financing mechanisms should be evaluated for their potential to create synergies between social protection, peace, and inclusion objectives on the one hand and climate resilience outcomes on the other.

Towards a climate-resilient built environment: a discussion paper on opportunities and priorities for climate adaptation in the EU

As the topic of a climate-resilient built environment is not specifically encompassed by any single European Union (EU) policy file, this publication argues that consistency between adaptation and buildings policy could be boosted by a European Commission-led EU strategy. Amidst escalating climate impacts and societal challenges, climate adaptation policies in the built environment need to gain prominence if the EU is to advance towards a more resilient society. Current policy responses to the climate crisis focus on mitigation.

Understanding flood risk in urban environments: spatial analysis of building vulnerability and hazard areas in the Lisbon metropolitan area

This paper aims to contribute to the global efforts to enhance flood resilience in urban areas by introducing a physical vulnerability index for buildings in flood-prone urban areas and exploring its connection with flood hazard, as defined by the European Union Directive 2007/60/EC. An index-based methodology is proposed to assess the physical vulnerability of buildings to flooding, utilising the Portuguese Census and Georeferenced Buildings Database, collected on a nationwide scale.

Climate and UNFCCC priority talking points for SB60

The Sendai Stakeholder Engagement Mechanism (SEM) is a group of non-state stakeholders advocating for the recognition and implementation of disaster risk reduction (DRR) in intergovernmental policies, including in climate action. Disaster risk is inextricably linked to climate change. A goal of the SEM is to support the engagement of DRR stakeholder groups in intergovernmental decisions and policy-making. The following talking points come from previous SEM position papers for UNFCCC processes.

Workshop on disaster risk reduction and early warning systems for all through effective gender-responsive planning, digital government transformation and financing

An Online Workshop on Disaster Risk Reduction and Early Warning Systems for All through Effective Gender-Responsive Planning, Digital Government Transformation and Financing will be held on 23 – 25 July 2024. It is being organized by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA)

Second episode of the WebTalk on investing in disaster risk reduction

This episode will showcase how governments have been integrating disaster risks into their budgetary processes and the benefits they are deriving from it. It will also feature a new report from UNDRR – the Resilience Expenditure Landscape Report, which provides analysis and lessons learned based on a dataset of 54 countries (mostly from Africa).

SKKU International Summer Semester

WWRP PEOPLE (Progressing EW4All Oriented to Partnerships and Local Engagement) Project Steering Group Meeting

Building on insights from previous projects, PEOPLE will recognize the elements of an effectively expanded Early Warning System (EWS) and analyze the structural and social processes needed to support this. It will acknowledge cultural and knowledge systems as well as governance dimensions, focusing on science for and with policy and practice.

‘Godfathers of climate chaos’: UN chief urges global fossil-fuel advertising ban

In a major speech in New York on Wednesday, António Guterres called on news and tech media to stop enabling “planetary destruction” by taking fossil-fuel advertising money while warning the world faces “climate crunch time” in its faltering attempts to stem the crisis. In his speech, Guterres announced new data from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) showing there is an 80% chance the planet will breach 1.5C (2.7F) in warming above pre-industrial times in at least one of the next five calendar years.

Building resilience through infrastructure investments

The Climate Investment Funds’ resilience programming helped build or rehabilitate more than 12,000 units of small-scale infrastructure and almost 3,000 km of roads. A new Results Deep Dive publication looks into what was delivered in 15 countries.

Evolving multi-hazard paradigms in a nutshell

Understanding multi-hazard approaches is crucial in an era of escalating natural hazards leading to disastrous impacts on Earth’s citizens. Triggered by the increasing frequency and severity of these events, this brief post provides a concise yet comprehensive overview of evolving paradigms in multi-hazard research and management.

How Miami-Dade County is protecting public housing residents from dangerous heat waves

The federal government requires all public housing to be heated to keep residents warm, but it does not require cooling. So during heat waves, people may be at risk of heat stroke and other heat-related illnesses, especially as the climate warms. So Miami-Dade County has taken action on its own.

From Panama to Suez and the Turkish Straits: The cost of climate change for international trade

A new study led by the CMCC also highlights the possible effects on production and prices of agricultural commodities. Global trade relies on maritime routes, which pass through key chokepoints, for smooth and timely shipments. Analysing how climate change will impact these key areas for global trade, and hence both national and global economies, is an area of concern when assessing the adaptation measures, particularly in the context of the unequal distribution of climate change impacts on agriculture.

Ocean warming triggers Indo-Pacific heatwaves.

An intense heatwave gripping South and South-East Asia since late March comes as no surprise to leading meteorologists who have been warning of steadily rising temperatures in the Indian Ocean. Temperatures in the Philippines and Thailand have topped 50C this month, while Bangladesh has recorded almost 30 days of heatwaves. Scientists say the heatwaves are directly linked to climate change and ocean warming, which are likely to bring even more intense weather events such as cyclones.

UN-Water, Partners Estimate Water Requirements of Climate Mitigation

The International Universities Climate Alliance (IUCA) and the UN-Water Expert Group on Water and Climate Change have published a study estimating water requirements of climate change mitigation measures. The report identifies trends related to the water intensity of mitigation and adaptation options considered by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), and recommends countries take these into account in their climate policies.

Advancing scenario practice to build resilience to geologic hazards

Based on research of past scenario efforts as well as emerging approaches, this guidance is designed to help practitioners develop “next generation” scenarios that motivate policy development and action to mitigate risk. It provides a resource for co-production and use of scenarios for geologic hazards—earthquakes, landslides, and volcanoes—particularly in low-resource international contexts.

