Why disaster risk financing must evolve to meet the climate crisis

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

CDIF4EOSC: watch this space!

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

Unlocking the Economic Dividend of Resilience Investment

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

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

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

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

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

AI and drones team up to find climate-resilient wheat

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

How AI’s language barrier limits climate disaster responses

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

Read the full newsletter here

The post Read Now – Disaster Risk Reduction and Open Data Newsletter: April 2026 Edition appeared first on CODATA, Committee on Data of the ISC.

	Title: Open Science, Health Data and Epistemic Harms: A Multidisciplinary Reflection Author: Tatenda Chatikobo, Frances Griffiths, Nikita Hayden, Gary Leeming, Ankita Mishra, Eva Morris, Luca Schirru, Nathanael Sheehan, Andrew Williams, Sharifah Sekalala URL: http://doi.org/10.5334/dsj-2026-015
	Title: FAIR Data Workflow Implementation and Assessment for Ion-Exchange Chromatography in Plasma Science Author:  Robert Wagner, Ron Henkel, Kristina Yordanova, Dagmar Waltemath, Markus M. Becker URL: http://doi.org/10.5334/dsj-2026-014

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Participate in the survey: https://surveys.unesco.org/UNESCO-CODATA-DPTC

The questionnaire takes approximately 10 – 15 minutes to complete.

The deadline to submit your response is 11 May 2026. 

UNESCO, in collaboration with the International Science Council’s Committee on Data (ISC CODATA), has launched a global survey to assess how organizations are implementing data policies for times of crisis, in alignment with open science principles. The survey builds on the Data Policies for Times of Crisis Facilitated by Open Science (DPTC) resources introduced in June 2025 as part of the UNESCO Open Science Toolkit. The toolkit includes a factsheet, a guidance document, and a checklist. These resources are designed to strengthen cross-border crisis data management and to support governments, UN agencies, research institutions, civil protection authorities, and other stakeholders in preparing for, responding to, and recovering from crises.

Mapping implementation and identifying gaps

The survey seeks to provide a comprehensive understanding of how organizations are applying the DPTC Toolkit in practice. It explores key dimensions of crisis data governance, including:

• Establishing clear objectives, roles, and responsibilities
• Ensuring availability of adequate resources
• Upholding ethical standards and protecting human rights
• Strengthening data governance, infrastructure, and interoperability
• Promoting collaboration, transparency, and public engagement
• Planning for long-term preparedness and resilience

The findings will serve as a foundational resource to inform future guidance, capacity-building initiatives, and policy development aimed at strengthening responsible and effective data governance in times of crisis.

Balancing openness with responsibility

In times of crisis, decisions must be made rapidly, yet data must remain interoperable, ethical, secure, and trustworthy. The DPTC resources are grounded in the 2021 UNESCO Recommendation on Open Science and aligned with widely recognized frameworks, including the FAIR, CARE, and TRUST Principles. They emphasize transparency, accountability, duty of care, and the protection of vulnerable populations, while enabling timely and coordinated data sharing across borders and sectors.

This survey represents an important step in understanding how organizations are translating these principles into operational practice. The insights gathered will help identify strengths, challenges, and priority areas for improvement in crisis data governance.

Who should participate

The development and subsequent implementation of effective data policies facilitated by open science for crisis situations requires the involvement of diverse stakeholders, each contributing a specific expertise or perspective. These include the following:

• Government agencies
• Emergency management authorities
• Public health institutions
• Statistical agencies
• Ethics committees
• Legal experts
• Research institutions (including those in academia, government, NGOs, and industry)
• Scientific editors and publishers
• Funding bodies
• Charities
• Non-governmental and civil society organizations
• Communities, journalists, and the digital and mass media
• The private sector (including technology, health, financial, and insurance companies)

Participants are invited to share their organization’s experience in implementing data policies aligned with open science principles.

Participate in the survey: https://surveys.unesco.org/UNESCO-CODATA-DPTC

The questionnaire takes approximately 10 – 15 minutes to complete.

