Blog

How social media and crowdsourcing can help build disaster resilience.

Jodhpur is known as the “Blue City” for its captivating blue-painted houses. But, beyond their visual appeal, these houses hold a hidden secret; a revelation that could pave the way for a cooler, more sustainable urban future.

For many communities around the world, climate-induced disasters are now an inevitable part of life. When recovering from such events, it is senseless to rebuild structures that are incapable of resisting the hazards that will inevitably follow.

Currently, governments around the world spend 90% of their disaster budgets on emergency relief, but only 4% on prevention and preparedness. That equation equals disaster.

Effective risk assessment and management are essential for mitigating the impacts of hazards and building resilient communities. A new open-source tool, RiskChanges, can help inform decision making and guide resource allocation.

The voices of marginalized people are often those missing from mainstream data-gathering and decision-making processes. The Missing Voices Approach informs DRR policies and practices by proactively listening to the experiences of marginalized individuals.

To better understand the implementation of a micro-scale urban heat island risk assessment, researchers conducted a study using Turin as a subject – the first time that such an in-depth methodology is applied in any Italian city.

The experiences and concerns of diverse marginalised groups remind us that technological advancements should align with a commitment to equity and representation.

Improving availability and access to early warning information is one of the seven global targets of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, and is also a key focus of many agencies, including the World Meteorological Organization and USAID.

As population exposure to extreme heat increases, government agencies are developing heat health warning systems to support the public in taking protective action. The reach and effectiveness of these interventions is still a concern.