Research briefs

Keep up to date with the latest research on disaster risk and resilience on the PreventionWeb knowledge base.

Explore cutting-edge research on disaster risk reduction and resilience through PreventionWeb's dedicated research briefs section. Our platform curates and highlights the most recent academic studies, providing valuable insights into disaster risk management. Each research brief distills key findings from peer-reviewed journals and academic publications.

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These briefs are designed to keep you informed about the latest scientific advances. Links to the full publications are always included, ensuring easy access to in-depth knowledge. Please note that this section exclusively features academic research, distinct from reports by international organizations or Non-Governmental Organisations.

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Flooded plain adjacent to a river
Research briefs

Reducing floodplain development doesn't need to be complex, say researchers

A new study uncovers evidence suggesting that, contrary to expectations, most U.S. cities are not doing too badly in avoiding development in areas prone to flooding.
Oxford University Press
Research briefs

Arctic warming is driving Siberian wildfires

Increased temperatures and drought are leading to more wildfires. And wildfire smoke aerosols can suppress precipitation, drying out soils and further increasing fire risk.
Eos - AGU
Research briefs

Tropical cyclone intensity exacerbated by increasing depth of ocean mixed layer, finds study

The researchers found that at a certain threshold point of the ocean mixed layer depth, the effect of surface winds on sea surface temperature cooling is reduced, leading to increasing surface temperatures that helps strengthen tropical cyclones.
PhysOrg, Omicron Technology Ltd
2020 floods in Wuhan China
Research briefs

Breakthrough study from IU scientists predicts catastrophic river shifts that threaten millions worldwide

This breakthrough study sheds light into the dangerous phenomenon of “river avulsion," a process that has shaped human history through devastating floods and continues to threaten millions of people worldwide.
Indiana University
Research briefs

People exposed to climate change: June-August 2024

A report by Climate Central finds that human-caused climate change increased heat-related health risks for billions, and made heat extreme events longer and more likely around the globe. Key findings include.
Climate Central
Migrant workers walk on the highway on their journey back home during a nationwide lockdown to fight the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus in Mumbai, India (2020)
Research briefs

Eight million climate migrants predicted to arrive in ten Global South cities by 2050 if emissions don’t fall

New study finds ten cities alone across three continents, from Bogotá (Colombia) and Amman (Jordan) to Freetown (Sierra Leone) and Karachi (Pakistan) should prepare for significant climate migration in coming years.
C40 Cities Secretariat
Research briefs

Critical crops’ alternative way to succeed in heat and drought

Research reveals that some plants have an advantage in coping with dry and stressful conditions.
University of Birmingham
Research briefs

Wildfire smoke exposure boosts risk of mental illness in youth

Each additional day of exposure to wildfire smoke and other extreme forms of dirty air boosts risk of mental illness in youth a little more, according to a new CU Boulder study of 10,000 9 to 11 year olds.
University of Colorado Boulder

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