In the 06/02/2026 edition:
Disaster Risk Reduction remains at the forefront of global policy in June 2026, with critical developments across climate finance, coastal hazard management, heatwave impacts, wildfire losses, flood preparedness, the 2026 Ebola outbreak, and early warning systems — compiled from leading institutions including UNDRR,World Bank, NASA, and WMO.
News: Climate finance and the governance challenge
By Asian Disaster Preparedness Center on Jun 01, 2026 08:42 pm
Climate finance is often seen as a technical puzzle involving better proposals, stronger justifications, more readiness support, and more capacity building. The assumption is straightforward: strengthen technical preparedness, and finance will follow.
News: Why climate and disaster risk governance must work together
By Asian Disaster Preparedness Center on Jun 01, 2026 08:32 pm
In the century and a half after Tambora, disasters continued to take an enormous toll. Earthquakes, cyclones, and floods claimed hundreds of thousands of lives in multiple events, particularly in the first half of the twentieth century.
News: Pacific Prepared Podcast: ‘Learned a lot from my father and our ancestors’ Tongan resident explains the importance and relevance of traditional knowledge alongside modern technology
By Australian Broadcasting Corporation on Jun 01, 2026 08:28 pm
How the youngest female employee of the Tongan weather service is in love with her job and her advice is to people during quiet times with no disasters.
News: The Philippines is failing to include Indigenous people in climate decision making
By Dialogue Earth on Jun 01, 2026 08:24 pm
Gap between principle and practice risks widening if the country does not more fully include Indigenous people in its climate action plan.
News: Climate change exposes millions of Hajj pilgrims to deadly heat for increasingly longer parts of the year
By World Weather Attribution on Jun 01, 2026 08:21 pm
Temperatures in Saudi Arabia are rising earlier in the year and reaching more dangerous extremes, making the pilgrimage increasingly hazardous not only in the summer months, where in 2024 more than 1300 pilgrims lost their lives.
News: Hailstorms could grow more dangerous and damaging with climate change
By PhysOrg, Omicron Technology Ltd on Jun 01, 2026 08:18 pm
A study published in Nature predicts that climate change could produce larger, more damaging hailstones in some regions. The editors of Nature have also published a Research Briefing in the same issue summarizing the work.
News: Backlash is often swift when authorities try to plan retreat from the coast. There’s a better way
By Conversation Media Group, the on Jun 01, 2026 08:14 pm
With climate change likely to accelerate extreme weather in Australia, planned or managed retreat – moving people and infrastructure away from these areas – will grow only more important.
News: Cities are making it rain more – but not as much as scientists thought
By Conversation Media Group, the on Jun 01, 2026 08:10 pm
Scientists think it really is raining more often over cities, but perhaps not as much as we thought.
News: Cà Mau resorts to technology to prevent forest fires
By Viet Nam News, Vietnam News Agency on Jun 01, 2026 08:01 pm
Cà Mau Province is strengthening forest fire prevention efforts by deploying advanced surveillance systems.
News: When the waters rise: how the city of N’Djamena, Chad, prepared for floods and averted disaster
By World Bank, the on Jun 01, 2026 07:51 pm
PILIER launched a $13 million flood preparedness and response plan in early 2024 to protect N’Djamena during a high-risk rainy season.
News: Record wildfire losses rocked 2025 even as global burned area neared all-time lows
By University of East Anglia on Jun 01, 2026 07:50 pm
An analysis of global wildfire activity in 2025 reveals the world experienced some of the most destructive and deadly fire events in recent history, despite the second-lowest area burned since 2002.
News: Check out the brand-new hurricane ‘cone of uncertainty’ graphics arriving this season
By Yale Climate Connections on Jun 01, 2026 07:49 pm
The inland extent of watches and warnings will now be included, and an experimental cone will capture more areas at risk.
News: The 2026 Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak: why R&D investment matters
By Wellcome Trust on Jun 01, 2026 07:46 pm
The outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda is caused by the Bundibugyo ebolavirus, which has no approved vaccines, treatments or rapid diagnostics.