UNDRR Annual Report 2023

In 2023, UNDRR crossed the halfway point of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction. This milestone was marked by a renewed global determination to accelerate progress in the remaining years to 2030, as was expressed in the UN General Assembly’s political declaration on the Sendai Framework’s midterm review.

Responding to climate change impacts on human health in Europe: focus on floods, droughts and water quality.

This report aims to raise awareness about the range of risks to human health associated with changes in water quantity and quality under the changing climate. It assesses our preparedness for ongoing and future impacts by examining the current policy landscape in Europe. At the same time, it seeks to inspire action by showing examples of practical measures implemented across various sectors and on various scales in the EEA member and collaborating countries.

Plastic pollution and disaster risk reduction

This paper highlights the interlinkages between the downstream stage of the plastic lifecycle and disaster risk, analysing: the impact of plastic pollution on ecosystem resilience; the impact of plastic pollution in accumulation zones; the increase in vulnerability due to plastic pollution; and the impact of disasters on plastic pollution.

SINGAPORE INTERNATIONAL WATER WEEK 2024

SB 60 Side Event: Loss and damage data to accelerate climate action

The proposed side event at the 60th session of the Subsidiary Bodies (SB 60) will explore the data and evidence requirements for effectively tracking slow and rapid onset hazards, the current state of data on losses and damages and explore opportunities to scale-up and demonstrate application at multiple levels.

Web talk on investing in disaster risk reduction with the topic of direct and indirect costs of disasters.

UNDRR invites you to its WebTalk on Investing in Disaster Risk Reduction with the topic of direct and indirect costs of disasters. UNDRR’s approach to DRR Finance includes five steps that provide a comprehensive overview of the national financial framework.

6th JRC Summer School on Sustainable Finance

the JRC Summer School on Sustainable Finance aims to bring together researchers, practitioners, and policymakers to discuss recent developments and innovations in the field of sustainable finance. By doing so, it exposes researchers to the most demanding issues faced by the industry and helps them produce policy-relevant research.

Fifth High-Level Session of Open Consultative Platform (OCP-HL-5)

The 5th High-Level Session of the WMO Open Consultative Platform (OCP-HL-5) will take place at Salle Obasi, the main conference room of the WMO building in Geneva, from 12:00-13:40 CEST on June 13, 2024. The theme of OCP-HL-5 will revolve around Public-Private Engagement for Sustainable Satellite Data Services.

How Insurers Game Out Disaster Risk and Drop Customers 

Rising losses from storms and hurricanes are prompting insurers to increase rates and curtail coverage. CSAA Insurance Group refused to renew its policy this year on the home that Ronnie de Supinski owns with her husband, Bronis, in Livermore, Calif. The reason given? Wildfire risk. The wildfire-risk score sent by CSAA? Zero.

How African cities can learn from each other about building climate resilience

More necessary than ever, communities must come closer together, share goals, knowledge, and ideas, and co-create innovative solutions to climate change. Here’s how some cities in Africa have responded to climate shocks and what others can learn from their experiences and better understand how to build a future of shared climate resilience and prosperity.

Hidden threat: Global underground infrastructure vulnerable to sea-level rise 

As sea levels rise, coastal groundwater is lifted closer to the ground surface while also becoming saltier and more corrosive. A recent study by earth scientists at the University of Hawai‘i (UH) at Mānoa compiled research from experts worldwide showing that in cities where there are complex networks of buried and partially buried infrastructure, interaction with this shallower and saltier groundwater exacerbates corrosion and failure of critical systems such as sewer lines, roadways, and building foundations.

USGS deploys “aftershock kits” to study Whitehouse Station earthquakes 

A U.S. Geological Survey team has begun a seismic sensor deployment to capture aftershock data following the 4.8 magnitude earthquake that rattled New Jersey April 5, 2024, and was felt for hundreds of miles. The team is deploying eight “aftershock kits” this week, which will gather information such as where aftershocks originate in the area, how long they last, and their magnitude, said Greg Tanner, a USGS electronics technician.

Côte d’Ivoire launches NAP communication strategy and digital campaign to engage youth in climate change adaptation 

Côte d’Ivoire is currently preparing to launch its first national NAP document, which is expected to be validated by the minister in the coming month. Recognizing that the country will not achieve its climate ambitions without bringing all actors and citizens into the NAP process, the Côte d’Ivoire government has worked in parallel on their first NAP communication strategy, published in April 2024. The main objective of the strategy is to inform and raise awareness of the NAP’s priorities among all stakeholders.

Lessons on resilience from a year of global earthquakes 

Rapid population growth in disaster-prone regions concentrates people where recovery after extreme events is costly. Thanks to Japan’s years of planning, preparations, and implementation of resilient building strategies, the country has become adept at mitigating the effects of significant earthquakes.

Study identifies increased threat to coastlines from concurrent heat waves and sea level rises 

Concurrent occurrences of heat waves and extreme short-term sea level rises at the same coastal locations significantly increased between 1998 and 2017 when compared to the preceding 20 years, reports a study published in Communications Earth & Environment. The study also suggests that these events may be five times more likely to occur between 2025 and 2049 under a modeled high emissions scenario.

A new paradigm in Climate Finance 

By embracing an equitable, empowering paradigm, this fund can deliver on international commitments and empower those most affected to forge climate-resilient futures.

The Frontline Scorecard: An Assessment Tool for Climate and Disaster Risk Management in Health Systems 

Health care systems are at the frontline of delivering critical care during emergencies, mitigating illnesses and deaths. Yet many countries struggle to meet even routine demands for health care. Climate change, disasters, pandemics, and demographic changes are bound to increase pressures on already strained health systems.

