How Insurers Can Get Better at Responding to Natural Disasters
As communities recover from the havoc wreaked by Cyclone Debbie, it’s time to accept that disasters will become more intense due to climate change and the cost of insurance will…
Author: The Conversation
How Europe’s Coastal Cities Can Cope With Rising Sea Levels
The average global sea level has risen by more than 20cm since 1980 – that’s a rate of 0.5mm per month – according to new research from the Basque Centre…
Recovering From Disasters: Social Networks Matter More Than Bottled Water and Batteries
Standard advice about preparing for disasters focuses on building shelters and stockpiling things like food, water and batteries. But resilience – the ability to recover from shocks, including natural disasters…
Pacific Nations Lose Shortwave Radio Services That Warn of Natural Disasters
As a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck off the coast of the Solomon Islands, triggering a tsunami warning across the Pacific, many residents of the tiny country would have turned to…
Climate Shenanigans at the Ends of the Earth: Why Has Sea Ice Gone Haywire?
There is no doubt that 2016 has been a record-breaking year for Earth’s climate. We will have to wait another couple of months for the final tally, but 2016 will…
Five Reasons Why Cutting NASA’s Climate Research Would Be a Colossal Mistake
Five reasons why cutting NASA’s climate research would be a colossal mistake James Dyke, University of Southampton Will President Trump really slash funding of NASA’s “politicised” climate change science? It…
World Set for Hottest Year on Record – World Meteorological Organization
2016 is set to be the world’s hottest year on record. According to the World Meteorological Organization’s preliminary statement on the global climate for 2016, global temperatures for January to…
Japan’s Latest Tsunami Reaction Shows Lessons Learned From Previous Disasters
Parts of Japan were on tsunami alert today following a magnitude 6.9 earthquake off the east coast of the country. This was the first real test for Japan since the…
Floods Play a Vital Role in Ecosystems – It’s Time to Get Out of Their Way
Floods are often seen as a force of destruction. From photographs of crops under water and houses being swamped by swollen rivers, to stories of road, business and public amenity…
Be Prepared, Always: The Tsunami Message From New Zealand’s Latest Earthquake
The tsunami warnings from the latest New Zealand earthquake show how important it is for people to be prepared for such an event. The early messages from New Zealand’s Ministry…
Droughts and Floods: India’s Water Crises Demand More Than Grand Projects
India is facing one of its most serious droughts in recent memory – official estimates suggest that at least 330m people are likely to be affected by acute shortages of…
India – Assam Can Recover From Devastating Floods if the Government Gets Its Act Together
Heavy flooding affected more than a million people in the north-eastern Indian state of Assam between July and August 2016, with 45 dead and more than 200,000 in relief camps.…
How to Prepare for a Tsunami
The recent magnitude 7.1 earthquake and subsequent tsunami warning in northern New Zealand reminds us that tsunamis are unpredictable and can strike any time. If you live in a tsunami…
Suburban Sprawl and Poor Preparation Worsened Flood Damage in Louisiana
This month’s extraordinary flooding in southeast Louisiana damaged some 40,000 homes, prompting more than 70,000 people to sign up for FEMA assistance. The proximate cause was a slow-moving storm system…
CoastAdapt – Adapting to rising Seas in Australia
The wild storms that lashed eastern Australia earlier this year damaged property and eroded beaches, causing millions of dollars’ worth of damage. As sea levels rise, the impact of storms…
Disasters and Kids – How to Help Them Recover
Louisiana’s historic floods have killed at least eight people. As many as 20,000 others have been rescued and thousands have been forced into shelters. Disasters, whether natural, like hurricanes and…
