Knowledge Base highlights and editors' picks

Top stories and editors' picks from the most recent additions. Explore the whole Knowledge Base.

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.

Community announcement

30 January 2023

UNDRR calls for contributions to a Words into Action on science-policy-society ecosystem for DRR

The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction is drafting a Words Into Action guide to create the enabling environment to promote beneficial cooperation among policy-makers, science/academia/technology communities and society to reduce risk.

United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR)

Update

30 January 2023

The world is not ready for the next pandemic, warns the IFRC

No earthquake, drought or hurricane in recorded history has claimed more lives than the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the world’s largest disaster response network, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).

International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC)

The Great Zimbabwe Ruins near Masvingo in Zimbabwe, Southern Africa

Research briefs

31 January 2023

New research uncovers the "water" mystery of the first large city in southern Africa

In an area plagued by periods of drought, it is difficult to understand how the great ancient city of Great Zimbabwe thrived for centuries, but the answer to that has now been found.

Aarhus University

UN resolutions and reports

30 January 2023

The Report of the Main findings and recommendations of the Midterm Review of the implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030

A/77/640

The present report contains a summary of the findings and recommendations of the midterm review of the implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030.

People ride their motorcycle in a flooded street in Ho Chi Minh City

Research briefs

24 January 2023

Worst impacts of sea level rise will hit earlier than expected

Updated, precise elevation models of coastal areas reveal the inundated land area in the first 1 to 2 meters of sea level rise could be double previous estimates.

AGU Advancing Earth and Space Science

Update

27 January 2023

How subnational governments can strengthen resilience to climate change

Scale up local-level adaptation by integrating climate adaptation considerations into decentralized governance processes and resources.

Development Asia

Update

29 January 2023

Auckland floods: even stormwater reform won’t be enough – we need a ‘sponge city’ to avoid future disasters

We’ve built our cities to be vulnerable to major weather events such as the one in Auckland. While almost no city could escape the effects of four months’ worth of rain in 24 h, there are things that could've been done to avoid some of the worst impacts.

Conversation Media Group, the

Research briefs

25 January 2023

Will more frequent river floods cause widespread malfunction of European road networks?

Study investigates whether the potential level of disruptive impact on the road networks of European countries could reach a socio-economic tipping point – with an abrupt and large loss of road-network function.

European Commission

Update

27 January 2023

Scientists improve hurricane resilience in the Colombian Caribbean

Scientists are using acoustic sensors to collect data and improve hurricane preparedness and coastal resilience in the archipelago of San Andrés.

Eos - AGU

Update

29 January 2023

Inside Japan's snowy nightmare

The country is set to experience more frequent and heavier snowstorms, and as the death toll rises, it becomes clear that its snow adaptation tactics must change.

Fairplanet