In the 09/08/2026 edition:
Air Quality and Climate Change: A new WMO bulletin highlights the growing interconnections between climate change, wildfires, heatwaves and air pollution.
News: Wildfire risks are driving up costs for Northwest utilities
By Washington State Standard on Sep 07, 2026 04:45 pm
They’re trying to prevent power lines from sparking catastrophic fires. But there are also worries about how the added expense will fall on ratepayers.
News: Hot weather linked to workplace injuries, even indoors
By Yale Climate Connections on Sep 07, 2026 04:38 pm
Researchers found that the risk grows when the heat index exceeds 85 degrees Fahrenheit and increases sharply at higher temperatures.
News: Churches could become cooling centers during heat waves
By Yale Climate Connections on Sep 07, 2026 04:35 pm
A Duke University program is training rural faith leaders to educate residents and provide relief during heat waves.
News: Peatland fires darken skies in Indonesia
By National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) on Sep 07, 2026 04:26 pm
Peat fires are a recurring challenge in Indonesia. Drought caused the archipelago’s peat landscapes to become unrelenting infernos on several occasions in the past, with fires producing blankets of smoke for weeks and upending daily life for millions.
News: Can a Nepal-style glacial lake disaster strike India’s Chenab Valley?
By The Chenab Times on Sep 07, 2026 04:25 pm
While an imminent catastrophe is not predicted in Jammu and Kashmir’s Chenab Valley, recent studies and government assessments suggest that Kishtwar district possesses many of the characteristics that make Himalayan regions vulnerable to such disasters.
News: Preparing better for monsoons: Lessons from the 2025 flash floods in Pakistan
By World Bank, the on Sep 07, 2026 04:24 pm
A survey of 1,207 households across three severely affected districts (Buner, Shangla, and Swat) revealed that 85 percent of families received no warning before the flood waters arrived. For those that did, half had less than thirty minutes to act.
News: The economic costs of solar storms
By Eos – AGU on Sep 07, 2026 03:03 pm
During a 100-year geomagnetic storm, 3.5 million people and 91,000 businesses are predicted to lose power, with daily economic losses of $1.22 billion.
News: Weathering the storm: Two water sources in Haiti, two outcomes
By Helvetas Swiss Intercooperation on Sep 07, 2026 02:46 pm
In Marigot, two spring-fed water systems faced the same storm. One continued delivering water while the other failed completely, showing how early investment in source protection and disaster risk reduction can strengthen resilience.
News: How underwater ‘booms’ could provide earlier warning of deadly volcanic tsunamis
By Conversation Media Group, the on Sep 07, 2026 02:44 pm
New research shows the most destructive tsunami from Tonga’s 2022 Hunga eruption was triggered by caldera collapse, not an explosion. The collapse generated detectable underwater sound waves that could help provide earlier warnings of volcanic tsunamis.
News: WMO bulletin shows air quality and climate interlinkages
By World Meteorological Organization (WMO) on Sep 07, 2026 02:42 pm
An increase in pollution from wildfires and heatwaves risks undermining international efforts to improve air quality and protect human and ecosystem health, according to a new WMO report, which traces interlinkages between air quality and climate.
News: How intense rains in the Grand Canyon turned into a deadly disaster
By Grist Magazine on Sep 07, 2026 02:29 pm
Flash flood in Grand Canyon was probably due to a confluence of climate factors, including drought, wildfire scarring and warming temperatures in the Pacific Ocean that can supercharge storms. Scientists warn of stronger extremes due to climate crisis.
News: How landlocked countries are prioritizing water in their adaptation planning
By United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) on Sep 07, 2026 02:28 pm
Climate vulnerability is often associated with cyclones and disappearing coastlines, but major climate risks are also affecting landlocked countries, where climate change is altering glaciers, lakes and rivers that sustain lives and livelihoods.
News: New method predicts where massive earthquakes will strike
By University of California, Riverside on Sep 07, 2026 02:28 pm
UC Riverside scientists have developed a way to identify where Earth’s biggest earthquakes are most likely to occur, offering a powerful new tool for improving disaster preparations in some of the most dangerous seismic regions.