Spatiotemporal link between El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO), extreme heat, and thermal stress in the Asia–Pacific region 

This study evaluated the air temperature and Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI) trends between 1990 and 2019 and found significant increasing trends for air temperature for the whole region while the increases of UTCI are not as pronounced and mainly found in the northern part of the region. These results indicate that even though air temperature is increasing, the risks of heat stress when assessed using UTCI may be alleviated by other factors.

Australian Data Strategy 

The Digital Economy Strategy sets out the Government’s goal to position Australia as a leading digital economy and society by 2030 in order to create better jobs; improve transport, communication and innovation, and enable us to provide better services to all Australians from all walks of life. Data is the building block for this digital future, with 176 zettabytes of new data expected to be generated each year by 2025. Some Australian businesses already use data to create new value, streamline processes and optimise value chains.

Local governments climate finance instruments – Global experiences and prospects in developing countries. 

This report aims to contribute to discussions on increasing the access of local governments (LGs) and cities to climate finance and help LGs understand various financing instruments and sources available to them to meet climate investment needs. It organizes these instruments in a conceptual framework and provides information on each, along with case studies presenting international experiences with their use.

The risk of concurrent heatwaves and extreme sea levels along the global coastline is increasing. 

This study finds that 87.73% of coastlines experienced such concurrent extremes during 1979–2017. There is an average increase of 3.72 days in the occurrence during 1998–2017 compared to 1979–1998. Concurrent heatwaves and extreme sea levels could pose a serious threat to coastal communities under climate change; however, the spatiotemporal characteristics and dynamic evolution of them along global coastline remain poorly understood.

Integrating social vulnerability into high-resolution global flood risk mapping. 

The study aims to identify and characterize ‘hotspots’ of flood risk, accounting for spatial variation in social vulnerability, to provide improved insights into the geography of risk and enhance disaster risk planning and response efforts, particularly in lower income countries with limited data or capacity. Exposure to flooding is greatest in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), and this is expected to increase because of rapid demographic change.

Impact of climate change on the corrosion of the European reinforced concrete building stock. 

The study provides assessment of the penetration of climate change induced carbonation in the concrete cover of the existing buildings in the EU Member States. It estimates the time for on-set of corrosion due to depletion of the cover of the reinforcement, and evaluates the repair costs under the moderate emissions scenario RCP4.5, and under the extreme scenario RCP8.5.

The AI for Good Global Summit  

The AI for Good Global Summit is the leading action-oriented United Nations platform promoting AI to advance health, climate, gender, inclusive prosperity, sustainable infrastructure, and other global development priorities.

SIDS4 – Investing in Resilience – The Good Business Case for Disaster Risk Reduction in Small Island Developing States 

This event will delve into the vital role of disaster risk reduction in implementing the new programme of action for Small Island Developing States (SIDS), attracting both existing and new partners, and fostering a risk-informed and resilience-focused approach to investment in SIDS.

9th Multi-stakeholder Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation for the Sustainable Development Goals (STI Forum 2024) 

The ninth annual Multi-Stakeholder Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation for the SDGs (STI Forum) will be held from 9 to 10 May 2023. In line with recent mandates and as in previous years, the STI Forum will facilitate discussions on science, technology and innovation cooperation in support of the SDGs.

Finance Innovation Festival – Insurance and Investment Opportunities for Nature-Based Solutions 

The festival aims to bring together various communities involved in climate risk assessment, policy analysis, financial innovation, and advocacy for nature-based solutions.

The Central Asia Climate Change Conference 2024 

In 2024, the Central Asia Climate Change Conference (CACCC-2024) will delve into critical issues pertaining to water, energy, food security, and environmental sustainability within the context of a climate-affected Central Asia. Participants will be apprised of the progress made by Central Asian countries in climate mitigation and adaptation, including their reporting under the Enhanced Transparency Framework.

Dangerous humid heat in southern West Africa about 4°C hotter due to climate change 

The southern coastal zone of Western Africa – also called the Guinea zone – experienced abnormal early season heat in February 2024. A combination of high temperatures and relatively humid air resulted in area average Heat Index values of about 50°C, which is classified to be in the ‘danger’ level that is associated with a high risk of heat cramps and heat exhaustion.

The European Commission has laid out a comprehensive strategy to empower Member States in managing climate risks effectively.  
The Communication responds to the first ever European Climate Risk Assessment (EUCRA), a scientific report by the European Environment Agency. Together, they are a call to action for all levels of government, as well as the private sector and civil society. They set out clearly how all major sectors and policy areas are exposed to climate-related risks, how severe and urgent the risks are, and how important it is to have clarity on who has the responsibility to address the risks.

UNDRR-WMO Pushes Climate Information For Risk Management 

The UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) published a “Technical Guidance on Application of Climate Information for Comprehensive Risk Management” to provide the necessary know-how to develop and strengthen a policy basis for DRR and risk-informed development.

Cultivating change: Sri Lanka’s smallholder farmers explore climate-resilient solutions. 

On the north-central plains of Sri Lanka, in the small rural village in Galenbindunuwewa, a community of maize farmers are reshaping their farming practices to respond to the growing challenges posed by climate change.  They recently welcomed researchers from the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) and a delegation from the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food for Progress Program to share their experiences and aspirations, and to discuss climate-resilient solutions.

Commission sets out key steps for managing climate risks to protect people and prosperity 

The European Commission has today published a Communication on managing climate risks in Europe. It sets out how the EU and its Member States can better anticipate, understand, and address growing climate risks. It further presents how they can prepare and implement policies that save lives, cut costs, and protect prosperity across the EU.

Lessons on resilience from a year of global earthquakes 

Rapid population growth in disaster-prone regions concentrates people where recovery after extreme events is costly. Thanks to Japan’s years of planning, preparations, and implementation of resilient building strategies, the country has become adept at mitigating the effects of significant earthquakes.

