Category Archives: DRR and Open DATA newsletter

Disaster Risk Reduction and Open Data Newsletter: August 2023 Edition

Why climate action is critical to reducing poverty and what it means for policy trade-offs
Lifting people out of poverty requires helping households acquire and use capital and ensuring that they earn a good return from it. Poor households often rely on livelihoods that rely on natural capital, such as farming, pastoralism, or fishing. Climate change and the increase in temperature, rainfall extremes, and storms will have a big impact on the ability of poor people to earn income.

GCF’s 2024-2027 Strategic Plan sets out greater ambitions and results for critical global climate action 
The 2024-2027 Strategic Plan of the Green Climate Fund (GCF) was successfully adopted at the 36th meeting of the GCF Board on 10 July. As GCF nears the end of its first programming period, 2020-2023 (GCF-1), and is undergoing replenishment for its next programming period (GCF-2), the Strategic Plan reflects the urgency of the climate crisis and the organisation’s growth and maturation in becoming even more transformative and accessible.

Five tips for Inclusive disaster-risk management planning
The recent floodings in Malawi and Pakistan, earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria, and Typhoon Mocha in Myanmar are painful reminders of nature’s wrath. By including women, persons with disabilities, the elderly, Indigenous Peoples, and other marginalized groups as active participants in building resilience to climate change and natural hazards, we tap into their unique, often overlooked knowledge, fostering resilience.

Cooling the heat: can India lead the world in green cooling innovation?
In recent months, India has broken several temperature records, recording its hottest February in 120 years. Heatwaves have devastating impacts on the health, economy, and environment of the nation, causing deaths, illnesses, crop failures, power outages, and water shortages. They also worsen air pollution, a major public health crisis in India.

A community-driven flood resilience information platform for Nicaragua
IIASA researchers and colleagues from Plan International are using modern digital tools to enhance community-driven flood resilience in rural flood-prone communities in Nicaragua. Communities in flood-prone regions worldwide are increasingly being impacted by the effects of flooding. Floods affect more people globally than any other natural hazard and cause some of the largest economic, social, and humanitarian losses.

Bringing a gender perspective to disaster risk finance can save lives
and support recovery

Global studies have shown that disasters – in general – often affect women harder than men. Even after years of significant economic and social progress, women face barriers in many areas. And when a natural disaster strikes, women tend to face life-threatening challenges, which could hamper both their economic and physical survival.

Surviving the aftermath of heavy snowfall in Merak, Bhutan: A story of tackling Loss and Damage
In Merak, Bhutan, we meet Ms. Pema Wangmo, who, with the help of her community, worked to restore greenhouses destroyed by climate change-induced snowfall. This is the fifth of the “Voices from the Frontline (Phase III)” stories by GRP and ICCCAD, supported by Irish Aid.

RISK Award 2023: Best project proposals “Climate resilience and early warning” 
The RISK Awards contribute to the target of disaster risk reduction and resilience building through early warning systems (EWS) as an essential strategic asset. The 2023 award focuses on early warning, particularly in building resilience to
climatic risks.

Solving climate displacement through proactive land policy 
This report speaks to three key areas: accessibility and policy as the root cause, the need for proactive planning to start now, and the fact that protecting house, land, and property rights must be at the core of climate policy responses.

Heat early warning systems roundtable 
This report contains insights, recommendations, and best practices emerging from the discussion, highlighting the importance of collective action to protect vulnerable populations from the impacts of heat waves. Extreme heat and heat waves, exacerbated by climate change, pose significant threats to public health, and effective early warnings are crucial for mitigating these risks.

Climate and equity: a framework to guide policy action 
This brief highlights that reducing the impact of climate change on poor and vulnerable households is essential to hastening poverty reduction. In thinking about policies that do this, this brief finds it helpful to apply the same hazard, exposure, and vulnerability framework often used to understand the physical impacts of climate change and add the non-climate benefits and costs to households that these policies can also bring.

State of the Climate in Latin America and the Caribbean 2022 
The State of the Climate in Latin America and the Caribbean 2022 report shows how climate change is triggering a vicious cycle of events with spiraling impacts on countries and local communities. Explaining how prolonged drought led to a drop in hydroelectricity production in large parts of South America, prompting an upsurge in demand for fossil fuels in a region with major untapped potential for renewable energy.

The 3rd International Forum on Low-Carbon Cities 
The 3rd International Forum on Low-Carbon Cities will be jointly organized by ESCAP East and North-East Asia Office and Incheon Metropolitan City on 29 August 2023 during the Korea Global Adaptation Week, in collaboration with Green Climate Fund, Incheon Carbon Neutrality Center, ICLEI, innovative Green Development Program, CityNet, Climate Change Center and Local Government Association for Climate and Energy Transition.

Sixth meeting of the Pacific Meteorological Council hosted by the Government of Fiji 
The Government of Fiji, through the Fiji Meteorological Service is the host of the sixth Meeting of the Pacific Meteorological Council (PMC-6) in Denarau, Nadi from 14-16 August 2023. The meeting will discuss, promote and explore opportunities to strengthen weather, climate, water, ocean and related development services in the context of sustainable development.

Korea Global Adaptation Week 2023
The Korea Global Adaptation Week (KGAW) 2023 will be one of the spotlight adaptation events of the year. It will be a platform to showcase and promote actions and practices to adapt to the impacts of climate change by accelerating the formulation and implementation of countries’ National Adaptation Plans and by providing adaptation practitioners with foresight thinking for resilience building.

CODATA Connect Webinar, An Ecosystem Perspective on the Ethics of AI and Emerging Digital Technologies
Smart information systems (SIS) are systems that incorporate artificial intelligence techniques, in particular machine learning and big data analytics. These raise significant hopes, for example, to better understand and cure diseases, but also to revolutionise transport, optimise business processes, or reduce carbon emissions.

JRC Summer School on the evaluation of air, soil and water pollution in support to the European Green Deal: a holistic approach
The JRC is pleased to announce the Summer School on the evaluation of air, soil and water pollution in support of the European Green Deal: a holistic approach organised by the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre in partnership with Novi Sad University.

Australian Disaster Resilience Conference 2023 
It has never been more important to reduce disaster risk and build resilience. We must reimagine the future to create the change we need. Our partnerships, programs, actions, and ideas all play an essential part in creating and safeguarding the world we want to live in now and the world we want to pass on to future generations.

Disaster Risk Reduction and Open Data Newsletter: July 2023 Edition

New comprehensive toolkit to support countries after natural disasters 
World Bank Group announces comprehensive toolkit to support countries after natural disasters. The World Bank Group today announced a suite of new and expanded actions to help countries respond quickly and effectively to an ever-growing onslaught of crises.

Government of Barbados forms a coalition to develop resilient infrastructure
The Government of Barbados forms a coalition of multilateral banks and organizations to develop resilient infrastructure and to drive new social and nature capital investments, building on its Resilience and Sustainability Facility at the IMF

Integrating gender and social inclusion in nature-based solutions: a way forward
Vietnam, with its vast coastline of over 3,000 kilometres, is not only home to prosperous fisheries and socio-economic activities but also bears the brunt of rising sea levels, flooding, and storms. Women and vulnerable groups are especially susceptible to the negative impacts of disasters and face a continuing income gap. To address both challenges, the World Bank is working with the Vietnamese government to implement a project to enhance coastal resilience through nature-based solutions (NBS).