DRR Community Voices: Voluntary public alerting is on the rise
By Eliot Christian on Sep 07, 2026 09:22 am
Public emergency alerting has traditionally been associated with regulated communications infrastructures. Now, official emergency alerts worldwide are increasingly published in the freely available machine-readable Common Alerting Protocol format.
News: The summer we love is slipping away
By Grist Magazine on Sep 04, 2026 03:51 pm
Over the past half-century, annual hot-season temperatures in parts of the United States have warmed by as much as 4 or 5 degrees Fahrenheit, driving heat waves, droughts, and downpours.
News: During Nepal floods, decentralized, community-based warning saved lives
By Mongabay on Sep 04, 2026 03:34 pm
There were two “systems” that warned people about the impending danger that day: one built by the state relying on sensors and SMS messages, the other relying on community-based ties. Only the second worked reliably.
News: NJIT professor invents forecasting method for extreme weather
By New Jersey Institute of Technology on Sep 04, 2026 03:24 pm
The new technique would run artificial intelligence on a simulation of what’s called a quantum reservoir computer — that’s a network based on measurements of how atoms interact with each other — to manipulate weather data for pattern discovery.
News: Developing a clearer understanding of permafrost thaw risk in Alaska
By Grist Magazine on Sep 04, 2026 03:15 pm
By analyzing the way that vibrations scatter light through the wires, scientists can detect volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, and even footsteps above. Last year, researchers laid a cable on the seafloor near a Greenland glacier.
News: Permafrost melt could cost $261 billion in infrastructure damages
By University of Connecticut on Sep 04, 2026 03:06 pm
A new study provides insight into the economic impact of melting permafrost on Arctic communities. Permafrost is ground that permanently remains below freezing for at least two consecutive years. Permafrost covers about 24% of the Northern Hemisphere.
News: The Arctic melt season is a week longer now than it was in the 1980s, shows new UW research on sea ice trends
By University of Washington on Sep 04, 2026 02:59 pm
Research shows that the Arctic is warming four times faster than the global average. The sea ice is melting, exposing more open ocean and throwing the ecosystem out of balance.
DRR Community Voices: How many people died? Why counting disaster fatalities is harder than it looks
By Lakshman Srikanth, David Petley on Sep 04, 2026 01:25 pm
Why is counting disaster fatalities harder than it looks? This blog examines how deaths are defined, attributed, verified and revised, and why better fatality data is essential for understanding and reducing disaster risk.
News: As super El Nino strengthens, study suggests that climate change is intensifying El Ninos
By Phys.org on Sep 04, 2026 01:12 pm
A new study suggests that El Ninos—the natural climatic chaos agent that pops up periodically and spikes global temperatures—are getting stronger because of human-caused climate change.
News: Japan to Host Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction in Sendai City in 2027
By United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction – Regional Office for Asia and Pacific on Sep 04, 2026 04:16 am
The Government of Japan, in partnership with the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), will host the 2027 Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction from 25 to 29 October 2027 in Sendai City, Japan.
News: Rebuilding Nepal without repeating the mistakes of 2015
By Lowy Institute on Sep 03, 2026 03:35 pm
The Himalayan flood exposed a risk that begins beyond Nepal’s borders – and demands a response that does too.
News: Bosai concept part and parcel of living with danger
By Japan Times Ltd., the on Sep 03, 2026 03:35 pm
Bosai is a Japanese concept that encompasses all stages of disaster management. In a country where natural hazards are a frequent threat, understanding bosai is one of the most practical ways for individuals to protect themselves and those around them.
News: Conspiracy theorists falsely blame HAARP for deadly Nepal-Tibet floods
By Agence France Presse on Sep 03, 2026 03:34 pm
Social media conspiracy theorists quickly pinned the blame on an Alaskan research project, claiming the deadly wall of water and debris was a “man-made disaster.” AFP has repeatedly debunked claims that the HAARP is to blame for extreme weather events.