The deadline to submit your response is 11 May 2026. 

Next steps

Survey findings will contribute to ongoing efforts to pilot and further refine the DPTC Toolkit. A call for pilot projects is planned for the next phase to test the Toolkit in diverse regional and institutional contexts, support adaptation to local needs, and strengthen institutional capacity for responsible crisis data governance.

By participating in this survey, organizations contribute to shaping global dialogue and advancing coordinated, ethical, and effective data management for future crises.

Contact

Should you have any questions or require further information, please contact the CODATA Secretariat (info@codata.org) or the UNESCO Open Science Team (openscience@unesco.org)

More information

• UNESCO’s work on science, technology and innovation policy
• UNESCO-CODATA initiative Data Policy for Times of Crisis Facilitated by Open Science

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Established in 2004, the Awards were created to celebrate the excellence and innovation necessary to secure our digital legacy, and to raise awareness of digital preservation in all its forms. They promote, encourage, and celebrate the widest possible participation in digital preservation, defined in the broadest possible terms.

Across the digital preservation field, inspiring work is happening every day. The Digital Preservation Awards provide a rare opportunity to bring that work into the spotlight, to share it with a global audience, and to articulate the value and impact of digital preservation.

Awards in 2026

In 2026, seven awards will be presented for initiatives completed between 1 August 2024 and 31 July 2026:

• The Award for Collaboration and Cooperation
  Celebrating significant collaboration across institutional, professional, sectoral and geographical boundaries which have had a demonstrable and positive impact on digital preservation.
• The Award for Research and Innovation
  Recognizing excellence in practical research and innovation activities.
• The Award for Teaching and Communications
  Recognizing excellence in outreach, training and advocacy.
• The Award for the Most Distinguished Student Work in Digital Preservation
  Encouraging and recognizing student work in digital preservation.
  The Award for Safeguarding the Digital Legacy
  Celebrating the practical application of preservation tools to protect at-risk digital objects.
• The Award for the Most Outstanding Digital Preservation Initiative in Commerce, Industry and the Third Sector
  Encouraging and recognizing the adoption of digital preservation tools and approaches in institutions which are not explicitly memory institutions.
• NEW in 2026: The Award for Resilience, Maintenance and Continuity
  Celebrating efforts that support and maintain critical infrastructure for digital preservation services and systems, ensuring the integrity and resilience of digital preservation workflows.

For more information, and to apply, see: https://www.dpconline.org/events/digital-preservation-awards, by the deadline 5th May 2026.

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Full paper submission due dates

You are cordially invited to submit your conference paper by August 31st for double-blind peer review (cf Programme Committee and review panel). To ensure personal information is removed before peer review, visit Microsoft Support on how to remove hidden data. The review process is completed in English as the standard conference language. Posters are reviewed separately (cf Poster criteria). Kindly ensure that conference papers conform to the criteria below; otherwise, your research contributions may not make the review process for inclusion in DHET-accredited published proceedings. Work-in-progress papers are also allowed (submit 500-word abstracts).

Conference Overview

The Generative Decision Science Conference brings together researchers, policymakers, industry leaders, and practitioners to explore the transformative role of data-driven decision-making in addressing complex societal challenges. Aligned with CODATA’s global mission, the conference emphasises open science, data stewardship, and evidence-based decision-making as critical enablers of inclusive development, particularly in emerging economies. This hybrid conference enables participation from across the globe, allowing delegates to attend either in person in Johannesburg or virtually, thereby expanding access and inclusivity. Importantly, registration for the conference is free, reinforcing the commitment to equitable knowledge sharing and broad participation, especially for researchers and practitioners from the Global South.

Conference Objectives

• Advance scholarship in decision science and data-driven methodologies.
• Promote open data, FAIR principles, and responsible data governance.
• Bridge the gap between research, policy and practice.
• Strengthen collaboration across academia, government, and industry.
• Support early-career researchers and emerging scholars.
• Enable accessible participation through hybrid delivery and free registration.