‘Drought is on the verge of becoming the next pandemic’
Little old England manages to encompass many global water problems – scarcity, over abstraction, pollution, underinvestment, government and regulatory failings, environmental degradation and corporate misconduct – all within the confines of one small country in the far west of Europe.

Embracing nature’s resilience: Combating desertification in Central Asia with Nature-Based Solutions
Drylands in Central Asia are among the most rapidly degrading and climate-vulnerable areas worldwide. Desertification caused by climate change and human activities has led to land degradation, soil erosion, and loss of vegetation and biodiversity that is costing Central Asia over 5% of regional GDP.

Seven ways to reform the global financial system for climate and sustainable development goals
Next week’s high-level summit in Paris for a New Global Financing Pact seeks to find ways to reform the global financial system to simultaneously address climate change, biodiversity and sustainable development challenges worldwide. This is an opportunity to act on the Bridgetown Initiative, which calls for a remake of the global financial architecture to tackle these issues. What changes are needed? A team of SEI researchers offers seven ideas.

Common threads: what we can learn from analyzing multiple disasters
Examining why some natural hazards develop into disasters can reveal resilience-building opportunities with the potential to protect communities from future catastrophe. Just as important as disaster analysis itself is the process of identifying key learnings that can be applied in other contexts, in the pursuit of a more resilient world.

Hope for the best, prepare for the worst: South Asia’s fiscal needs in the era of climate shocks
South Asian countries have come out of the pandemic with eroded fiscal space and record public debt.  Global financial tightening is putting additional pressure on government budgets. At the same time, the region’s vulnerability to climate risks—with more than 800 million people currently living in communities that are projected to become climate hotspots—demands substantial resources to prepare for future disasters and build climate resilience.

Struggling with the rain: Weather variability and food insecurity forecasting in Mauritania
This paper incorporates microeconomic estimates of the effect of the rainy season quality on food consumption into a catastrophe risk modeling approach to develop a novel framework for early forecasting of food insecurity at sub-national levels. Weather-related shocks and climate variability contribute to hampering progress toward poverty reduction in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Building resilience through livelihoods and economic recovery
This guidance note presents UNDP’s updated approach to livelihoods and economic recovery programming in Fragile and Post-Crisis/Transition Settings (FACTS). Over the years, UNDP has contributed to strengthening the livelihoods of millions of people affected by conflict and natural disasters, as well as catalyze structural transformation towards more inclusive and greener economies.

CREWS 2022 Annual Report
The CREWS 2022 Annual Report maps and illustrates how the Climate Risk Early Warning System (CREWS) initiative is making the world safer with early warning. It captures progress against key programme indicators since the initiative’s first projects.

Climate Finance Shadow Report 2023: Assessing the delivery of the $100 billion commitment

This Briefing Paper notes that in 2009, high-income countries committed in the Copenhagen Accords to mobilize US$100 billion a year by 2020 in climate finance for low- and middle-income countries. This year’s report finds that high-income countries have not only failed to deliver on their commitment, but also – as in previous years – generous accounting practices have allowed them to overstate the level of support they have actually provided.

Caribbean regional workshop on integrated disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation planning 
The workshop seeks to enhance the capacities of Caribbean countries in developing and implementing integrated plans, and to support regional efforts in streamlining climate change adaptation (CCA) and disaster risk reduction (DRR) measures in light of past and projected climate change impacts.

Eighth session of the Committee on Disaster Risk Reduction
The eighth session of the Committee on Disaster Risk Reduction will be held from 25 to 27 July 2023 As a subsidiary body of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, the Committee on Disaster Risk Reduction is the intergovernmental legislative forum on disaster risk reduction.

HLPF Side Event: Infrastructure Resilience – safeguarding gains in sustainable development 
The 2023 High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) on Sustainable Development will be held on 10-19 July 2022 under the theme of “Accelerating the recovery from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development at all levels”.

2023 RISK Award Online Ceremony “Climate resilience and early warning”
Disaster risk reduction saves lives, protects people from injury and prevents damage. The RISK Award contributes to this goal by recognizing the efforts of practitioners globally in making communities safer and more resilient.

Disaster Risk Reduction and Open Data Newsletter: June 2023 Edition

Climate and disaster risk screening – A building block for Paris Alignment
Climate change-induced disasters are increasing in frequency and intensity and pose a growing threat to development, with communities and infrastructure increasingly vulnerable. Risk screening is a key step in the process of adapting to climate change and building resilience to shocks.

Making history: Eighteen countries align to partner with the private sector for improved disaster management in Asia and the Pacific
The private sector, as a first responder and development actor, is critical to bridge the divide between humanitarian and development approaches in the context of disaster management. A key takeaway of the regional workshop for Asia and the Pacific organized by the Connecting Business initiative (CBi), a joint programme supported by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

Beyond climate mitigation: the Pakistan floods showed there’s no turning back
33 million people were affected by the devastating floods in Pakistan in 2022, but this was just one of many recent climate tragedies. Pakistan is the eighth most vulnerable country to climate change in the world. Yet, while the country remains one of the most vulnerable, its impact on global emissions accounts for less than 1%.

How these 7 cities are tackling heatwaves with innovative solutions
Heatwaves are making cities some of the hottest places to be. City infrastructure – like roads and buildings – absorbs heat and then releases it back into the city. Almost 90 cities issued heat alerts in the extreme weather over the summer of 2022, according to the United Nations Environment Programme. But cities are learning to tackle extreme heat – sometimes with ingenious solutions.

Asia and the Pacific unprepared to face climate-induced catastrophes, warns new UN study
Findings in the Race to Net Zero: Accelerating Climate Action in Asia and the Pacific report reveal that countries in the region lack the sizeable financial means to support adaptation and mitigation efforts and the data necessary to inform climate action.

How climate scenarios can help investors build portfolio resilience
As long-term investors, we recognize the material impact of climate change on investment portfolios. Yet, the process of determining the right strategy to increase portfolio resilience to climate change is not straightforward. Uncertainty over how climate risks evolve and their implications for macroeconomic and market conditions complicate the picture.

WorldFAIR Project (D7.1) Population Health Data Implementation Guide
This implementation guide describes the way all aspects of the data are made available for use, both within and from outside the INSPIRE Network community, using standard metadata to describe the data. This is an exploration of how generic standards can be used to express the agreed community metadata set.

WorldFAIR Project (D8.1) Urban Health Data – Guidelines and Recommendations
This report provides a summary of actions and findings of the Urban Health Mapping and Assessment (Task 8.1) for WorldFAIR Work Package 08.

WorldFAIR Project (D9.1) Data standard for sharing ecological and environmental monitoring data documented for community review
This report describes the types of data used for disaster risk reduction (DRR) and provides two country case studies, for Fiji and Sudan, with an in-depth look at the DRR datasets and associated metadata used by each country.