News: Climate change: how fires and floods are creating uninsurable areas across Europe
By Conversation Media Group, the on Jun 01, 2026 07:45 pm
As climate change makes extreme weather events more intense and frequent, “uninsurable areas” are becoming increasingly common.
News: New report from the Anticipation Hub shows that anticipatory action reached 9.6 million people in 2025
By Anticipation Hub on Jun 01, 2026 05:40 pm
The Anticipation Hub’s fourth annual overview of anticipatory action shows that this approach continued to expand in 2025, reaching 9.6 million people ahead of forecast hazards during the year.
DRR Community Voices: Virtual reality for flood risk communication: Making rare events tangible
By Pierre Scholl, Yacine Haddou, Matthieu Hervé on Jun 01, 2026 03:21 pm
By making rare and complex events easier to visualise, this case study from France shows how tools that combine virtual reality and special effects improve public understanding and dialogue on flood risk.
News: Uninsurability is a policy choice
By Centre for Disaster Protection on May 29, 2026 05:55 pm
In California, “uninsurable” means wildfire premiums jumping from $2,500 to $20,000 a year, or insurers refusing to renew policies altogether. In rural Mozambique, it means families having no financial safety net when a cyclone destroys their home.
News: Insights help predict crack formation in clay layers for dykes at an early stage
By Deltares on May 29, 2026 05:48 pm
Crack formation in clay layers poses a risk to the safety of dykes, as well as to landfills and other hydraulic infrastructure that rely on clay as a sealing or water-retaining layer. When cracks develop, the risk of failure rises.
News: Save the date: Europe & Central Asia Regional Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction, Romania 25–27 May 2027
By United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction – Regional Office for Europe & Central Asia on May 29, 2026 05:26 pm
The next Europe & Central Asia Regional Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction will take place in Romania from the 25th to 27th of May 2027
News: WMO report suggests more global temperature records ahead
By World Meteorological Organization (WMO) on May 29, 2026 04:15 pm
Global average temperatures are likely to continue at or near record levels in the next five years, with Arctic temperature anomalies expected to continue to be higher than the global mean.
News: Heatwaves: older people less likely to follow safety advice
By Conversation Media Group, the on May 29, 2026 04:13 pm
Extreme heat is now considered the deadliest weather and climate-related hazard in Europe, causing more deaths than floods or storms.
News: Too hot, too humid: why the sustained heatwave in India and Pakistan is so dangerous
By Conversation Media Group, the on May 29, 2026 04:13 pm
India and Pakistan are no strangers to heat. This time of year is the worst, as heat peaks before the monsoon brings cooler conditions from June.
News: Why Africa – and the world – remain dangerously unprepared for the next pandemic
By Conversation Media Group, the on May 29, 2026 04:12 pm
As the news spread about the outbreak of Ebola in mid-May 2026, the World Health Organization (WHO) released a report about pandemics. The title was: A World on the Edge: Priorities for a Pandemic-Resilient Future.
News: Research shows that prescribed fire, other fuels treatments net major savings
By NPR on May 29, 2026 02:14 pm
It’s well-established that prescribed fire and other fuel-reduction treatments can create significant ecological benefits and reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire.
News: A ‘futuristic’ approach to minimizing power outages
By University of Miami on May 29, 2026 02:06 pm
A team of University of Miami students has created predictive vegetation growth models that could help the utility company improve its tree-trimming efforts and, in turn, reduce the number of power outages in Florida.
News: Practical tools for tackling climate change
By Swiss Federal Research Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL) on May 29, 2026 02:02 pm
As part of the NCCS-Impacts research programme, a research team led by the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL) is developing new tools to better assess risks and adapt planning.
News: Spain to launch largest-ever forest fire campaign after record losses
By The Local Spain on May 29, 2026 01:59 pm
Spain is one of the southern European countries on the front line of climate change as higher average temperatures stoke heatwaves, droughts and forest fires.
News: Q&A: The Alps are crumbling, and permafrost is not playing the role many assumed
By Swiss Federal Research Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL) on May 29, 2026 12:54 pm
Over many millennia, it has eroded the foot of the slope, resulting in a visible steepening here. Like a pile of sand whose base is dug away, this may eventually lead to the collapse of the material above.