Themes and Tracks

Track 1: Applied Data Science for Decision-Making:

• Data analytics, machine learning, and predictive modelling.
• Data pipelines and real-time analytics.
• Data visualisation and decision intelligence.
• Big data architectures supporting decision processes.
• Data quality and data integration challenges.

Track 2: Information & Knowledge Management Systems:

• Knowledge management frameworks and strategies.
• Organisational knowledge systems and decision support.
• Knowledge sharing, transfer, and retention.
• Digital knowledge platforms and repositories.
• Information architecture and metadata systems.

Track 3: Data Governance, Stewardship & Open Science:

• Data governance frameworks and policy.
• FAIR data principles implementation.
• Open data ecosystems and data sharing.
• Ethical, legal, and social implications (ELSI).
• Data sovereignty and African data governance models.

Track 4: Decision Science & Decision Support Systems:

• Decision support systems (DSS).
• Multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA).
• Risk and uncertainty modelling.
• Evidence-based decision-making frameworks.
• Integration of data and knowledge into decision processes.

Track 5: Artificial Intelligence & Knowledge-Driven Decision Systems:

• AI and machine learning in decision environments.
• Explainable AI (XAI) and transparency.
• Human-AI collaboration in decision-making.
• Generative AI in knowledge creation and decision support.
• Algorithmic bias and ethical AI.

Track 6: Applied Data Science & IKM for Sustainable Development:

• Data-driven approaches to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
• Climate and environmental data systems.
• Agriculture, health, and energy decision systems.
• Smart cities and urban data ecosystems.
• Public sector data and service delivery.

Track 7: Indigenous Knowledge Systems & Inclusive Data Practices:

• Integration of indigenous knowledge with data science.
• Community-based knowledge systems.
• Data justice and inclusion.
• Multilingual knowledge systems.
• Participatory data governance.

Track 8: Education, Skills & Capacity Development:

• Data literacy and decision-making skills.
• Teaching applied data science and IKM.
• Curriculum innovation and interdisciplinarity.
• Workforce readiness and digital transformation.
• Industry-academic partnerships.

Track 9: Industry Applications & Case Studies:

• Business intelligence and analytics.
• Financial decision systems and fintech.
• Supply chain optimisation.
• Healthcare data systems.
• Real-world applications of data-to-decision pipelines.

For further information please visit the conference announcement.

For more information, authors are welcome to contact the 2026 Programme Committee Co-Chairs. Prof Tanya du Plessis (IKM Chair): tduplessis@uj.ac.za and Dr Kagiso Mabe (CODATA SA Chair): kmabe@uj.ac.za.

The post Conference call for Papers: 26-27 November, Johannesburg Business School, University of Johannesburg, Auckland Park, South Africa appeared first on CODATA, Committee on Data of the ISC.

CDIF-4-XAS Implementation Plan https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19651219

This document describes the first proposal to integrate the IXAS — and IUCr — recommended formats for X-Ray Absorption Spectroscopy (XAS) data into workflows in the data processing and analysis platform Galaxy using the CDIF-4-XAS profile.

The OSCARS project CDIF-4-XAS aims to advance cross-domain interoperability of XAS data by implementing the Cross-Domain Interoperability Framework (CDIF) using the Data Description Initiative’s Cross-Domain Integration (DDI-CDI) model.

The project has concluded the two first steps of its roadmap. Firstly, the domain familiarisation step helped to identify two major standards within the XAS community: NeXus XAS (NXxas) and the XAS Data Interchange format (XDI). The NXxas and XDI standards are the focus for harmonization of data description and formatting recommended by the International X-ray Absorption Society (IXAS) and the International Union of Crystallography (IUCr). Secondly, in the metadata modelling step, both NXxas and XDI were mapped to CDIF following the DDI-CDI recommendation where the main output was the definition of a variable cascade, that describes and harmonises both standards from the level of concepts and representation down to the level of instances.