WorldFAIR Project (D12.1) Disaster Risk Reduction Case study
This report describes the types of data used for disaster risk reduction (DRR) and provides two country case studies, for Fiji and Sudan, with an in-depth look at the DRR datasets and associated metadata used by each country.

WorldFAIR Project (D13.2) Cultural Heritage Image Sharing Recommendations
Deliverable 13.2 aims to build on our understanding of what it means to support FAIR in the sharing of image data derived from GLAM collections. This report looks at previous efforts by the sector towards FAIR alignment and presents 5 recommendations designed to be implemented and tested at the DRI that are also broadly applicable to the work of the GLAMs.

Adapting industry to withstand rising temperatures and future heatwaves
In this report, the IMechE considers the challenges of adapting industry to future climate change-induced heat-related impacts. It explores the effects on industry and its workforce of increases in ambient temperatures and more frequent, severe, prolonged heatwaves and how engineers should respond.

Thriving: Making cities green, resilient, and inclusive in a changing climate
This report examines the two-way relationship between cities and climate change, concluding that cities also hold one of the keys to solving the climate crisis. With data from more than 10,000 cities, the report offers insight into how to help cities become greener, more resilient, and more inclusive – in other words, on how to help their cities thrive – in a changing climate.

Making adaptation work: Addressing the compounding impacts of climate change, environmental degradation and conflict in the Near and Middle East
A new ICRC/Norwegian Red Cross policy brief “Making Adaptation Work” presents how the humanitarian consequences of environmental degradation and climate change are aggravated by armed conflict in the Near and Middle East, and which adaptation approaches are emerging to face the compounding impact using examples from Iraq, Syria and Yemen.

Gendered impacts of climate change: Evidence from weather shocks
This paper reviews the economic literature linking weather shocks (such as floods, droughts, and extreme temperatures, among others) and a large range of outcomes. The biggest gendered impacts are due to existing gaps and social responses to shocks.

Adapting coastal cities and territories to sea level rise in Mediterranean region challenges and best practices
The report provides an overview of the main obstacles that coastal managers from the Mediterranean region face in adapting their cities. Accordingly, it addresses the issues of how to design sustainable adaptation strategies through a coordinated approach at the regional and local levels; how to articulate measures over time, particularly in the context of the transformation of key sectors such as tourism.

Pacific Islands Pacific observatory, climate monitoring: Climate database in the Pacific
The Global Operations Support Team (GOST) has developed tools to process a curated set of medium resolution climate datasets (5 to 10 km), producing monthly and daily raster files (geotiffs) for each climate indicator. Climate data is a critical resource to help development actors prepare for and address the challenges of a changing environment.

Bonn Climate Change Conference – June 2023 
Bonn, Germany (1 June 2023): Governments must use the Bonn Climate Change Conference to drive forward steps to phase out all fossil fuels, and demonstrate a step-change in ambition, finance and implementation of actions that can tackle the climate crisis, according to WWF.

2023 Expert Forum for Producers and Users of Disaster-related Statistics 
The 2023 Forum is being organized third year in a row, following successful forums organized in 2021 and 2022 hosted by ECE and ESCWA respectively.

[UNDRR GETI – ARISE] Understanding Sendai Framework on DRR: An Option to Reduce Cost 
The four-part webinar-workshop series organized through a Tripartite Collaboration with Japan, India, and the Phillippines aims to help network members gain a deeper understanding of SFDRR’s goals and by showcasing the value of its programs and initiatives in reducing business operational costs and disaster-related losses and damages.

Social Media for Disaster Risk Management: Researchers meet Practitioners 
On the 7th and 8th of June, between 15:00-18:00CET each day, we will go for a deep dive into the exciting world of crisis informatics with our 3rd  workshop “Social Media for Disaster Risk Management” Researchers meet Practitioners”. We’ll explore the transformative potential of user-generated data, and how it’s actively shaping real-world crisis response strategies.

Events on Disaster Risk Management (europa.eu)
A list of upcoming Disaster Risk Management events to look out for.

International Symposium on Transportation Data & Modelling (ISTDM2023) 
ISTDM 2023 offers scientists a forum to discuss processes and challenges to properly model and manage future transport systems. It also provides opportunities to meet policy makers and help them shape future legislations in the transport field.​​​​​​​

 

Disaster Risk Reduction and Open Data Newsletter: March 2023 Edition

National Mapping Efforts Support Government at All Levels
Efforts to map data at a national level can help state and local government agencies better serve constituents — especially where health and safety are concerned. One such effort is a place-based tool from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), known as the Environmental Justice Index (EJI), which went live in August of 2022.

XDI releases world-first comparison of every state’s physical climate risk 
The engine rooms of the global economy are among states and provinces most at risk from climate change and extreme weather according to a new ranking of the physical climate risk of every state, province and territory in the world released by XDI (The Cross Dependency Initiative) – a world leader in physical climate risk analysis.

Weather tracker: world braces for sudden stratospheric warming event
There has been keen interest over recent weeks in the much-anticipated sudden stratospheric warming (SSW) event, which only began this week but is now well under way. The SSW phenomenon is linked to the polar vortex, an area of low pressure across the North Pole that forms within the stratosphere during autumn, as temperatures plummet in the absence of solar radiation.

Why did a Turkish City withstand the quake when others crumbled?
Erzin survived last week’s 7.8-magnitude quake with no casualties and little damage. The mayor credited his enforcement of building standards, but scientists say it is more likely about geology.

Words Matter: Stop Using the Phrase ‘Natural Disasters’
A holistic disaster risk management approach starts with a change in the way we refer to disasters. The phrase ‘natural disaster’ is used in the news, in social media, and in everyday conversations to describe extreme events like hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, or volcanoes. But the term is problematic – if not harmful.

 WorldFAIR Project (D13.1) Cultural Heritage Mapping Report: Practices and policies supporting Cultural Heritage image sharing platforms 
The WorldFAIR Project’s Cultural Heritage Work Package (WP13) outlines current practices guiding online digital image sharing by institutions charged with providing care and access to cultural memory, in order to identify how these practices may be adapted to promote and support the FAIR Principles for data sharing.

Sustainable Urbanisation to Enhance Climate Resilience
With the increasing urgency of the climate crisis, it is important to ensure our country is adequately equipped to handle its impacts. This is especially true for the urban lens, which ongoing climate change policy cannot afford to ignore, given that Malaysia is increasingly urbanised. Building resilient cities — cities that can absorb, recover and prepare for climate-related shocks and promote sustainable development — is vital towards creating a climate resilient Malaysia.

Climate Resilience – What can we learn from Pastoral Systems in Africa’s Drylands?
This policy brief aims to draw attention to the lessons pastoral systems offer in the face of climate change. Exploring the key factors enabling and hampering the resilience of pastoral systems to climate change, it shows how the challenge of sustainable and resilient food systems could be tackled under increasingly unpredictable climate conditions.