News: Clear‑cut logging is making floods worse. But it’s not just about how many trees are cut
By Conversation Media Group, the on Sep 03, 2026 03:27 pm
For past 50 years in B.C., clear-cut logging has been the primary method of timber extraction. Floods are frequent and more expensive now, and unlike the storms that help trigger them, clear cutting and the associated cumulative impacts are manageable.
News: Satellite images before Nepal disaster showed warning signs
By Nature International journal of science on Sep 03, 2026 03:25 pm
A team analyzed radar data from European Space Agency’s Sentinel-1 satellites acquired between 8 January and 18 August. The last observation was only seven days before the disaster. Images revealed accelerated glacier-rock movement before the collapse.
News: Japan’s disaster responses can no longer be left to municipalities alone
By Mainichi Newspapers Co., Ltd., the – Mainichi Daily news, the on Sep 03, 2026 03:25 pm
Japan is facing growing disaster risks while population decline reduces local response capacity. Following failures in delivering relief supplies after Kumamoto earthquake, the article urges stronger public-private partnerships and national coordination.
News: Weak sea-surface temperature gradients may fuel stronger tropical cyclones
By Phys.org on Sep 03, 2026 03:24 pm
A study finds that weak sea-surface temperature gradients reduce ocean cooling beneath tropical cyclones, allowing storms to intensify. Researchers say incorporating these small-scale ocean features into forecasting models could improve cyclone warnings.
News: Pyrograzing turns ordinary livestock into fire prevention heroes, so why isn’t it used on public lands more often?
By Conversation Media Group, the on Sep 03, 2026 03:22 pm
In grasslands across the American West, four-legged fire prevention crews are busy at work, helping keep wildfire risk under control. These cattle, goats and sheep stomp down tall grasses as they munch their way through plants that could otherwise burn.
News: Rare train of Pacific cyclones fueled by historic El Niño
By PhysOrg, Omicron Technology Ltd on Sep 03, 2026 03:05 pm
Two powerful hurricanes and a strengthening tropical storm on Wednesday were churning through the Pacific Ocean, where waters were being warmed by a historically strong El Niño climate episode.
News: Nepal flood disaster exposes cascading threats in Himalayas
By Science and Development Network on Sep 03, 2026 12:01 pm
The disaster illustrates a growing problem across the Hindu Kush Himalaya: hazards that once might have been assessed separately—glacier collapse, landslides, avalanches, river blockages, floods and even earthquakes—can interact within minutes or hour
News: What will the future of Alaskan wildfire look like?
By Eos – AGU on Sep 03, 2026 11:48 am
More and larger fires, including in areas of historically low fire activity, are likely but not a given.
News: Blind spots at Antarctic Coasts limit sea level projections
By Informatonsdienst Wissenschaft on Sep 03, 2026 11:42 am
A new, international scientific review warns that major gaps in knowledge along Antarctica’s coasts – where the ice sheet and the Southern Ocean interact – are now one of the biggest obstacles to reliably projecting future global sea level rise
News: El Niño set to become very strong, raising risks of extreme weather into 2027
By World Meteorological Organization (WMO) on Sep 03, 2026 10:41 am
The latest seasonal forecasts from WMO Global Producing Centres indicate an exceptionally high likelihood (nearly 100% probability) that El Niño will persist through September–November 2026 and December 2026–February 2027.
News: Urban heat exposure differs among demographics
By Karlsruhe Institute of Technology on Sep 03, 2026 10:15 am
Study reveals correlation between heat and demographic structure, with air and land surface temperature showing different patterns in Germany.
News: Kaikōura erosion monitoring holds answers for world’s rock coastlines
By University of Otago on Sep 02, 2026 05:24 pm
Erosion rates on parts of the Kaikōura Peninsula more than doubled after the 2016 earthquake, showing major quakes can “rapidly alter” the way coastlines evolve, an Otago researcher says.
News: Next-gen sensors: Catching water pollution in real time
By SINTEF on Sep 02, 2026 05:14 pm
Currently, water samples must be transported to a laboratory to reveal pollution. But new sensor technology is enabling researchers to measure pesticides in the water on site – and get the results right away.
