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.

Research briefs

27 March 2017

Pandemic research project presents recommendations to European Commission

The European Union-funded pandemic project, Pandemic Risk and Emergency Management (PANDEM), has completed its research phase and produced a final report, identifying current needs and recommending innovative solutions to the European Commission.

National University of Ireland Galway

Research briefs

27 March 2017

Stanford researchers seek ways of keeping communities out of harm’s way in a changing climate

Predictions of more frequent extreme weather events put certain regions in the cross hairs of risks such as coastal flooding, heavy rain and erosion. To address an obvious but controversial solution – relocating from vulnerable areas – Stanford researchers analyzed cases of “managed retreat” around the world.

Stanford University Press

Research briefs

27 March 2017

Deadly heat stress could threaten hundreds of millions even if climate targets reached

Deadly heat stress is projected to affect hundreds of millions more people each year under relatively little additional climate warming. Research on the impact of global temperature rises on magacities found that even if 1.5℃ is achieved, large increases in the frequency of deadly heat are expected.

Conversation Media Group, the

Research briefs

24 March 2017

Extreme space weather: protecting our critical infrastructure

A new JRC report calls for bridging knowledge gaps and for better coordination at EU level to reduce the potential impact of space weather events.

European Commission Joint Research Centre

Research briefs

22 March 2017

Kaikoura quake may prompt rethink of earthquake hazard models internationally

Last November's magnitude 7.8 Kaikoura earthquake was so complex and unusual that it is likely to lead to changes in the way scientists think about earthquake hazards in plate boundary zones worldwide, a new study says.Not only was it a record-setter for its complexity, but it was also one of the best recorded large earthquakes anywhere in the world.

GNS Science

Research briefs

15 March 2017

Improved El Niño flood hazard warnings could save lives

Misleading El Niño flood information could be putting lives at risk and resulting in misdirected disaster relief, new research suggests. The new study comes after scientists suggested 2017 could see a third El Niño event in as many years, with the potential to disrupt weather patterns and food production globally.

University of Reading

Research briefs

14 March 2017

Earthquakes shaking up New Zealand’s water systems

Recently published research from Victoria University of Wellington and GNS Science has provided a unique insight into the hydrological effects of earthquakes in New Zealand. The different ways groundwater systems respond to the type of earthquake shaking is critical to understanding how landslides evolve in both the short and long term.

Victoria University of Wellington

Research briefs

15 March 2017

2016 Ecuador tsunami and tremor data could predict future earthquake impact, analysis suggests

New research led by Brunel University London has revealed the potential threat of a large earthquake and tsunami off the shore of Ecuador and Colombia, to the north of last year’s major tremor. The 2016 event was the largest damaging earthquake to hit the area in decades.

Brunel University London