Building disaster resilience: a study of disaster events and financial lending stream
This report highlights the urgent need to rewire the current financial systems towards (a) de-risking current investments (b) integrating risk reduction into credit allocation and (c) redirecting financial flows towards risk reduction. The report opens with case studies on eight disaster events over the past decade that explore in detail the financial and economic costs of these events.

A data-driven approach to rapidly estimate recovery potential to go beyond building damage after disasters.
This study shifts attention beyond estimating building damage as the main source of information after an earthquake by introducing an approach to rapidly identify the obstacles that lead to the lack of household recovery progress. Following a disaster, crucial decisions about recovery resources often prioritize immediate damage, partly due to a lack of detailed information on who will struggle to recover in the long term.

UN 2023 Water Conference
The UN 2023 Water Conference – formally known as the United Nations Conference on the Midterm Comprehensive Review of the Implementation of the Objectives of the International Decade for Action, “Water for Sustainable Development”, 2018-2028 – will take place at UN Headquarters in New York, 22-24 March 2023, co-hosted by Tajikistan and the Netherlands.

Midterm review of the UN’s disaster prevention framework (2015-2030) 
A midterm review of the UN’s disaster prevention framework by the International Science Council will be launched on 1 March 2023. The report has been produced by the ISC as part of an official midterm review by the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) of the Sendai Framework, which sets out to reduce the human, economic and social cost of disasters.

From Sendai to Doha – Reducing Risk for a Resilient, Productive and Sustainable Future in All LDCs
This event seeks to showcase some of the offers of support from the United Nations system and its partners to address the particular challenges and bottlenecks faced by Least Developed Countries (LDCs) in their implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction with a view to accelerating implementation of the Doha Programme of Action.

Workshop: Systematically identifying, assessing and recommending actions for strengthening community resilience across multiple communities and countries
This session aims to build understanding of factors affecting public health system resilience across multiple communities and countries to COVID-19 pandemic and other emergencies.

Disaster Risk Reduction and Open Data Newsletter: February 2023 Edition

New Article Explores Climate-Related Disasters and Mobility Data
A recent publication outlines how weather events are becoming more dangerous due to climate change, and often lead to communities being displaced temporarily, or even permanently, which can have serious impacts on health

Building fiscal and financial resilience against disasters in Panama
Panama has instituted critical reforms to improve its technical and institutional capacity to manage the disaster risk resulting from natural and health-related hazards. The reforms allowed for a substantial increase in Panama’s capacity for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR); targeted DRR priority actions by relevant ministries and government agencies; and established a stronger and comprehensive set of financial protection policies and instruments to deal with future disasters.

IBM and NASA team up to spur new discoveries about our planet
The goal is tunable, reusable foundation models that make it easier to mine vast datasets for new knowledge to advance science and help us adapt to a changing environment.

 

Blog: Tonga – On the frontline of sea level rise
Sea level rise is a clear and present danger to the Pacific Island nation of Tonga. Since the record-breaking volcanic eruption a year ago, which triggered up to 15m tsunami waves that gutted entire villages, the Government is building higher and higher sea walls to keep the ocean out.

UNDP enhances the capacity of national specialists involved in climate change adaptation planning
Within the framework of the project “Development of the National Adaptation Planning Process (NAP) in Turkmenistan”, implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), with the financial support of the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and in cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture and Environmental Protection of Turkmenistan, a practical training on the use of hydrological equipment was organized for the specialists of the Hydrometeorological Service at Ministry of Agriculture and Environment Protection of Turkmenistan.

Global Risks Report 2023
The world faces a set of risks that feel both wholly new and eerily familiar. The Global Risks Report 2023 explores some of the most severe risks we may face over the next decade. As we stand on the edge of a low-growth and low-cooperation era, tougher trade-offs risk eroding climate action, human development and future resilience.

 WorldFAIR Project (D6.1) Cross-national Social Sciences survey FAIR implementation case studies
New from the WorldFAIR project, this report provides an overview of the data harmonisation practices of comparative (cross-national) social surveys, through case studies of: (1) the European Social Survey (ESS) and (2) a satellite study, the Australian Social Survey International – European Social Survey (AUSSI-ESS).  To do this, we compare and contrast the practices between the Australian Data Archive and Sikt.no, the organisations responsible for the data management of ESS and AUSSI-ESS.

WorldFAIR and a Festival of Data – Looking back on 2022 and forward to 2023: a report on CODATA activities and achievements
2022 has been another busy and successful year for the CODATA community.  We are very grateful for your committed collaboration and engagement with our mission.  As a global, membership organisation, CODATA depends on the generosity of our funders and collaborators and the often voluntary efforts of committee, Task Group and Working Group members.

Community and impact based warnings: the site specific early warning system framework
This briefing note highlights the importance of impact-based early warning systems (IB-EWS) in closing existing communication gaps by communicating on ‘what the weather will do’, the expected damages and the clear guidelines on what citizens and authorities can do to reduce their risk. Evidently, timely warnings alone do not guarantee that recipients will understand the message and that appropriate anticipatory actions will be performed to reduce their risk.

Case studies in adaptation finance
The objective of this paper is to demonstrate how places and institutions are adapting to climate change and mobilising the finance this requires. It provides a series of case studies, which illustrate how adaptation works and is financed in practice. The publication showcases innovative finance and practicial adaptation solutions, but also highlight pitfalls and structural challenges.

What the future has in store: a new paradigm for water storage
This report unpacks the importance of water storage, recent trends in the availability of storage, and sets forth a new integrated planning framework to guide water managers through a problem-driven and systems-oriented process to understand the options available to them to meet their water security goals and how the different forms of water storage can be part of the solution.

Regional report: Midterm review of the implementation of the Sendai Framework for disaster risk reduction 2015-2030 for Europe and Central Asia The Europe and Central Asia region is affected by natural hazards including floods, earthquakes, droughts, landslides, and wildfires, as well as a range of natech and biological hazards. The report offers a qualitative analysis of achievements and obstacles in risk management to 2022, as well as an assessment of future priorities, based closely in the evidence base of the NVRs produced in the region.

UNSC2023 Side event: Disaster-related statistics strengthening ecosystems enhanced risk governance – 16 February
The growing impact of disasters, associated preventive, preparedness and response measures, and the COP27 decision on establishing a Loss and Damage fund, have all necessitated strengthening of the data ecosystem that underscores decision-making. Mandated by the UN Statistical Commission, the Inter-Agency Expert Group on Disaster-related Statistics (IAEG-DRS) is developing recommendations for a common disaster-related statistical framework for the Commission’s consideration in 2024.

Road to New York- UN 2023 Water Conference – March 2023
United Nations 2023 Water Conference to be held at UN Headquarters in New York from 22-24 March 2023. The Conference will focus on the “Midterm Comprehensive Review of the Implementation of the Objectives of the International Decade for Action, ‘Water for Sustainable Development’, 2018–2028”.

EFDRR Roadmap Action-Oriented Dialogue: “Understanding and communicating existing and future risks: ensuring evidence-based communication
23 February 2023

The aim of the EFDRR Roadmap Action-Oriented Dialogue will examine different experiences and approaches of relevant stakeholders in Europe towards the subject of building societal resilience through effective risk communication, and to develop recommendations for governments and stakeholders to make risk communication more effective.