This document focuses on the third phase of the roadmap: the development of implementation guidelines supported by working examples. We now turn to practical guidance for building interoperable, domain-agnostic solutions that enable FAIR data exchange.

The post CDIF-4-XAS Implementation Plan appeared first on CODATA, Committee on Data of the ISC.

Survey link: https://shorturl.at/XzGrW

The questionnaire takes approximately 10 minutes to complete.

The deadline to submit your response is 11 May 2026.The survey seeks insights from stakeholders across academia, government, and industry to better understand:

• how to promote cognitively healthy aging,
• which types of data are most valuable, and
• where to set priorities for policy and future recommendations.

Contributions will support the development of data-driven, inclusive societies, enabling people of all backgrounds to age with dignity, autonomy, and well-being.

Access the survey here: https://shorturl.at/XzGrW

For more information on the activities and outputs of the Task Group, please visit: https://codata.org/initiatives/task-groups/previous-tgs/data-driven-social-change-towards-society-promoting-cognitively-healthy-aging/

The post Shaping the Future of Cognitively Healthy Aging: A Global Survey Initiative appeared first on CODATA, Committee on Data of the ISC.

This summer marks a remarkable milestone as CESSDA celebrates its 50th anniversary. To mark this occasion, we are thrilled to invite you to the conference “Future-Ready Social Science: Data, Policy, and Impact,” taking place from 15–18 June 2026 in Bergen, Norway.

We are proud to share the official conference website, where you can find the most up-to-date information regarding the venue, speakers, and the full programme.

CODATA is proud to be actively involved in the programme, contributing to critical discussions on AI and data ecosystems. Be sure to join these sessions:

Workshop 6: AI Today – Real-world Implications in CESSDA (Tuesday, 16 June 2026 | 13:30 – 15:00 CET), Speaker: Slava Tykhonov (Head of AI, CODATA)

Session 2: Data FAIR, TRUST, and CARE in the Data Ecosystem for AI (Wednesday, 17 June 2026 | 11:30 – 13:00 CET), Discussant: Simon Hodson (Executive Director, CODATA)

Sign up via the website today and join the anniversary conference in Bergen!

The post Celebrate 50 Years of CESSDA in Bergen: Future-Ready Social Science appeared first on CODATA, Committee on Data of the ISC.

The post Final Days for Standard Registration: Dataverse Community Meeting 2026 appeared first on CODATA, Committee on Data of the ISC.

Dealing with Changing Global Policy Dynamics: Emergency Management and its Impact on Disasters Survivors
Tue, Apr 7, 2026 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM BST

Register here: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/5725387297666104666

This international panel will focus on the ever-evolving policy arena of emergency management. Along these lines, panelists will discuss how they view the changing policy environment’s implications for disaster survivors. Examples will be presented from a global context and will illustrate the various impacts that changes are having and might have in the future. Moreover, discussions will revolve around how curriculum should/might change in response to broad policy changes that have the potential to have profound implications for the emergency management profession globally. This webinar is cosponsored by ASPA’s Section on International and Comparative Administration (SICA) and NASPAA’s Section on Emergency Management and Homeland Security.

Speakers:

• Dr. Ziqiang Han, Professor at the School of Political Science and Public Administration, Executive Director of the Center for Risk Governance and Emergency Management, Shandong University
• Prof. Dr. B. Burcak Basbug, Professor of Statistics and Disaster Science, Middle East Technical University, Ankara-Turkiye
• Dr. N. Emel Ganapati, Professor, Florida International University; Director, Laboratory for Social Science Research Sea Level Solutions Center

Sponsored by ASPA’s Section on Emergency and Crisis Management and Section on International and Comparative Administration.

The post Webinar Today! Dealing with Changing Global Policy Dynamics: Emergency Management and its Impact on Disasters Survivors appeared first on CODATA, Committee on Data of the ISC.