Building Safer and More Resilient Schools in a Changing Climate 

Natural hazards, have a devastating effect on children’s education and lives in every corner of the globe. Through its Global Program for Safer Schools (GPSS), the World Bank works hand-in-hand with client countries to ensure the resilience of school infrastructure. This article looks at knowledge, financing, and grants from the World Bank can combine to create impact at scale, over the last 10 years, GPSS has made schools safer for 121 million students across 35 countries.

Connected urban green spaces for pluvial flood risk reduction in the Metropolitan area of Milan. 

This paper investigates the effects of nature-based solutions and green infrastructure networks on pluvial flood risk in the Milan metropolitan area in terms of direct economic damage to buildings and population exposed. Results show that extending the urban green networks by 25% can potentially halve the pluvial flood damages and reduce the population exposed by 40%.

MCR2030 Europe and Central Asia: Partners’ guide for local disaster risk reduction strategies and action plans 

This guide breaks down the MCR2030 offer for local authority members of the MCR2030 network and provides guidance on how to approach the development and implementation of comprehensive and integrated local disaster risk reduction strategies and plans that are aligned with national and regional strategies and plans.

Global multi-hazard risk assessment in a changing climate 

Natural hazards pose significant risks to people and assets in many regions of the world. Quantifying associated risks is crucial for many applications such as adaptation option appraisal and insurance pricing. However, traditional risk assessment approaches have focused on the impacts of single hazards, ignoring the effects of multi-hazard risks and potentially leading to underestimations or overestimations of risk.

Impacts of climate framework laws: lessons from Germany, Ireland and New Zealand

This report and accompanying technical annex analyse the impact of climate framework laws in three countries, Germany, Ireland and New Zealand, based on evidence from 73 expert interviews and desk research. The report covers impacts on climate governance; political debate; climate policies; citizens and stakeholders; and society and climate.

Disaster risk management, climate change adaptation and the role of spatial and urban planning: evidence from European case studies 

This paper advances knowledge and understanding of the relationships between risk management, climate change adaptation and spatial planning as good territorial governance practices. The aim is to present evidence on how risks and their management are progressively being integrated into national planning systems in order to reduce territorial vulnerability and costs related to natural events in the European context.

Global Water Summit, 15-17 April 2024 

As we cross the 1.5°C limit, weather events are going to become yet more extreme. In a changing planet, the costs of achieving water security are huge, but the costs of failure are greater still. The critical conversations about how to engage capital markets in this challenge begin at GWS 2024.

‘Innovating Smart Cities Resilience through Research and Best Practices 

This event will look at how research contributes to bolstering security, technology, and urban planning in improving the resilience of Smart Cities. It will discuss how to integrate security by design principles into spatial development, while fostering collaborative efforts across sectors, for instance by empowering communities as active stakeholders in resilience-building endeavours.

EGU  

The EGU General Assembly 2024 brings together geoscientists from all over the world to one meeting covering all disciplines of the Earth, planetary, and space sciences. The EGU aims to provide a forum where scientists, especially early career researchers, can present their work and discuss their ideas with experts in all fields of geoscience.

International Multi-Risk Seminar  

The central goal of the International Multi-risk Seminar is to advance the conceptual and methodological debate on how to evaluate and manage contexts where multiple risks overlap and result in other forms

Introduction to Flood Early Warning Systems (EWS-F) and Flash Flood Guidance System (FFGS) in Central America and the Caribbean Meeting 

Aims to outline the project’s activities and highlight potential initiatives that, upon member agreement, will be launched to support the Early Warnings for All (EW4All) initiative. These activities are specifically designed to enhance hydrological forecasting for flash floods, floods, and droughts, contributing to the development of a comprehensive end-to-end early warning system.

South-East European Early Warnings for All 

How air pollution delayed a surge in extreme rain
Aerosol pollutants have masked the effects of global warming. Without them, the U.S. is about to get a lot wetter.

Navigating Troubled Waters
Since November 2023, escalating attacks on ships in the Red Sea have been compounding disruptions in the Black Sea caused by the war in Ukraine, and in the Panama Canal due to climate-induced droughts. The drop in monthly transits underscores the magnitude of overlapping shipping disruptions.

Building communities that are resilient to disaster risks and climate change effects
To build resilience amongst the plantation community, in June 2023, UNICEF engaged with 130 children living in the tea estates in Sri Lanka to teach them about climate change, the changing weather patterns, and how they can minimize their risks.

FAO proposes five key actions to address climate-conflict nexus
At the United Nations Security Council, Deputy Director-General Beth Bechdol urges game-changing solutions to break the vicious loop between climate crisis, conflict and hunger.

NASA Launches New Climate Mission to Study Ocean, Atmosphere
NASA’s satellite mission to study ocean health, air quality, and the effects of a changing climate for the benefit of humanity launched successfully into orbit at 1:33 a.m. EST Thursday.

Critical transitions in the Amazon forest system
The possibility that the Amazon forest system could soon reach a tipping point, inducing large-scale collapse, has raised global concern^. For 65 million years, Amazonian forests remained relatively resilient to climatic variability.  Now, the region is increasingly exposed to unprecedented stress from warming temperatures, extreme droughts, deforestation and fires.

Detecting atmospheric rivers with satellite observations
Combining this approximated 3-D data with the moisture observed by satellite, scientists created—for the first time—a method to detect atmospheric rivers(AR) via satellite observations. Using this newly developed method, scientists produced the first satellite-based near-global AR dataset.

Century of Reforestation Reduced Anthropogenic Warming in the Eastern United States
Restoring and preserving the world’s forests are promising natural pathways to mitigate some aspects of climate change. In addition to regulating atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations, forests modify surface and near-surface air temperatures through biophysical processes.