The WorldFAIR Project’s Cross-Domain Interoperability Framework – March 20 
Workshop organised by the WorldFAIR project as a co-located event to RDA P20 in Gothenburg and Online.

Disaster Risk Reduction and Open Data Newsletter: January 2023 Edition

 

Losses from climate change: €145 billion in a decade
Climate change drives extreme weather and climate-related events, which in turn lead to economic losses. Such events, including heat waves, floods and storms, have caused over €145 billion in economic losses in the EU over the past decade. Furthermore, the 30-year moving average of climate-related economic losses shows a clear trend, increasing nearly 2% annually over the last decade. These are estimates by the European Environmental Agency, republished by Eurostat.

Three reasons why roads should be a critical part of climate change adaptation in Thailand
Transport has a circular relationship with climate change – it is both greatly impacted by and contributes to climate change. In Thailand, it accounts for the largest consumption of energy at 39.4 peper centoffering great potential for cutting carbon emissions.

Flood hazard and risk maps: A key instrument for flood risk management
Flood risks affect almost 2 billion people worldwide.  Climate change and unplanned urbanization will further increase these risks. The impacts on economies, communities, and people can be far-reaching In 2022, flooding in Pakistan killed more than 1700 people, affected 33 million, and caused damages and economic losses of over US$39 billion. In Nigeria and Australia were also hit by devastating flood events in the same year To better manage these risks and build more resilient communities, detailed and accurate flood hazard and flood risk maps are essential.

The Climate Crisis Disrupts the Education of 40 Million Children Every Year
Worldwide, the climate crisis is impacting the education of 40 million children every year. Globally, 222 million vulnerable girls and boys are impacted by conflict, climate-induced disasters, forced displacement and protracted crises and are needing education support according to Education Cannot Wait, the UN global fund for education in emergencies and protracted crises.

Machine Learning for Disaster Risk Management
To some, artificial intelligence is a mysterious term that sparks thoughts of robots and supercomputers. But the truth is machine learning algorithms and their applications, while potentially mathematically complex, are relatively simple to understand. Here, we explain how the World Bank Group uses machine learning algorithms to collect better data, make more informed decisions, and, ultimately, save lives.

How is Vietnam’s Mekong Delta adapting to a changing climate?
In the floodplains of the upper Mekong Delta in southern Vietnam, the regular seasonal monsoon floods, lasting from late July until November, are replenishing the soil, rejuvenating the river ecosystems, and allowing farmers like Nguyen Van Khen to boost incomes through flood-based agriculture.

COP27: Team Europe steps up support for climate change adaptation and resilience in Africa under Global Gateway
During COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh, the EU and the African Union announced a new Team Europe Initiative on Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience in Africa as part of the EU-Africa Global Gateway Investment Package. This Team Europe Initiative will bring together existing and new climate change adaptation programmes of over €1 billion and leverage its impact by improved coordination and a reinforced policy dialogue on adaptation between the EU and AU. This includes €60 million for loss and damage from the overall EU contribution.

Trinidad and Tobago adopts UNDRR’s new Risk Information Exchange
Days of continuous rain across the Caribbean state of Trinidad and Tobago this winter have stiffened the resolve of the country’s Office of Disaster Preparedness and Management (ODPM) to launch the new Risk Information Exchange (RiX) developed by UNDRR.

Data and digital maturity for disaster risk reduction: Informing the next generation of disaster loss and damage databases
This report documents the assessment of the status of national disaster loss databases in 13 countries and presents lessons to guide the next generation of disaster loss accounting systems (DLAS).

Natural Disasters Book 2021: An analytical overview
This book is published annually to provide statistical and analytical perspectives on disaster data. ADRC retrieves data from the Emergency Event Database (EM-DAT) to better understand the occurrence, deaths, people affected, and economic losses from disaster events.

Geoglam Crop Monitor for Early Warning Systems: December 2022
The GEOGLAM Crop Monitor for Early Warning (CM4EW) is an international and transparent multi-source, consensus assessment of the crop growing conditions, status, and agro-climatic conditions that are likely to impact global production.

The Coming Storm: Building electricity resilience to extreme weather
This report explores the power system’s resilience as a whole and promotes a proactive approach to climate change adaptation of the power sector. The way out of this major crisis requires decisive action to shift away from imported fossil fuels. Electrification, allowing us to regain our energy independence, must become the norm – and it must go with guarantees on the electricity system’s reliability.

Safeguarding Against Climate Change Impacts
This report attempts to equip urban decision-makers with evidence­based climate information tailored to their specific context, to adequately adapt to and prepare for future climate change impacts. Urban areas are prone to climate change impacts.

Review Global Climate Change Action for Fragile and Developing Countries
The acceleration of climate change is recognized to have negative impacts on development and security.1 The impacts can vary significantly depending on the sector, location, and time period under consideration

NH9.7 Indirect intangible dimensions of natural hazards 23-28 April 
Our societies continuously face risks induced by natural hazards. In today’s intricate socio-technological world, characterized by strong urbanization and technological trends, the connections and interdependencies between exposed elements are crucial. Understanding systemic damage relationships requires the assessment of indirect and intangible dimensions of risk.

USAID/BHA & WMO Workshop – Development of MHEWS Action Plan
The USAID/BHA & World Meteorological Foundation Workshop takes place in San José, Costa Rica. The four day event will cover the development of ‘The International Network for Multi-Hazard Early Warning Systems action plan’. Click the title for more information via the WMO.

Disaster Risk Reduction and Open Data Newsletter: November 2022 Edition

Achieving the Impossible
During the heroic age of polar exploration at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th, both the North and South Poles were attained by expeditions mustering dozens of specialists, the latest technological advancements, and the support of nation-states and major corporations. Achieving these feats required previously unimaginable levels of perseverance and cooperation.

Analysis: Africa’s unreported extreme weather in 2022 and climate change
From deadly floods in Nigeria to devastating drought in Somalia, Africa has faced a run of severe – and sometimes unprecedented – extreme weather events since the start of 2022.

WFP launches initiative to bolster people’s resilience to food shocks in Southern Madagascar
ANTANANARIVO – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has launched the Anticipatory Action system as part of efforts to bolster smallholder farmers’ ability to withstand shocks as the country approaches the lean season with up to 1.9 million people estimated to suffer from acute hunger, according to the latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC).

How to co-design a flood early warning system (FEWS) for West Africa
The great West African drought that started in the 1970s was undoubtedly a turning point in the region’s environmental discourse. It is well recognised as one of the most significant climate-driven disasters in recent history. The event was the onset of an era of rainfall uncertainty and variability, driving recurring floods and droughts across the region.

Machine Learning for Disaster Risk Management
To some, artificial intelligence is a mysterious term that sparks thoughts of robots and supercomputers. But the truth is machine learning algorithms and their applications, while potentially mathematically complex, are relatively simple to understand. Here, we explain how the World Bank Group uses machine learning algorithms to collect better data, make more informed decisions, and, ultimately, save lives.