News: The US is seeing stronger storms, so why are droughts getting worse?
By Conversation Media Group, the on May 29, 2026 12:52 pm
About two-thirds of the U.S. is in some stage of drought in late spring 2026, yet at the same time the country has been seeing more intense downpours . It might seem contradictory, but both are symptoms of rising global temperatures.
News: Integrating flood risk management is key to building resilient social infrastructure
By Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) on May 29, 2026 12:50 pm
Flood-resilient social infrastructure protects lives, sustains services, and reduces recovery costs.
News: Lethal humidity may be one of climate change’s most overlooked threats
By Australian Strategic Policy Institute on May 29, 2026 12:49 pm
By late this century, more than 50 percent of humanity could be exposed to life-threatening heat and humidity. But one of climate change’s deadliest emerging risks remains poorly understood: lethal humidity.
News: Fatalities from landslides in earthquakes
By Eos – AGU on May 29, 2026 12:49 pm
A study by Sun et al. 2026 shows that in six earthquakes in China between 2010 and 2022, landslides and rockfalls were responsible for at least half of the total fatalities.
News: Weak faults play a strong role in the Tibetan plateau’s deformation
By Eos – AGU on May 29, 2026 12:48 pm
Ten years’ worth of data reveal that two theories about how the Tibetan Plateau deforms are both probably right.
News: How London, Paris and New York coped in the heatwaves of the past
By Conversation Media Group, the on May 29, 2026 12:48 pm
Paris, London and New York are more often associated with culture, finance and history than with dangerous heat. Yet each summer all three are increasingly exposed to extreme temperatures they were never designed to withstand.
News: A giant warm wave is crossing the Pacific, signaling an El Niño that could alter weather worldwide this year
By National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) on May 28, 2026 05:07 pm
Waves of higher, warmer water move eastward across the Pacific Ocean a few months before an El Niño emerges. Several have shown up in 2026 satellite data.
News: Fields of thunder Scientists track processes that fuel powerful thunderstorms over U.S. Corn Belt
By National Center for Atmospheric Research (NSF NCAR) on May 28, 2026 05:03 pm
An international team of scientists has demonstrated how powerful thunderstorm complexes over the U.S. Corn Belt are fueled by moisture rising from the region’s fertile fields or just beneath them.
News: ‘There is no great master plan’: anxiety as UK homes, roads and railways sink into the sea
By Guardian, the (UK) on May 28, 2026 04:56 pm
Increasing coastal erosion has hit communities’ livelihoods and put lifestyles under threat.
News: Call for input: Hazards media toolkit pilot
By International Science Council (ISC) on May 28, 2026 04:51 pm
Help shape a new pilot project by selecting priority hazards and recommending experts for the Technical Working Group. The survey takes 5 to 7 minutes and all responses are confidential.
News: Climate change exposes hundreds of millions to longer and deadlier pre-monsoon heat in South Asia
By World Weather Attribution on May 28, 2026 04:43 pm
From mid April and advancing into May 2026, India and Pakistan experienced extremely high temperatures, including daily maximum temperatures above 46°C in many cities in India ( Times of India, 2026 ).
News: Climate change crisis: IMD to change parameters to declare heatwaves
By Times of India, the on May 28, 2026 04:36 pm
The India Meteorological Department will soon revise the criteria for declaring heatwave conditions in the country, as the present parameters do not suit India’s geographical conditions, according to official sources here.
News: As Ebola resurfaces in DR Congo, so do critical questions about how to respond
By The New Humanitarian on May 28, 2026 04:28 pm
A large-scale response has begun to an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo that went undetected for up to two months and has already become one of the largest on record, with 671 suspected cases and 160 suspected deaths.
News: US exposed to $375 billion-$1 trillion in aggregated uninsured flood losses from a range of extreme events
By Moody’s on May 28, 2026 04:19 pm
US residential flood exposure poses a growing credit risk, given large insurance protection gap.