Groundbreaking new data can help us better understand glaciers
This innovative dataset, featured in the Earth System Science Data journal, offers an important tool to better understand the mechanisms behind glacier calving, or the breakup of icebergs, which can help to enhance our understanding of the climatic drivers behind glacier loss in Svalbard and the Arctic.

Protecting science in times of crisis
This comprehensive paper by the Centre for Science Futures, the ISC’s think tank, addresses the urgent need for a new approach to safeguard science and its practitioners during global crises.

ARISE Japan Public Symposium 2024: Successes and challenges in DRR innovation—including early findings from the Noto Peninsula Earthquake
UNDRR’s private sector group ARISE has always recommended an attitude of constant innovation, taking into account the rapid changes in society, proactively adopting the latest technologies, preparing from new perspectives, in disaster risk reduction actions towards resilience.

Measuring Vulnerability to Disasters: Presenting the Risk Data Hub Vulnerability Dashboard
In the latest lunchtime webinar of the Mission Adaptation Series, attendees will hear an overview of the main functions of the Risk Data Hub Vulnerability Dashboard, including the indicators selected to measure the different dimensions of vulnerability and their evolution over time.

Transforming Adaptation: Harnessing the power of GCF for climate financing
Presented by Bapon Shm Fakhruddin, Water and Climate Leadership, Green Climate Fund on the 7th March at 1:30pm UTC

Free training on climate change, migration, and health in Latin America and the Caribbean
The webinar series “Climate Change, Migration and Health in Latin America and the Caribbean” is scheduled from March 5, 2024 to November 5, 2024. The sessions will be held every two months in Spanish and English, with interpretation.

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.

The costs of shifting scenarios: Why the IPCC should maintain consistent vocabulary in climate assessments 
In this insightful article, Bapon Fakhruddin, esteemed hydro-meteorologist, and climate risk assessor, along with Jana Sillmann, distinguished geo-ecologist, warn about the negative impacts of the changing IPCC scenario terminology. Beyond transition costs, the terminology changes also harm the application of such scenarios in policy settings.

COP28 Water Pavilion launches official website, a hub for global
water solutions 
The COP28 Water for Climate Pavilion has unveiled its official website, providing a digital platform to showcase innovative solutions and facilitate international collaboration on water-related issues.

Community resilience is now at the center of modern model building
code development 
The Building Seismic Safety Council’s Functional Recovery Planning Committee has published a report detailing the recommended scope, organization, and deliverables for developing functional recovery code provisions within the 2026 National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP) Recommended Seismic Provisions for New Buildings and Other Structures.

Climate actions centered on Indigenous knowledge can improve resilience 
Climate change in Hawaiʻi and the Pacific Islands worsens inequities and threatens unique island ecosystems. These are among the findings of the U.S. National Climate Assessment, released by the Biden Administration. The assessment concluded that adaptation actions centered on local and Indigenous knowledge can improve the resilience of Pacific Island communities.

Satellite data can help limit the dangers of windblown dust 
Dust storms present a growing threat to the health and safety of U.S. populations. A new model, powered by NASA and NOAA satellite data, provides important early warnings.

Floods pose significant risk to education and healthcare in Cambodia 
Seasonal flooding is the most common and frequent disaster in Cambodia. Major flooding events occur every five years and can be particularly devastating. In 2011, a flood affected more than 1,700,000 people, killed 250 people, and left 50,000 families homeless.  The impact of flooding on education and healthcare facilities is often overlooked, but these events can have severe long-term consequences on human capital and productivity.

How a small African island is fighting climate change impacts 
We had the privilege of talking with Bartolomeu Nascimento, a weathered 60-year-old fisher from Santa Catarina, a community in the western part of São Tomé Island. Through his tales, we saw the profound impact that climate change has had upon him and his coastal community.

The state of pre-arranged financing for disasters 2023 
This data-led report collates the best available data to start to assess and monitor annually the state of pre-arranged financing supported with international development financing in low-and middle-income countries.

Climate Change Roadmap Towards a Net-Zero and Resilient Future:
2023 Update 
The Insurance Council of Australia (ICA) has released a 2023 update of its climate change roadmap, “Towards a Net Zero and Resilient Future.” The roadmap outlines the Australian insurance industry’s commitment to achieving net zero emissions by 2030 for operations and 2050 across the entire value chain.

Tourism Sector Disaster Recovery Framework Guide 
The main purpose of the ‘Tourism Sector Disaster Recovery Framework (DRF) Guide’ is to assist national and local governments, relevant private sector partners, intergovernmental organizations and implementing partners in developing a sectoral DRF, comprising effective and efficient recovery programs for the sector. It is to be read in conjunction with the DRF guide.

Resilient Cities Index 2023 
The Resilient Cities Index was developed by Economist Impact and supported by Tokio Marine Group. To help policymakers and stakeholders understand risk and design effective policies for urban resilience, Economist Impact developed a benchmark of 25 cities.

Understanding the compound risk of heat, humidity and air pollution on  
human health: A scoping review 
This scoping review searched five online databases – four for peer-reviewed literature (Medline, Excerpta Medica dataBASE (EMBASE), Scopus and Global Index Medicus (GIM)) as well as one grey literature site (ReliefWeb) – using prearranged keywords combining compound exposures of air pollution, extreme heat, humidity and a
health outcome.

Contingency planning process to enhance resilience against sand and dust storms in agriculture in the Islamic Republic of Iran 
This report outlines the conceptual framework for sand and dust storms (SDS) hazard risk and vulnerability assessment and mapping in agriculture and provides the elements as part of SDS contingency planning process in agriculture in the Islamic Republic of Iran.