As water-related disasters mount, experts call for more warning tech
With natural disasters becoming more frequent, further development and disbursement of risk assessment tools and early warning technologies are necessary to mitigate the damage they cause, a leading Japanese researcher on disaster risk reduction has said.

Food for thought: Climate change risk and food (in)security in Tuvalu
Climate change presents a considerable threat to food security of low-lying atoll nations in the Pacific including Tuvalu. It is projected to heavily impact agricultural and fishery sectors in Tuvalu, threatening food chains and the ability of Tuvaluans to produce and access safe and nutritious food that meets their dietary and cultural needs.

Global status of multi-hazard early warning systems: Target G
This UNDRR-WMO joint report assesses the current global status of multi-hazard early warning systems (MHEWS) against Target G of the Sendai Framework, collating data officially reported by the Member States with data collected through a WMO survey.

Practical actions approach in Disseminating Localised flood early warning in Bangladesh
An effective Early Warning System ensures that accurate, reliable, actionable, and understandable information reaches those who need it in a timely manner. Practical Action takes a comprehensive and people-centered approach to ensure that timely, accurate, and understandable information reaches the most vulnerable.

ASEAN Framework on Anticipatory Action in Disaster Management
The ASEAN Framework on Anticipatory Action in Disaster Management provides guidance for defining and contextualising anticipatory action at the regional level with some considerations for its implementation by Members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). This Framework outlines three building blocks of anticipatory action and proposes a Plan of Action for 2021–2025 with the primary aim to streamline anticipatory action in disaster risk management (DRM) through joint regional efforts.

Science, Technology, Innovation and Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction
Science and technology have been contributing to the advancement of disaster risk reduction approaches and saving people’s lives and properties. However, its nature, role and usage have changed over time. Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (SFDRR) had focused on the increasing use of science and technology, not only by scientists but all different stakeholders from governments to non-government organizations and private sectors.

Good Practices for adaptation action research
For climate change adaptation to be effective, it needs to be context-specific and driven by both social and environmental considerations. Adaptation must also be based on the ever-evolving field of climate change science, and able to incorporate new research and knowledge continually throughout the adaptation process.

COP27 6-18 November 
The hosting of COP27 in the green city of Sharm El-Sheikh this year marks the 30th anniversary of the adoption of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. In the thirty years since, the world has come a long way in the fight against climate change and its negative impacts on our planet; we are now able to better understand the science behind climate change, better assess its impacts, and better develop tools to address its causes and consequences.

Australian Vocabulary Symposium 2022, running in Canberra and online (internationally) on 14-15 November, 2022.
This symposium brings together users, creators and publishers of vocabularies across multiple domains and sectors in Australia. Delegates will share current experiences and future requirements as we collectively move towards a state of FAIR vocabularies that underpin cross-domain data reuse.

World Tsunami Awareness Day 2022 in Asia-Pacific: Early Warning and Early Action Before Every Tsunami
By the year 2030, an estimated 50 percent of the world’s population will live in coastal areas exposed to flooding, storms, and tsunamis (UNESCO-IOC, 2021). Scaling up regional support to developing countries will help ensure that 100% of communities at risk of tsunami are prepared for and resilient to tsunamis by 2030.

Understanding Risk Global Forum (UR22)
The Understanding Risk Global Forum (UR22) will be a hybrid event with the main location in Florianopolis, Brazil. Satellite events are taking place in London (UK), Wellington (New Zealand) and Niamey (Niger). The location offers an exceptional opportunity for the world to learn from Brazil and vice versa and strengthen the sustainable development agenda, moving from understanding risk to action on disaster resilience

6th DRMKC Annual Seminar
This 2-day event aims to share the achievements of the Union Civil Protection Knowledge Network (UCPKN) Science Pillar in addressing challenges such as compound, concurrent and cascade events which need to be included in risk analysis or the communication challenges in risk management, among others.

 

Technical Expert Forum 2022: Tracking of hazardous events and disaster losses and damages
The global community has been working on standardizing national information on losses and damages to better understand risk, and how these components change over time. Traditionally, the recording of disaster losses and damages starts at the impact level by the national disaster (risk) management offices (NDMOs) in terms of human and economic losses, often based on assessments by local authorities and humanitarian partners.

4th Workshop under the Glasgow-Sharm el-Sheikh Work Programme on the Global Goal on Adaptation
The workshop is organized pursuant to decision 7/CMA.3, by which the Parties to the Paris Agreement (CMA) agreed on the modalities and procedures of the work programme and decided that eight workshops would be conducted during 2022 and 2023.

 

COP27 EU Side Event: Data and systems for understanding and acting on current and future risks
This 1-hour event organized by DRMKC will be focused on building the evidence base to inform future action on disaster risks. Together with amazing guest panellists from the Joint Research Centre, the European Central Bank, ESPON ,TECNALIA, UN OCHA and DG ECHO, we will discuss

Disaster Risk Reduction and Open Data Newsletter: October 2022 Edition

 

Why climate-change ‘loss and damage’ will be a hot topic at COP27
As large parts of the planet struggle with climate-inflicted woes, from floods in Pakistan to forest fires in the United States, the thorny issue of how to address “loss and damage” driven by global warming has risen up the political agenda. Nine years ago, U.N. climate negotiators agreed to set up a formal mechanism to tackle loss and damage – but little concrete has emerged, beyond a donor-backed effort to boost insurance against weather disasters in developing countries.

What does community-led climate work look like?
On stormy days—and sunny days too—residents of Jacksonville, Florida watch water filling the streets, rising up to stop signs, and spilling onto front stoops and into parked cars. As a result, annual flooding damage currently costs homeowners and insurance companies $20 million per year nationally, with economic losses concentrated in Florida and California.

Effective Communication Of Disaster Warnings Saving Lives In Fiji
Communication is key – especially when you are in the business of saving lives. During their Ignite session on the second day of the Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction in Brisbane, Australia, the FMS presented on disaster risk communication and effective information sharing, in order to give people a better understanding of the importance of effective communication of warnings and understanding user needs.

Beavers can help mitigate the effects of climate change. But how significant is their impact?
The beaver is a unique ecosystem engineer that can create a landscape that would otherwise not exist, thanks to the animal’s ability to build dams. As we experience more frequent heatwaves and drought, the potential role of beavers in safeguarding against these risks has captured widespread attention.

Hurricane Ian capped 2 weeks of extreme storms around the globe: Here’s what’s known about how climate change fuels tropical cyclones
When Hurricane Ian hit Florida, it was one of the United States’ most powerful hurricanes on record, and it followed a two-week string of massive, devastating storms around the world. A few days earlier in the Philippines, Typhoon Noru gave new meaning to rapid intensification when it blew up from a tropical storm with 50 mph winds to a Category 5 monster with 155 mph winds the next day. Hurricane Fiona flooded Puerto Rico, then became Canada’s most intense storm on record. Typhoon Merbok gained strength over a warm Pacific Ocean and tore up over 1,000 miles of the Alaska coast.

