Global Climate Disasters Update: Early Warnings, Heat Risks, and Resilient Infrastructure | Feb 10, 2026

In the 02/10/2026 edition:

 

News: Why do disasters still happen, despite early warnings? Because systems are built to wait for certainty

By Conversation Media Group, the on Feb 09, 2026 04:18 pm
After major disasters, public debate often treats them as unexpected or unprecedented. This reaction is not necessarily about the absence of warnings. It reflects how societies process shock – and how authorities often explain disruption as unavoidable.

 

News: Rebuilding after a disaster is a long road. Lismore’s businesses offer hope for others

By Conversation Media Group, the on Feb 09, 2026 04:03 pm
Lismore businesses hit by the 2022 floods are rebuilding with practical resilience measures, from flood‑ready materials to improved evacuation plans, while urging government support for stronger infrastructure, especially reliable power.

 

News: IOC open to earlier dates for future Winter Olympics and Paralympics because of warmer temperatures

By Yale Climate Connections on Feb 09, 2026 03:52 pm
Climate change is making it challenging to identify future host cities.

 

News: New Zealand: Landslides are the deadliest natural hazard. Why does it still tolerate the risk?

By Conversation Media Group, the on Feb 09, 2026 03:33 pm
The recent deaths of eight people in two New Zealand landslides has left the public searching for answers. Some questions will be technical, about what failed and why.

 

News: Mozambique floods: why the most vulnerable keep paying the highest price

By Conversation Media Group, the on Feb 09, 2026 03:17 pm
A new paper, Evolution of multidimensional poverty in crisis-ridden Mozambique, shows that progress in addressing multidimensional poverty stalled after 2015.

 

News: Could ionospheric disturbances influence earthquakes?

By Kyoto University 京都大学 on Feb 09, 2026 11:19 am
Researchers at Kyoto University have proposed a new physical model that explores how disturbances in the ionosphere may exert electrostatic forces within the Earth’s crust and potentially contribute to the initiation of large earthquakes.

 

News: Why infrastructure must shift from disaster recovery to resilience in a high-risk world

By Asian Development Bank (ADB) on Feb 09, 2026 11:13 am
Multilateral development banks (MDBs) can help countries integrate climate risk systematically into infrastructure policy, financing, and asset management by strengthening institutions and supporting policy reforms.

 

News: These US states want polluters to pay for the rising insurance costs of climate disasters

By Guardian, the (UK) on Feb 09, 2026 10:59 am
Proposals by California, Hawaii and New York lawmakers aim to hold fossil fuel industry accountable for soaring rates.

 

News: 2023–2024 El Niño triggered record-breaking sea level spike along African coastlines, study finds

By PhysOrg, Omicron Technology Ltd on Feb 09, 2026 10:54 am
Africa’s coastlines are under growing threat as sea levels climb faster than ever, driven by decades of global warming caused by human activity, natural climate cycles, and warming ocean waters.

 

DRR Community Voices: Can risk be managed without measuring it?

By Ilan Kelman on Feb 06, 2026 11:06 pm
Many risks require measurement for management. Just not all of them.

 

News: Football in sun and without shadow: how extreme heat puts tomorrow’s stars at risk

By Dialogue Earth on Feb 06, 2026 10:39 pm
Extreme heat driven by climate change is increasingly endangering children and youth playing football across the Americas, prompting calls for safety protocols, infrastructure changes, and heat-adaptation measures.

 

News: How technology is helping communities across the globe adapt to climate change

By United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) on Feb 06, 2026 06:23 pm
Climate technology is central to adaptation – allowing communities to, for example, predict and prepare for floods and droughts. A UN-led initiative is showing how much of a difference this can make to people’s lives.

 

News: Climate news is written in a language most people can’t understand

By Grist Magazine on Feb 06, 2026 06:06 pm
A new report argues that English-only climate science and disaster alerts are excluding most of the world, and putting Indigenous communities at greater risk.

 

News: A new and better way to keep tabs on El Niño and La Niña

By Yale Climate Connections on Feb 06, 2026 05:56 pm
Developed in response to a warming world, NOAA’s revised scale more precisely identifies which episodes are likely to have the biggest impacts.