COP28 (30 Nov- 12 Dec)
As the climate crisis worsens around the world, COP28 must be a decisive moment to act on climate commitments and limit global warming to 1.5°C.

Accelerating climate-resilient water management approaches through the circular economy (8 Dec)
This session will discuss the importance of climate resilient water management in the context of investing in circular economy to achieve sustainable water management for municipal, industrial, and agricultural users and the natural environment.

EFDRR Roadmap Action-Oriented Dialogue: Reducing Risk Together – Community Engagement in DRR (13 – 15 Dec)
This Action Oriented Dialogue (AOD) for accelerating the implementation of the regional EFDRR Roadmap 2021-2030 and Sendai Framework will focus on “Reducing Risk Together”, bringing together a diversity of stakeholders to improve resilience.

REGIONS2030 Final Event: Monitoring the SDGs in the EU Regions (5 Dec)
The REGIONS2030 project is a collaborative effort between the European Parliament, the European Commission and 10 pilot regions to co-design and develop an indicator set for monitoring the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at regional
level in Europe.

Multisector Dynamics: Extreme Weather, Compound Hazards, and Impacts
on Society (14 Dec)
Extreme weather events, including droughts, wildfires, heatwaves, floods, and cyclones, can have significant and diverse impacts on society and the environment. These impacts include economic losses, infrastructure damage, health issues, and loss of ecosystem services.

World Climate Summit – The Investment COP 2023, hosted by the World Climate Foundation (7 – 8 Dec)
As the largest C-level B2B convening alongside COP, World Climate Summit facilitates the exchange of best practices and innovations across vital sectors crucial to decarbonisation efforts in the areas of energy, transport, buildings, industry, finance and nature.

How Changes in the Arctic Shape Global Weather Patterns
Weather instabilities in the Arctic and changes in air temperature in distant regions such as California and Southwest China are linked, an international team of researchers reveals. Their study has been published in Nature Communications. The scientists also demonstrate that increased day-to-day irregularities in Arctic Sea ice cover are caused by the Arctic’s rapid sea ice decline.

Scientists find Two Ways that Hurricanes Rapidly Intensify
Forecasters have struggled for many years to understand why a seemingly commonplace tropical depression or tropical storm sometimes blows up into a major hurricane, packing catastrophic winds and driving a potentially deadly surge of water towards shore.

Mystery of Volcanic Tsunami Solved After 373 Years
26 October 2023/Kiel, Germany. The explosion of the underwater volcano Kolumbo in the Aegean Sea in 1650 triggered a destructive tsunami that was described by historical eye witnesses. A group of researchers led by Dr Jens Karstens from the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel has now surveyed Kolumbo’s underwater crater with modern imaging technology and reconstructed the historical events.

Interconnected Disaster Risks 2023
The 2023 Interconnected Disaster Risks report analyses six interconnected risk tipping points, selected for their representation of large global issues, which are changing lives across the world.

Anticipatory action (AA): Best practices and Guiding Principles for Financial Protocols of AA funds
This report examines the financial protocols of five multilateral and non-governmental AA financing mechanisms (AA funds) that finance anticipatory interventions, and it collates best practices to develop financial protocols governing the deployment of AA funds once plans are activated.

The Future of Asian and Pacific Cities 2023: Crisis Resilient Urban Futures
The Future of Asian & Pacific Cities Report 2023 entitled, Crisis Resilient Urban Futures, is a comprehensive analysis and assessment of sustainable urban development in the Asia and Pacific region at a time of great disruption and uncertainty resulting from multiple interlinked global crises in a post-pandemic era.

Climate Change and Disability Inclusion in Uzbekistan
Within the nascent field of climate change and disability studies, this report represents one of the first fieldwork-based accounts of how climate change presents heightened risks to persons with disabilities in a developing country context. The impacts of climate change will be unevenly felt within and across countries partly due to social and economic inequalities

Methodologies for assessing adaptation needs and their
application – Technical paper
In this technical paper, the Adaptation Committee provides information on methodologies for assessing adaptation needs and their application, drawing on the inventory available on the adaptation knowledge portal of methodologies for assessing adaptation needs related to action, finance, capacity building, and technological support in the context of national adaptation planning and implementation, as well as on submissions from Parties and observer organizations on developing and applying methodologies for assessing such needs.

Running Dry Racing Against Time to Secure Our Water Future
Reviewing our progress in 2023, we need to catch up to our 2030 targets, particularly in water resources management. Despite challenges, the 2023 UN Water Conference and World Water Week have made strides towards a water-secure world. However, achieving these targets will require $114 billion per year in capital expenditure. It’s time for bold commitments, innovative solutions, and global collaboration!

At Climate Ambition Summit, UN Agencies and IFRC kickstart Major Initiative Towards Realizing Early Warnings for All by 2027
An initial injection of US$1.3 million from the Green Climate Fund (GCF) will be used to kick-start a much larger initiative aimed at delivering $157 million from the GCF and partner governments to move towards universal early warning for all.

How Nature-Based Solutions Can Build Urban Resilience: Four Lessons from SEI’s Work in South Asian Cities 
Nature-based solutions can help address environmental challenges in cities but community involvement and engagement is crucial to utilize local knowledge and create sustainable solutions. Here we provide four lessons based on SEI’s collaboration at the ground level to show how NbS can be made to work to address environmental challenges in cities.

Drones and Planes: Unprecedented Imagery Resolution Supports Disaster Assessment
The first use cases of drones and airplanes to collect high-resolution imagery helped the EU respond to emergencies and track disaster recovery with unparalleled accuracy. The potential to support disaster management looks promising.

