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.

Update

25 July 2023

How well-managed dams and smart forecasting can limit flooding as extreme storms become more common in a warming world

As rising global temperatures make extreme storms more common, US's dams and reservoirs – crucial to keeping communities dry – are being tested. California and states along the Mississippi River have faced similar flood control challenges in 2023.

Conversation Media Group, the

Crowd waiting for the train during a hot day in London, UK (2022)

Update

25 July 2023

Tourists flock to the Mediterranean as if the climate crisis isn’t happening. This year’s heat and fire will force change

Expect to see more trips taken during shoulder seasons, avoiding the increasingly intense July to August summer. And expect temperate countries to become more popular tourist destinations.

Conversation Media Group, the

A group of civilians are moved to safety by boat amid deep floods in Badin, Pakistan

Update

25 July 2023

A disaster emergency is underway in Asia and the Pacific as risks outpace resilience, warns new UN study

The Asia-Pacific region has a narrow window to increase its resilience and protect its hard-won development gains from the socioeconomic impacts of climate change, according to the latest report by the United Nations ESCAP.

United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN-ESCAP)

Research briefs

23 July 2023

Research led by HKBU constructs model to predict frequency of heat wave and air pollution co-occurrence in China

A research led by HKBU has developed a statistical model which uses patterns of springtime warming in the western Pacific Ocean, western Indian Ocean and Ross Sea to predict the frequency of summertime co-occurrence of heat wave and air pollution in China

Hong Kong Baptist University

Children playing with water in fountain in Harbour drive in downtown San Diego.

Update

25 July 2023

Extreme heat in North America, Europe and China in July 2023 made much more likely by climate change

Following a record hot June, large areas of the US and Mexico, Southern Europe and China experienced extreme heat in July 2023, breaking many local high temperature records.

World Weather Attribution

Documents and publications

24 July 2023

Systemic risks from climate-related disruptions at ports

This report allows the researchers to quantify the systemic exposure of transport, trade and supply chains to port disruptions. This is essential to identify cross-border vulnerabilities, and preparing ports, firms and countries for port-related shocks.

Boy walks through street in Tuvalu after hurricane Pam 2015

Update

24 July 2023

Tuvalu launches world-class coastal hazard modelling tool in the face of growing climate impacts

In collaboration with the SPC, the Tuvalu Coastal Adaptation Project (TCAP) has handed over to Government of Tuvalu a state-of-the-art online platform which, for the first time, allows the atoll nation to clearly identify, plan for, and reduce risks.

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)

An African farmer with his herd of goats.

Research briefs

20 July 2023

Climate science is catching up to climate change with predictions that could improve proactive response

Science is beginning to catch up with and even get ahead of climate change. UC Santa Barbara climate scientist Chris Funk and co-authors assert that predicting the droughts that cause severe food insecurity in the Eastern Horn of Africa is now possible.

University of California, Santa Barbara

Big crack in a road following an earthquake.

Research briefs

20 July 2023

Global GPS measurements indicate observable phase of fault slip two hours before large earthquakes

By analyzing GPS data from almost 100 large earthquakes worldwide, scientists unearth a potential 2-hour rupture prediction signal.

American Association for the Advancement of Science

Update

20 July 2023

The importance of data in combatting extreme heat and climate change

Data is critical to providing information on how climate change affects Americans nationwide. This includes heat. Recently, the Commerce Department’s U.S. Census Bureau released estimates for heat that identifies areas that are socially vulnerable.

Department of Commerce