Life-Saving Landslide Risk Communication in Puerto Rico
Hurricane Fiona brought wind and heavy rain to Puerto Rico on September 18, triggering hundreds of new landslides. In the mountain community of Naguabo on the east side of the island, a hillside collapsed, burying homes and cars. But residents and emergency workers were able to evacuate just in time before the debris flow occurred.

How to communicate risk when it feels like no one is listening
With climate change providing uncertainty, raising the importance of risk communication is critical when mapping out effective long-term climate responses. As our understanding of natural hazards and climate risk improves, how do we enable individual decision-makers to be best informed? In this paper, challenges and opportunities were identified for harnessing risk-informed data for disaster and climate resilience.

Harnessing risk-informed data for disaster and climate resilience
Disaster and climate risks result from a complex interaction between hazard, exposure, and vulnerability in a broad context defined by socioeconomic, political, and ecological factors. To better understand the risk and manage it more effectively, we need to collect, store, analyse, and use risk-informed data. We identified challenges and opportunities for harnessing risk-informed data for disaster and climate resilience.

The 2022 Global Climate Observing System (GCOS) Implementation plan
This is the latest in a series of implementation plans produced by the Global Climate Observing System (GCOS) programme since its inception in 1992. It provides a set of high priority actions which if undertaken will improve global observations of the climate system and our understanding of how it is changing.

2021 Progress report on the implementation of the UN plan of action on disaster risk reduction for resilience
This 2021 UN Plan of Action Progress Report presents the summary of progress with regard to the three Commitments of the UN Plan of Action, based on the Results Framework, as reported by UN organizations for the year 2021.

Extreme Weather and social connectedness community study- helping communities prepare for extreme weather events
This research project investigates and develops interventions to bolster social connectedness in Boston-area communities most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. It aims to address questions including: How “socially-connected” do people feel within these vulnerable communities? What factors or mechanisms serve to strengthen (or weaken) social connectedness?

Strengthening Risk Analysis for Humanitarian Planning
This guidance details a step-by-step approach tailored to the Humanitarian Programme Cycle and development agenda to ensure it is based on comprehensive and robust forward thinking. It is aimed especially at facilitators involved in strategic planning, to prepare and facilitate joint analysis workshops taking place during the development of Humanitarian Needs Overviews using the Joint Intersectoral Analysis Framework (JIAF).

 

FAIR Convergence Symposium, 24 – 26 October in Leiden and Online: Programme and Registration
The 2nd FAIR Convergence Symposium is organised by CODATA and GO FAIR on 24 – 26 October 2022 in Leiden, The Netherlands, as part of the Week Focused on FAIR.  This years’ edition will concentrate on smaller, high-priority, strategic and working meetings to encourage convergence on and implementation of FAIR. The meetings are being organised as hybrid events, allowing for both in-person and online participation.

International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction – 13 October  
The primary goal of disaster risk reduction is prevention. But when that is not possible, then it is important to minimize the harm to people, assets and livelihoods through early warning systems.

Data Interoperability in China: practice and challenges (A GOSC DataIO Webinar) – 10 October 2022
The Chinese Academy of Sciences, the highest academic institution of natural sciences in China, started the exploration of sharing of scientific data in 1986, and continues to this day.

Short Course on Making Cities Resilient- 25 – 26 October 2022
Presented by Dr Jorge Diaz, this workshop will consider new insights from lessons learnt in the aftermath of disasters and its relation to building resilience (2000-2020). Case-Studies include; Chile, Peru, Mexico, Haiti, and Japan. Dr. Diaz has been involved in most of these events during the response, recovery, mitigation and preparedness stages.

First European conference on community disaster preparedness- 27 October
European Investment Bank Institute (EIB), in collaboration with the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre, Luxembourg.

Disaster Risk Reduction and Open Data Newsletter: September 2022 Edition

Scientists exposed plants to a yearlong drought. The result is worrying for climate change
Global experiment found ability of grasses and shrubs to store carbon suffered. Europe and many other parts of the world are currently grappling with extreme drought—and that could be bad news for efforts to curb climate change, concludes a new global study of how shrubs and grasses respond to parched conditions.

Extreme weather in China highlights climate change impacts and need for early warnings
Extreme weather – record-breaking heatwaves, severe drought, and deadly rainfall – have battered China since June. The summer of extremes – in China as in Europe – has underlined the importance of the WMO community’s commitment to Early Warning and Early Action and reinforced the need for the ongoing campaign to provide Early Warnings for All in the next five years.

Predicting—and preparing for—the worst
Climate change is making extreme weather events more frequent and intense. So improving local risk prediction—and studying how extreme weather could affect renewable energy systems—will be critical to building resilience into vulnerable communities and the growing green energy sector.

Climate risk assessment needs urgent improvement
Existing constraints in current climate risk assessments make them inappropriate to effectively assess the true exposure of society and businesses to climate-related risk. Using the key constraints to guide a conceptual framework, we identify four cross-cutting and inter-related critical paths for improvement.

Future of Rail | How rail industry is fighting back against extreme weather events
Increased frequency of extreme weather events is taking its toll on rail infrastructure but the industry is collaborating with academia to strengthen assets against future conditions. Britain’s rail infrastructure is put under intense pressure every day as it carries millions of people to and from their destinations. It is built to last, but some of it has been in place for decades – if not longer – and is reaching the end of its life.

Saving lives with FAIR data: evidence based public policies and the impact of data in disaster and climate change risk management
Informed decision-making and coordinated action for effective disaster and climate change risk reduction require timely and reliable data and information. Technological advances enable us to better understand nature and society. However, despite these advances, challenges remain for Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable (FAIR) data for decision-making. The COVID-19 pandemic is a good example of how data FAIRness saved lives. It is necessary to identify what challenges the government, non-governmental organisations, and policy users face in FAIRness of data.

 

An Analysis of Barriers to the Implementation of an ISO Certified Quality Management System for National Meteorological and Hydrological Services in the Anglophone Caribbean
Aeronautical Meteorological Offices under National Meteorological and Hydrological Service provide critical meteorological, hydrological, ocean and climatological information that sustain air navigation safety, efficiency, and regularity

Navigating the landscape of support for the process to formulate and implement national adaptation plans
This publication provides an overview of the landscape of support available for adaptation and of the targeted programmes and initiatives that have been set up to facilitate the formulation and implementation of national adaptation plans (NAP).

Harnessing Nationally determined contributions to tackle loss and damage in least developed countries
This paper analyses how least developed countries (LDC) are currently reporting loss and damage in their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) and National Adaptation Plans, identifies gaps or issues in coverage, and suggests a framework for addressing these gaps.

 

Understanding the flood resilience of rural communities in Mangatarem, Pangasinan
This document presents the work of community flood resilience program of the Philippine Red Cross and IFRC that is implemented as part of the Zurich Flood Resilience Alliance. It introduces the Alliance’s unique resilience measurement approach – the Flood Resilience Measurement for Communities (FRMC) – and presents the key results and key insights gained from the FRMC implementation in the program communities in Mangatarem, Pangasinan.