Effective Visual Communication of Climate Change 
Boulder, Colo., USA: The consequences of a warming climate frequently dominated the news this summer, from devastating wildfires and floods to deadly heat waves across the globe. Reducing harm from climate change is a challenging endeavour, and it requires comprehensive public education. Thus, the question arises: How can climate change science be made most accessible to the general population, as well as decision-makers and educators?

The Threat of Wildfires is Rising. So are New Artificial Intelligence Solutions to Fight Them 
Wildfires fueled by climate change have ravaged communities from Maui to the Mediterranean this summer, killing many people, exhausting firefighters and fueling demand for new solutions. Enter artificial intelligence. Firefighters and startups are using AI-enabled cameras to scan the horizon for signs of smoke. A German company is building a constellation of satellites to detect fires from space.

“From satellites to sandbags”: Putting Water at the Heart of Climate Action. 
As proved so tragically in Libya last week, while water holds the key to life, all too often it kills.
Whether – like in Derna – it’s too much water leading to floods, or too little water causing droughts, or polluted water resulting in health risks, addressing the dangers that water poses can save lives. As climate change intensifies these threats, there is an urgent need for action.

The Environmental Dimensions of Libya’s Flood Disaster 
The catastrophic flooding in eastern Libya is a human and environmental disaster that has claimed thousands of lives. In this report we examine the main environmental considerations in the short and long-term, both to help inform the humanitarian response and later recovery. We also reflect on how years of conflict and insecurity in Libya contributed to the disaster.

The Ocean as a Solution to Climate Change: Updated Opportunities for Action
Analysis finds that full implementation of ocean-based climate solutions that are ready for action now could reduce the “emissions gap” by up to 35 percent on a 1.5°C pathway in 2050.

Resilience Evidence Forum 2023: Synthesis report
This Synthesis Report presents the findings and insights from the Resilience Evidence Forum that took place in June 2023. The report underscores the pressing need to build upon our progress, recognise the various forms of evidence—be it scientific, local knowledge, indigenous knowledge, or conveyed through storytelling—and elevate resilience as a collective, paramount objective.

Intangible Cultural Heritage within the Laws and Policies of South Pacific Small Island States in the climate crisis
Intangible Cultural Heritage within the Laws and Policies of South Pacific Small Island States in the Climate Crisis: Towards a More Resilient and Inclusive Approach’ is the first Special Edition of the Periscope Paper Series, an Occasional Analysis Paper/Brief series of the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung’s (Foundation) Regional Programme Australia and the Pacific. This edition deals with the protection of intangible cultural heritage in Fiji, Kiribati, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu.

World Risk Report 2023: Focus: Diversity
The WorldRiskReport (WRR) 2023 examines the complex interrelationship between crises, marginalized groups, and the diverse structure of societies. Diversity plays a significant role in how disaster risk is distributed within a society. While it is true that disasters, extreme natural events, and crisis affect everyone in the immediate surroundings, the impact of the negative consequences tends to be more severe for marginalized groups such as people read as female, persons with disabilities, or members of the queer community.

Integrating Resilience into Municipal Infrastructure Delivery in Kenya
This Resilient Urban Infrastructure Guidelines forms one of a suite of reports developed by AECOM for the World Bank Group under the ‘Enhancement of Resilient Urban Planning and Infrastructure Investments in Urban Areas in Kenya’ assignment and constitutes Deliverable 2. This guidance note is based on a diagnostic assessment (Urban Resilient Infrastructure Assessment Report) of municipal infrastructure investments under the Kenya Urban Support Program (KUSP) 2018 – 2023.

Impacts of Medicanes on Geomorphology and Infrastructure in the Eastern Mediterranean
This study developed a systematic record of the direct impacts of Medicane Ianos on the Ionian Islands, in Greece, as a characteristic case study illustrating the potential effects of such an extreme event on a developed Mediterranean coastal area. Despite being relatively rare, Mediterranean tropical-like cyclones, also known as Medicanes, induce significant impacts on coastal Mediterranean areas.

Beyond the Horizon: Projecting Bhutan’s Water Future in a Changing Climate
Data can be a tricky beast. It can either illuminate our path or leave us groping in the dark. We decided to tackle this head-on. We harnessed the power of the latest climate change scenarios, leveraged satellite-driven rainfall data to train our historical database, and employed the basin-wide hydrological model (ArcSWAT) to evaluate future water availability across various basins.

Cities by Citizens Event 2
The objective of the Cities by Citizens initiative is achieving cities which are proactively planned to meet the needs of all through inclusive, meaningful and effective public participation in the planning process, as well as informed and transparent political decision-making on strategy and developments in urban areas.

International Data Week 2023: A Festival of Data, 23–26 October 2023, Salzburg, Austria
International Data Week brings together a global community of data scientists and data stewards; researchers from all domains; data, interoperability, and informatics experts from all fields; industry leaders, entrepreneurs, and policymakers.

Integrating Disaster Risk Data in Policy: CEMS’ Annual Conference 2023
Join us on Disaster Risk Reduction Day (13 October 2023) to learn about Copernicus and the Joint Research Centre’s (JRC) work on crisis management and the risks and opportunities of the future.

Training on Enhancing Inclusive Local Disaster Risk Reduction Strategies Using Disability Inclusion Scorecard Annex
This courses objective is to raise awareness on the inclusion of persons with disabilities in disaster risk management and Introduce the Disaster Resilience Scorecard for Cities – Annex for the Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities and its application for enhancing sub-national disaster risk reduction planning and implementation.

COSMOS 2024 Call for Contributions – Deadline Extended to 13 October
We invite the statistical and metadata communities to submit contributions for the first Conference On Smart Metadata for Official Statistics 2024 (COSMOS 2024), to be held on 11-12 April 2024 in Paris, France.