News: When resilience is built for everyone, growth and stability follow
By World Economic Forum (WEF) on May 28, 2026 04:09 pm
Reaching every individual before the next flood, drought or economic shock requires collaboration across financial institutions, policy-makers, development organizations and the private sector.
News: Wildfire season arrives again: Is Europe ready this time?
By EurActiv Network on May 28, 2026 04:08 pm
Early fires in the Netherlands and Czechia offered a first test of EU emergency coordination
News: From volcanic vents to safer skies
By Eos – AGU on May 28, 2026 03:32 pm
Improved estimates of Eruption Source Parameters can sharpen forecasts of volcanic plume rise and ash dispersal, supporting aviation safety and hazard response.
News: Global human population pushing Earth past breaking point
By Flinders University on May 28, 2026 02:34 pm
The Earth has already exceeded its ability to support the global population sustainably, with new research warning of increasing pressure on food security, climate stability, and human wellbeing.
News: 2026 World Cup stadiums: Extreme heat rising
By Climate Central on May 28, 2026 01:12 pm
Nearly all of the 2026 World Cup host stadiums now see more extremely hot days during the tournament period (June-July) than during the first North American World Cup in 1970.
News: Africa has been managing climate volatility for decades – what the rest of the world can learn from it
By Conversation Media Group, the on May 26, 2026 01:10 pm
The United States’ retreat from aspects of global climate and health leadership has exposed the risk Africa took in relying on external funding for these projects.
News: Climate change could significantly worsen summer air quality in future decades
By Conversation Media Group, the on May 26, 2026 01:08 pm
Across the world, air pollution is associated with more early deaths than any other environmental exposure, raising risks of dying from lung cancer, respiratory infection, heart and lung disease and other causes.
News: Summers are getting hotter and deadlier, especially for older Americans
By American Association of Retired Persons on May 26, 2026 01:07 pm
Heat waves are striking in surprising places where milder temperatures were once the norm
News: Breaking the cycle of urban vulnerability: pathways to resilient cities
By United Nations System Staff College on May 26, 2026 01:07 pm
Every year, disasters cost the global economy USD 202 billion, but when cascading impacts on education, supply chains and health are considered, the true cost rises to USD 2.3 trillion.
News: Nature-Based solutions in São Tomé and Príncipe
By World Bank, the on May 26, 2026 01:06 pm
A World Bank Group-financed coastal road project demonstrates how nature‑based solutions can protect foundational transport infrastructure and sustain economic activity in São Tomé and Príncipe.
News: Is New Zealand’s grazing system still fit for a warming climate?
By Massey University on May 26, 2026 11:34 am
The science underpinning Aotearoa New Zealand’s dairy, beef and sheep grazing systems was largely established from the 1950s onward, but new analysis shows that the climate those systems were built for has shifted significantly.
News: Tropical cyclones give rise to unique type of heat wave in Japan
By Tokyo Metropolitan University 東京都立大学 on May 26, 2026 11:33 am
“Moist heat wave” identified as responsible for a quarter of heat wave days
News: Rice feeds billions of people – but its role in fueling climate change is growing
By Conversation Media Group, the on May 26, 2026 11:33 am
Rice feeds more than half the world. It underpins daily meals for billions of people. But the same flooded soils that help rice thrive also create ideal conditions for microbes that release climate-warming gases.
News: Are earthquake swarms along the Cotabato Trench echoes of a 1976 magnitude 8.1 quake?
By Temblor on May 26, 2026 11:22 am
Scientists explore recent earthquake swarms off the shores of Mindanao, a southern Philippine island, and consider similarities to the devastating 1976 Moro Gulf earthquake.
News: Early warning systems are key to minimizing disasters
By Toulouse Business School on May 26, 2026 10:55 am
A study of one of the world’s longest-running disaster warning systems – desert locust monitoring – finds surveillance limits damages and generates returns of up to 680 times the investment.
News: When drought did not win: disaster risk financing ignites hope in Mozambique’s Magude province
By African Development Bank on May 26, 2026 10:45 am
As of October 2025, 6,728 people in Magude have benefited from improved water access, including 2,561 women. Approximately 8,797 cattle have benefited from improved water access, and 1,045 households received food assistance during drought periods.