Womens Resilience in Fiji: how laws and policies promote gender equality in climate change and disaster risk management
This report aims to conduct a gender analysis of the national legal and policy frameworks of Fiji to explore how much gender considerations are integrated in its climate change and disaster risk management (CCDRM) laws, policies, and plans and how they contribute to strengthening women’s resilience in the country

 

Multilateral development bank support for disaster resilient infrastructure system
This publication explores how multilateral development banks (MDBs) can help improve the resilience of infrastructure given increasing climate and disaster risks. It highlights opportunities in three areas: risk-informed planning, financing assistance, and knowledge building through regional and global networks

Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction 19 – 22 September 
With the Asia-Pacific experiencing a growth in the frequency and intensity of disasters, investment in reducing our risk to disasters is vital to saving lives and livelihoods, minimising economic loss and ensuring no one is left behind.The 2022 Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction presents an opportunity for delegates from across the Asia Pacific to showcase and share experiences, action and innovation to help build a resilient future for the region..

Southern Africa Ministerial Meeting on Integrated Early Warning and Early Action System Initiative, 5 – 9 September 
The aim of the Conference is to converge on the priority requirements for the Southern African region to further accelerate the implementation of Sendai Target G, to substantially increase the availability of and access to early warnings.

IDRiM 2022 – 12th Conference of the International Society for Integrated Disaster Risk Management 21 September, 09:00 AM (CET) 
Critical steps for research and practice in disaster risk management in the age of climate change and COVID-19 pandemics

IWA World Water Congress & Exhibition 11-15 September 2022 
All of us in IWA are relieved and thrilled that the countdown to the World Water Congress and Exhibition in Copenhagen has re-started. The Nordic region is a world-leading hub for technology and innovation, making it the ideal location for the Congress; a space to inspire change, stimulate innovative research and share best practices for a water-wise world.

Disaster Risk Reduction and Open Data Newsletter: August 2022 Edition

U.S. Senate approves bill to fight climate change, cut drug costs in win for Biden
The U.S. Senate on Sunday passed a sweeping $430 billion bill intended to fight climate change, lower drug prices and raise some corporate taxes, a major victory for President Joe Biden that Democrats hope will aid their chances of keeping control of Congress in this year’s elections.

The future of disaster resiliency and the need for a global vulnerability index
As climate change accelerates the devastation of disaster in populated environments, government leaders across the world are figuring out how to best mitigate these impacts before they happen. First, they must assess who the most vulnerable groups are in their population.

New tool to provide a harmonised fire risk assessment across the Pan-European region
A report stemming from the collaboration between the European Commission and fire specialists from 43 countries has just been published. The report focuses on wildfire risk assessment and provides harmonised data in the Pan-European region. This is of special interest in fire-prone regions, where coherent strategies are needed to prevent wildfire damages.

Boiling Point
The world is getting warmer due to climate change and our cities are warming fastest of all. To many of us, that will come as no surprise: this summer has seen record-breaking temperatures around the world from Ireland to Spain, with a resulting rise in heat strokes and death as cities swelter in this new normal.

How a simulation exercise can prepare remote communities for flood emergencies
When floods occur, places that are hard to reach with conventional emergency services are especially vulnerable. In collaboration with local NGOs, our partner Mercy Corps is helping Nepalese communities to be better prepared for dangerous and costly flooding.

How Well We Manage Water Will Determine How Climate Resilient We Are
Innovations in water management and adaptive planning can create opportunities for climate adaptation and mitigation. Water security is being increasingly threatened by climate change impacts—from flooding to changing precipitation patterns to drought. It is expected that half of the world’s population will face severe water stress by 2030—putting intense pressure on local economies, communities, and the environment.

Pacific National Adaptation Plan (NAP) Guidelines: Guidelines for the Adaptation Planning Process and Contents of NAPs in the Pacific
Tonkin + Taylor have worked together with the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) to develop the Pacific National Adaptation Plans (NAP) Guidelines. The Pacific NAP Guidelines provide practical case studies and tools to support Pacific governments with climate change adaptation. The guidelines have been developed to address the unique environmental, social and economic needs of Pacific countries. To make these fit-for-purpose, the guideline development was led and owned by Pacific government representatives. Moving forward, the NAP Pacific Guidelines will be the primary guidance document Pacific Island countries will use for NAP activities.

Adapt and thrive: Building a climate resilient New Zealand 
This document sets out Aotearoa New Zealand’s long-term strategy and first national adaptation plan. The long-term strategy sets out the Government’s approach to adaptation.

World ‘unprepared’ for magnitude of cascading climate risks
As the extreme weather events, the world is already experiencing become more frequent. They will trigger a cascade of these second-order climate risks across a huge swathe of countries.

The Challenge of unprecedented floods and droughts in risk management
On the basis of a global dataset of 45 pairs of events that occurred within the same area, this research shows that risk management generally reduces the impacts of floods and droughts but faces difficulties in reducing the impacts of unprecedented events of a magnitude not previously experienced. Risk management has reduced vulnerability to floods and droughts globally, yet their impacts are still increasing.

Advancing Urban Sustainability for a Green Recovery
Cities are central to economic growth and have a pivotal role to play in achieving global climate, nature, and sustainable development goals. Yet this potential remains largely untapped as cities continue to face unprecedented environmental and social challenges. The current COVID-19 pandemic has affected cities deeply and continues to be a barrier to sustainable and equitable development.

Resilient Transport in small island developing states from call for action to action
This report aims to help practitioners integrate climate resilience considerations into transport asset management and thus enhance climate resilience in the transport sectors of Small Island Developing States (SIDS). SIDS are among the most exposed, vulnerable countries in the world to natural hazards and the impacts of climate change.

Building Climate Resilience through nature-based solutions in Europe: a review of enabling knowledge, finance and governance framework
This paper reviews recent European Union (EU)-supported research, policy, and practices to identify critical dimensions that still need to be addressed for greater uptake of nature-based solutions (NbS). This review is spurred by the key pillars of the European Green Deal (EGD) which rely on NbS to both preserve and restore ecosystem integrity and increase climate resilience.

Australian Disaster Resilience Conference – 24-25 August 
The Australian Disaster Resilience Conference is the nation’s premier event focused on contemporary disaster resilience practice and research. The conference brings together a diverse and passionate crowd from a range of sectors to share knowledge and build connections for a disaster resilient Australia.

CLIVAR GOOS ICTP Workshop – 15-17 August 
From global to coastal: Cultivating new solutions and partnerships for an enhanced Ocean Observing System in a decade of accelerating change

Post COVID-19 Condition: Children and Young Persons -17 August 
Over the past year, WHO has hosted a webinar series focused on the three “Rs”- recognition, research, and rehabilitation to advance the understanding of post COVID-Our next webinar is focused on post COVID-19 condition in children and young people.

International Data Week – A festival of data 23-26 October Salzburg
Save the date!

The International Science Council’s Committee on Data (CODATA) and World Data System (WDS), and the Research Data Alliance (RDA) are delighted to announce International Data Week 2023: A Festival of Data, taking place on 23–26 October 2023, in Salzburg, Austria.