Webinar: Driving Measurable Change: Leveraging UN SDGs for Impact Investing
As the world reaches the midway point in its journey towards achieving the 17 Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, reinvigorating progress and aligning efforts across various sectors has never been more pressing.

Channeling a safer future: How Georgia is engineering a climate-resilient future, safe from floods 
The unprecedented scale of the 2015 floods served as a wake-up call to the authorities and communities alike, prompting a re-evaluation of flood preparedness and the need for greater measures to mitigate future disasters – particularly in the context of more frequent extreme weather driven by climate change.

Monitoring Coastal Erosion in Africa using Earth Observation Data
The Digital Earth Africa #Coastline monitoring service empowers users to unlock sustainable coastal zone management through understanding patterns from the past.

Artificial Glacier Helps Mountain Village in Kyrgyzstan Meet Water Needs 
In southern Kyrgyzstan agriculture is the main source of income and food. To increase the communities’ resilience to weather anomalies, experts from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) proposed the construction of an artificial glacier in the region as part of the “Shared prosperity through cooperation in border regions of Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan” project.

New Test Chamber Created to Find Better Ways to Keep People Cool 
A shipping container that can test passive cooling systems could help researchers and builders find carbon-free ways to keep people cool in extreme temperatures. Washington State University researchers created the 60-square-foot chamber to test passive systems that use wind towers along with water evaporation instead of electricity to cool spaces.

Global Heating Likely to Hit World Food Supply Before 1.5C, Says UN Expert 
The world is likely to face major disruption to food supplies well before temperatures rise by the 1.5C target, the president of the UN’s desertification conference has warned, as the impacts of the climate crisis combine with water scarcity and poor farming practices to threaten global agriculture.

Investing in Resilience: Innovative Finance for Drought Preparedness 
The policy brief demonstrates that enhancing resilience is one of the most cost-effective actions countries can take, and is typically far less expensive than interventions focused on responding to, and recovering from, the impacts of droughts, but innovative financing mechanisms are essential to fund the necessary long-term investments.

Leveraging Blockchain Technology for Crisis Management 
In the aftermath of climactic disasters, questions can often be raised that scrutinize the response from government authorities in aiding those affected. Taken from their research presented in Public Administration Review, Wendy D Chen and Ilia Murtazashvili explore the role of blockchains in disaster management. The authors argue that blockchains provide mechanisms of transparency and security that can enable governments to respond more effectively to disasters.

Comparison and Analysis of national Climate Change Adaptation Policies in the Nordic Region 
This report presents the findings from a comparative study of climate change adaptation policy in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden. Based on a comparative analysis of the policy landscape, including legislative frameworks, policy instruments, and financing mechanisms, the report identifies best practices and main challenges as well as key factors influencing the progress of national adaptation.

Machine Learning-enabled Regional Multi-hazards Risk Assessment Considering Social Vulnerability 
This study proposes a multi-hazards risk assessment method which considers social vulnerability into the analyzing and utilize machine learning-enabled models. The regional multi-hazards risk assessment poses difficulties due to data access challenges, and the potential interactions between multi-hazards and social vulnerability.

Weathering the Storm: Insurance in a changing climate 
This report explores the role of the insurance market in responding to these complex issues. It is informed by a nationwide survey of people that have home insurance, as well as interviews with homeowners and people who rent in communities affected by extreme weather events.

Climate Ambition Summit 
To accelerate action by governments, business, finance, local authorities and civil society, and hear from “first movers and doers,” the United Nations Secretary-General is convening a Climate Ambition Summit at United Nations Headquarters in New York on 20 September 2023.

3rd International Forum on Big Data for Sustainable Development Goals (FBAS) 
Thursday 7 September 2023; 13:30 to 15:00 CST (UTC +8, Beijing time) a CODATA+ Session on ‘Data and AI Policy for the Responsible Governance of Big Data During Crisis Situations for Achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals’ as part of The 3rd International Forum on Big Data for Sustainable Development Goals (FBAS 2023). Here is a registration link for online participation.

Introduction to the Scorecard Action Guide: Prioritization of DRR Actions
This webinar session aims to introduce the Scorecard Action Guide and present a methodology for cities to frame and prioritise their programmes of action using data from the Scorecard assessment.

GCF Private Investment for Climate Conference 2023 
Wednesday, 27 September 2023, 13:00 to 15:00 UTC; 15:00 to 17:00 CEST (Brussels time): A Research Data Alliance’s (RDA) 10th Anniversary Webinar organized by the AIDV-WG + GOSC and CODATA IDPC on ‘The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Building Responsible Open Science Infrastructures’. Here is a registration link for online participation.

CODATA Connect Webinar - Data Stewardship, What’s in it for me?
This webinar will cover the practical aspects of data stewardship: what do people mean by it, why it is important (= the selfish benefits of good data stewardship), and, crucially, where and how to look for help. The session will be interactive, with plenty of time for questions and discussion.18 September:

UNDRR GETI, UNITAR & WHO E-learning Course] Resilience of Local Governments
In line with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, SDG 11.B and SDG 3.D, this e-Learning Course aims to contribute to strengthening the capacity of local government officials for risk reduction and resilience planning inclusive of health threats management.

International Conference on Science and Technology for Sustainability 2023 – Transforming Society to Become Resilient and Sustainable beyond Catastrophic Disasters 
The Science Council of Japan, the Japan Hub of Disaster Resilience Partners (JHoP) and the National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Resilience (NIED) invite you to the “International Conference on Science and Technology for Sustainability 2023 – Transforming Society to Become Resilient and Sustainable beyond Catastrophic Disasters”.