Knowledge Base highlights and editors' picks

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Every week the PreventionWeb team of editors selects the latest news and research, reports and publications on disaster risk reduction – here is their selection of the latest must-read content.

A 7.8 earthquake struck Turkiye and Syria in February 2023.

Update

4 April 2023

Buildings left standing in Turkey offer design guidance for future earthquake-resilient construction

The earthquakes in Turkey and Syria damaged over 100,000 buildings, caused more than 10,000 collapses and killed more than 50,000 people. They also put to the test advanced building technologies that can minimize damage and keep buildings functioning

Conversation Media Group, the

Update

4 April 2023

Rising groundwater poses hidden threat to public health, infrastructure

As sea levels rise and torrential rainfall inundates the land, an invisible threat upwells beneath our feet, say groundwater experts. They’re urging municipalities to heed the massive infrastructure & public health risks posed by overflowing water tables.

The Energy Mix

Aerial picture of a basin in an agricultural field

Update

3 April 2023

Focus turns to flood prevention in face of climate change: UC geography study finds detention basins often work best

Planners have come up with many innovative ways to prevent flooding caused by heavy downpours — from planting rain gardens to installing green roofs. But in many cases, nothing works quite as well as a simple hole in the ground — a detention basin.

University of Cincinnati

Documents and publications

5 April 2023

The Report of the Midterm Review of the Implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030

This report summarizes the learning and recommendations of an extensive review by States and stakeholders pursuing the expected outcome and goal of the Framework and thus risk-informed sustainable development.

Update

4 April 2023

When the water rises: Lives and livelihoods of flood-prone communities of Sierra Leone

As a result of the heavy rains, River Jong broke its banks, overflowed into the neighbouring villages, including Bo-Jong, and left a trail of destruction impacting people living on the Island.

International Organization for Migration

A women on a float on the river in Hoi An in Vietnam.

Update

4 April 2023

Building resilient homes: Innovations and community engagement in Viet Nam

The GCF-UNDP-Government of Viet Nam project aims to increase the resilience of vulnerable coastal communities to climate change and is altering the lives of the most impacted.

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)

Shade produced by trees in a city street in southern France

Research briefs

20 March 2023

Half of urban trees are outside their ‘comfort zone’ – future plantings must consider climate resilience

Trees growing in cities world-wide may be at risk from climate change. Urban greening must use species that can cope with future conditions to secure benefits.

European Commission

Members of Baduy community must strictly follow the pikukuh when constructing a house.

Update

31 March 2023

The Loss and Damage Fund: How can Indonesia use it to boost climate adaptation efforts

Climate finance was at the centre of COP27 in Egypt last year. For many, the highlight was the agreement to establish a fund to assist developing countries in responding to loss and damage associated with the adverse effects of climate change.

Conversation Media Group, the

Catamaran resting on resting on a residential neighborhood street after Hurricane Ian

Research briefs

31 March 2023

New UNC study quantifies $562M in financial risk from Hurricane Florence using novel modeling approach that evaluates risk of mortgage default and property abandonment

Generally, post-disaster damage assessments focus on insured and uninsured losses, but these numbers do not account for the secondary impacts to households, lenders, local governments and other stakeholders who may also share in the financial consequence.

UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health

Documents and publications

31 March 2023

Compendium of multi-hazard early warning cooperation

This compendium of multi-hazard early warning cooperation identifies county-specific challenges and note good practices cooperation arrangements to strengthen forecasting capabilities, early warning coverage, and systems to act on them.