Robots, drones and satellites: NSW to research new bushfire fighting technology
The NSW government will push to establish the state as a world leader in bushfire research eventually marketing new technology overseas, with close to $30 million set aside for the new project in next week’s budget.
Scientists warn of a bad year for fires in Brazil’s Amazon and wetlands
Dry weather this year raises the risk of severe fires in Brazil’s Amazon rainforest and Pantanal wetlands, scientists say, warning that a drought could fuel destruction of biomes critical to curbing climate change.
Indian Cities Prepare for Floods with Predictive Technology
The number and intensity of floods are increasing—they can inundate neighbourhoods in Chennai in just 15 minutes. New models can pinpoint and help warn vulnerable areas hours or even days in advance.
Small Satellites to Study Big Storms – NASA Prepares for the TROPICS Mission
In 2022 NASA is launching a constellation of six small satellites (smallsats) to improve our understanding of cyclones in the tropics. With a revisit time of 30 to 60 minutes between overpasses, the TROPICS mission will provide frequent observations of tropical storms as they form and strengthen, which will increase our understanding of the physical processes within storms and improve the accuracy of storm forecasts to better protect lives and property.
Canterbury floods: Is climate change to blame for severe weather events?
Victoria University climate change expert James Renwick says it is too early to say whether the Canterbury floods were caused by climate change, but the event is exactly what we can expect more of.
Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation: Understanding Framework Roadblocks
On behalf of the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), Tonkin + Taylor has undertaken an extensive analysis across 10 climate-vulnerable countries to identify potential roadblocks between climate change adaptation planning and disaster risk reduction (DRR) frameworks.
UNECE: Chief Statisticians bring statistics to the forefront of climate action
The heads of national statistical offices of 59 countries and 24 international organisations are gathered this week in Geneva and around the globe for the 69th plenary session of the Conference of European Statisticians, the decision-making body for statistical matters in the UNECE region and beyond.
The UCL Warning Research Centre Opens at the IRDR 11th Annual Conference
A new research centre, the world’s only one devoted to the study of warnings, was formally launched at the UCL Institute for Risk and Disaster Reduction 11th Annual Conference. The Warning Research Centre brings together global expertise to explore the role of warnings in managing vulnerabilities, hazards, risks, and disasters. The focus is to prevent adverse disaster impacts through improved warnings