News: Despite losing everything, communities along the Nepal‑Tibet border are helping each other rebuild
By Conversation Media Group, the on Sep 02, 2026 05:14 pm
Along the Nepal-Tibet border, the long road to recovery has only just begun. Amidst profound grief and loss, local communities are already providing support to their most vulnerable. Governments and international organisations should follow their lead.
News: New underground map of the Los Angeles region tracks seismic shaking
By California Institute of Technology on Sep 02, 2026 05:12 pm
In computer simulations of The Big One—a large magnitude earthquake that may occur along the San Andreas Fault in California.
News: The greenest building is the one still standing after a disaster
By Conversation Media Group, the on Sep 02, 2026 04:07 pm
As storms happen more often and with more intensity, considering the full life cycle of a building and its costs over time becomes increasingly important to get an accurate picture of how sustainable that building really is.
News: Understanding earthquake risk perception
By University of California, Berkeley on Sep 02, 2026 03:58 pm
Virtual simulations spotlight the role human behavior plays in earthquake safety. UC Berkeley researchers are studying what happens in those critical moments and how fear and risk perception influence people’s actions.
DRR Community Voices: Why I asked ten resilience leaders to write about El Niño together
By Cedrick Moriggi on Sep 02, 2026 03:54 pm
This blog highlights a UNDRR CCRO Network advisory urging boards to treat the projected 2026-2027 El Niño as a strategic risk. It recommends assessing impacts on people, operations, supply chains and margins, and strengthening resilience planning.
News: UK and Ireland face greatest risk from rare tropical cyclones reaching Europe
By Phys.org on Sep 01, 2026 04:08 pm
The new results suggest that, particularly for the UK and Ireland, storms with unusual origins may deserve a place in assessments of future wind and rainfall risk—even if they remain far less common than the storms Europe experiences every winter.
News: The collapse of a mountainside triggered Nepal’s devastating floods. As the region’s mountains heat up, it won’t be the last
By Conversation Media Group, the on Sep 01, 2026 04:04 pm
This isn’t the first rock-ice avalanche in the Himalayas, but it is by far the most devastating. And, it is unlikely to be the last. Rising temperatures mean the permanently frozen slopes of mountains in the region may begin to melt and destabilise.
News: When ocean temperatures increase, so does child malnutrition on land
By Grist Magazine on Sep 01, 2026 02:27 pm
A team found that for every standard deviation increase marine heat wave occurrences in a 24-month period child mortality increases by 5.4 percent. Malnutrition related child wasting and child stunting also increased by 6.5 and 8.8 percent respectively.
News: Manhattan’s flood walls are almost done. What will Mamdani do next?
By Grist Magazine on Sep 01, 2026 02:25 pm
The new mayor wants to invest in coastal resilience, but he will have to decide which areas of the city to protect. New York City has more than 500 miles of coastline, no two miles of the waterfront are quite the same and are vulnerable in different ways.
News: In the American West, wildfire comes for the suburbs
By Grist Magazine on Sep 01, 2026 02:24 pm
Despite decades of warnings, neighborhoods in Reno and Spokane have sprawled ever closer to a hotter, drier wilderness. And in the summer, months of low humidity and hot weather prime the landscape to burn.
News: Human-driven fires have shaped the Amazonian forest for over 10,000 years
By EurekAlert on Sep 01, 2026 02:24 pm
New research is dismantling the long-standing myth of the “pristine” Amazon. A reconstruction of 10,000 years of Amazonian pyrogeography shows that fire in the rainforest is almost exclusively a human-driven phenomenon, not a natural one.
News: Opinion: Disaster misinformation raises stakes for Japan’s social media users
By Kyodo News on Sep 01, 2026 08:49 am
Social media can quickly convey conditions in disaster-hit areas, helping people confirm others’ safety, request rescues and share information such as shelter locations and needed supplies. But it can spread false information just as quickly.
News: Seven minutes to disaster: How climate change exposed a Himalayan blind spot
By ThinkChina on Sep 01, 2026 08:49 am
A glacier collapse near the China-Nepal border triggered a catastrophic mudslide in just seven minutes, exposing gaps in monitoring and early warning as climate change raises the risk of extreme Himalayan disasters.