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 Ponghang City fumigator truck is conducting COVID-19 disinfection in the city of Ocheon-eup in Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea on the afternoon of March 16, 2020.

Research briefs

6 July 2023

New study shows robust pandemic preparedness strongly linked to lower Covid-19 mortality rates

Preparedness matters: Accounting for age and national capabilities to diagnose COVID-19 deaths reveals that pre-pandemic investments in capacity saved lives—though U.S. remains an outlier.

Nuclear Threat Initiative

Research briefs

6 July 2023

Q&A: Why extreme weather, not climate change, drives concerns about water safety

People’s worries about water safety are connected more closely to concerns about severe weather than climate change. Environmental communication could better capture attention and drive meaningful action by focusing on extreme waether impacts.

University of Southern California

Women eating together in Senegal in the traditional manner.

Research briefs

5 July 2023

Climate models underestimate food security risk from ‘compound’ extreme weather

Weather and climate extremes, such as prolonged drought, heavy rainfall and heatwaves, can lead to harvest failures. These are occurring with increased magnitude and frequency on a warming planet.

Carbon Brief

Update

6 July 2023

It was the hottest June on record, unprecedented North Atlantic warmth, record low Antarctic sea ice

The world just had the hottest June on record, with unprecedented sea surface temperatures and record low Antarctic sea ice extent, according to a new report.

World Meteorological Organization (WMO)

Research briefs

6 July 2023

Lasering lava to forecast volcanic eruptions

University of Queensland researchers have optimised a new technique to help forecast how volcanoes will behave, which could save lives and property around the world.

University of Queensland

Flooded streets following a hurricane in Florida, USA

Research briefs

6 July 2023

Unlocking the secrets of floods: Breakthroughs in Riverine and Coastal modeling

To enhance flood modeling, it is imperative to gain a comprehensive understanding of the causative mechanisms and cutting-edge models and tools, while also acknowledging their uncertainties. 

Eos - AGU

Vinicunca or Winikunka. Also called Montana de Siete Colores. Mountain in the Andes of Peru.

Update

5 July 2023

Climate change vicious cycle spirals in Latin America and Caribbean

Extreme weather and climate shocks are becoming more acute in Latin America and the Caribbean, as the long-term warming trend and sea level rise accelerate, according to a new report from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).

World Meteorological Organization (WMO)

An ominous cloud formation is illuminated during golden hour out in the countryside.

Update

4 July 2023

World Meteorological Organization declares onset of El Niño conditions

El Niño conditions have developed in the tropical Pacific for the first time in seven years, setting the stage for a likely surge in global temperatures and disruptive weather and climate patterns.

World Meteorological Organization (WMO)

Buddhist stupas in Jomolhari base trekking, Paro Bhutan.

Update

4 July 2023

Surviving the aftermath of heavy snowfall in Merak, Bhutan: A story of tackling Loss and Damage

Pema Wangmo, who, with the help of her community, worked to restore greenhouses destroyed by climate change-induced snow fall. This is the fifth of the “Voices from the Frontline (Phase III)” stories by GRP and ICCCAD supported by Irish Aid.

Global Resilience Partnership

Aerial photography of solar photovoltaic bases in desert areas

Update

3 July 2023

Climate resilience is key to energy transitions in the Middle East and North Africa

The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) is one of the world’s regions most affected by climate change, imposing challenges on energy systems that are already straining to meet the demands of economic growth, energy security and social welfare.

International Energy Agency