resilience Archives - Disasters News

May302025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Building Resilience: How Smarter Development Can Reduce Disaster Losses

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Disasters

On March 30, 2025, a powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake rocked Myanmar. Among the survivors was Ma Phyu Sin Win, who clutched a relief package filled with essentials food, medicine, hygiene supplies, and solar lamps. “Every little item helps,” she said, highlighting the harsh reality many face when disasters strike. Around the globe, disasters are growing more frequent and intense. From cyclones and floods to earthquakes, the impacts are devastating not just in the moment, but for months and years that follow. In 2024 alone, extreme weather caused 93% of all economic damage worldwide, totaling $320 billion. The road to recovery is long and often diverts critical resources away from education, health, and infrastructure. But disasters aren’t “natural” by default. They happen when natur...

May302025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Rethinking Disaster Preparedness: Why Behavioural Insights Matter

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Fact Check

When disaster strikes, having early warnings and strong infrastructure saves lives. But often, even when people know the risks, they don’t act. Why? The answer lies in human behaviour. In March 2025, Myanmar was hit by a massive 7.7 magnitude earthquake. Survivors like Ma Phyu Sin Win were grateful for emergency kits basic things like food, solar lamps, and hygiene products. “Every little item helps during this time,” she said. But the damage went far beyond broken buildings. Around 1.6 million structures were exposed to intense shaking, many not built to survive it. Disasters like this are becoming more frequent and more destructive. In 2024 alone, extreme weather caused $320 billion in economic losses. But the real damage continues long after the floodwaters recede or the ground st...

May282025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Trees in Niger’s Schoolyards Offer Shade, Food, and Climate Education

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Environment, Learning & Developments

In the scorching cities of Niamey and Maradi, Niger's two largest urban centers, schoolyards are becoming unexpected green sanctuaries. A recent study of 60 schools has revealed that trees in school compounds are not only cooling overheated classrooms but also serving as tools for education, sources of nutrition, and symbols of resilience in the face of climate change. With rising temperatures and frequent heatwaves across the Sahel region, where temperatures often exceed 45°C, the importance of urban forestry is gaining new recognition. Trees in schoolyards play a critical role in reducing heat stress, creating shaded outdoor learning environments, and improving air quality. In overcrowded or under-resourced schools, these shaded spaces often double as open-air classrooms, offering a c...

May262025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Torrential rain floods New South Wales: Regional towns brace for worsening emergency

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Disasters

Heavy rainfall continues to batter the Hunter and Mid North Coast regions of New South Wales, causing widespread flooding and prompting urgent warnings across affected areas. Rivers have burst their banks and are spilling across floodplains, putting entire communities under flood watch. As the rain tracks further south, more regions are bracing for potential devastation. This unfolding weather disaster highlights how susceptible rural catchments and regional populations are to extreme rainfall events, especially in the wake of similar flooding earlier this year in western Queensland. The crisis serves as a crucial reminder of the different challenges faced by rural Australia compared to its urban centres during such emergencies. Rural regions face unique vulnerabilities The Mid No...

May212025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Southern Australia in the Grip of Drought: A Harsh Glimpse into the Future

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Environment

Southern Australia is currently enduring a crippling drought, with swathes of South Australia, Victoria, Tasmania, and Western Australia experiencing some of the lowest rainfall totals on record. This prolonged dry spell is putting immense pressure on communities, ecosystems, and economies serving as a stark warning of what may become more frequent as climate change intensifies. 𝗙𝗮𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗨𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗦𝗶𝗲𝗴𝗲: 𝗙𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗖𝗼𝘀𝘁𝘀 𝗦𝗼𝗮𝗿, 𝗟𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗰𝗸 𝗦𝗮𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗲𝗱 With pastures failing, many farmers are being forced to purchase feed at sky-high prices just to keep their animals alive. Others are selling off livestock in distress sales, trying to cut losses. These decisions often heartbreaking are being made daily across vast tracts of agricultural land. Financial stress is mounting. For many, the economi...

May142025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Africa on Climate Frontline: Rising Heat, Floods, and Droughts Worsen Crisis, Threaten Development

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Environment

WMO's 2024 climate report warns of worsening weather extremes, mounting socio-economic toll, and urgent need for digital adaptation and resilience planning across Africa The climate emergency in Africa has reached a critical tipping point, with cascading disasters impacting lives, livelihoods, and the continent’s development prospects at an alarming pace. The State of the Climate in Africa 2024 report by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) paints a grim portrait of a region buckling under the weight of extreme heat, deadly floods, prolonged droughts, and widespread humanitarian upheaval. From failed harvests to paralyzed power grids, and from flooded homes to growing water crises, climate change is no longer a future threat for Africa it is a destructive force in the pres...

Feb262025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Rising from Ruin: How Pakistan Flood Disaster Sparked a Revolution in Resilience

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Disasters

In the heart of devastation, where floodwaters swallowed entire villages and millions were left stranded, a remarkable transformation began. The 2022 Pakistan floods were among the worst climate disasters of the century, leaving one-third of the country submerged. But within this crisis lay an opportunity—one that would redefine how nations respond to catastrophe. From tragedy to triumph, the Sindh Flood Emergency Rehabilitation Project (SFERP) has emerged as a global model for disaster recovery. In just two years, it rebuilt lives, strengthened infrastructure, and pioneered a new approach to resilience that could change how the world confronts climate disasters. A Disaster of Unprecedented Scale The numbers were staggering. Over 33 million people affected. Nearly $15 billion in d...

Feb42025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

India Needs Comprehensive Climate Justice Policy for Disaster Resilience

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Disasters, Environment

As climate change-driven disasters intensify across India, experts are calling for a comprehensive climate justice policy that integrates disaster risk reduction, resilience building, and adequate budgetary allocations. In 2024, extreme weather events impacted 255 out of 274 days, leading to 3,238 deaths, destruction of 2.35 lakh houses, and damage to 3.2 million hectares of land, according to the Centre for Science and Environment. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Home Affairs reported a 24% rise in disaster-related fatalities compared to the previous year. Key Policy Gaps & Recent Amendments The 2024 amendments to the Disaster Management Act, 2005, now include "disaster risk reduction", but effective implementation and budget oversight remain crucial. Urban Disaster Management ...

Jan312025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Pacific Islands Turn to Innovative Insurance for Climate Resilience

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Environment

Each November, Pacific communities brace for the annual cyclone season a six-month period that tests their resilience against extreme weather. For many Pacific Islanders, cyclones and floods are more than just natural disasters; they are stark reminders of a changing climate that continues to threaten lives and livelihoods. Ironically, the people least responsible for global emissions face the harshest consequences. Extreme weather events not only destroy homes and infrastructure but also push entire communities into poverty, stretching already debt-ridden governments to their limits. Yet, amid these challenges, the Pacific's renowned resilience shines through. A Region No Stranger to Disaster The Pacific has witnessed some of the most devastating tropical cyclones in history. In ...

Jan272025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Just Resilience Advancing Equity in Climate Adaptation Strategies

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Environment

A new paper delves into the concept of "just resilience," emphasizing the integration of justice and equity into climate adaptation and resilience research and policy. By exploring underrepresented perspectives, particularly from the global south, and addressing the social, structural, and geographical drivers of vulnerability, the paper seeks to shape a global agenda for equitable adaptation. Emergence of Just Resilience Just resilience has become a critical focus in addressing the unequal burdens of climate change. Adaptation strategies can inadvertently create disparities, turning some groups into winners while leaving others behind. Interplay of Climate and Structural Inequities Climate change impacts often exacerbate preexisting inequities based on wealth, power dynamics, ...