 

News: Researchers use AI tools to model, improve wildfire evacuation

By Johns Hopkins University on Feb 06, 2026 05:25 pm
Scientists at Johns Hopkins and the University of Florida simulate and predict human behavior during wildfire evacuation, allowing for improved planning and safety measures.

 

News: How climate change could trap workers in agriculture

By VoxDev/ CEPR on Feb 06, 2026 03:11 pm
Climate change is slowing the move out of farming in low‑income countries, trapping workers in a sector hit hard by warming. High trade costs and low productivity worsen impacts, while better trade access and farm innovation can ease them.

 

News: Successful CREWS project improves meteorological service delivery in Guinea

By World Meteorological Organization (WMO) on Feb 06, 2026 01:21 pm
A one‑year project kept Guinea’s meteorological services running after the 2023 explosion, providing temporary facilities, restoring systems, and strengthening legal and institutional framework to support major future investments.

 

News: Disaster can sway votes but won’t deliver climate action, study shows

By University of New South Wales on Feb 06, 2026 12:26 pm
Research shows weather disasters can briefly shift Australians’ beliefs and votes on climate – but longer-term unusual weather doesn’t alter attitudes or actions.

 

News: Project aims to improve multilingual emergency alerting in Colorado

By University of Colorado Boulder on Feb 06, 2026 12:17 pm
A team of researchers at CU Boulder’s Natural Hazards Center has been working to understand how alerts can become more inclusive in Colorado. The group launched a project to further address such shortfalls.

 

News: How Israeli technology could help solve Iran’s water crisis

By Atlantic Council on Feb 06, 2026 12:07 pm
Through innovations in drip irrigation, wastewater recycling, desalination, and integrated water management, Israel has achieved water security under harsher natural constraints than Iran faces today.

 

News: Air conditioning in nursing homes linked with fewer deaths from extreme heat, Ontario study finds

By University of Toronto on Feb 06, 2026 12:04 pm
Once considered a luxury, air conditioning has become an essential safeguard for nursing home residents. A Ontario-based study published in JAMA Internal Medicine underscores the heightened mortality risk associated with extreme heat in nursing homes.

 

News: Pacific Prepared Podcast: Nauru journalist and mother of two says “I feel worried about the future” for her country due to increasing disasters

By ABC News on Feb 06, 2026 11:57 am
A Nauruan journalist explains life with a water shortage and the challenges that come with that on a professional and personal level.

 

News: In graphs: How extreme heat will affect urban health

By United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) on Feb 06, 2026 11:42 am
Rising temperatures are already impacting millions of city dwellers. What is happening and what might be done about it?

 

News: Governments urged to fix ‘faulty radar’ in economic climate models

By University of Exeter on Feb 06, 2026 03:22 am
Economic models used by governments, central banks and investors are increasingly understating physical climate risk because they rely on assumptions that break down as the world moves toward higher levels of warming, according to a new report.

 

News: Study ties particle pollution from wildfire smoke to 24,100 US deaths per year

By Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology on Feb 06, 2026 02:51 am
The paper, published Wednesday in the journal Science Advances, found that from 2006 to 2020, long-term exposure to tiny particulates from wildfire smoke contributed to an average of 24,100 deaths a year in the lower 48 states.

 

News: ZCRA framework helps Mexican Red Cross strengthen communities’ climate resilience

By International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) on Feb 06, 2026 02:26 am
In recent months, the Mexican Red Cross has used the Climate Resilience Measurement for Communities (CRMC) framework of the Zurich Climate Resilience Alliance to guide a holistic and participatory process.

 

News: GIR 2025 working paper: Technologies

By Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) on Feb 06, 2026 02:05 am
This GIR 2025 Working Paper explores how technology can transform infrastructure resilience across the disaster cycle.

 

News: Europe’s digital Earth gets ready to grow user community

By European Space Agency on Feb 06, 2026 01:54 am
Destination Earth (DestinE), a flagship initiative funded by the European Commission, to develop a highly accurate digital replica of Earth’s systems, is preparing to extend its rollout, so more people across Europe are able to access its data.

 

News: Explainer: Climate change and transportation

By Climate Central on Feb 06, 2026 01:40 am
Adaptation efforts will not eliminate climate change impacts on transportation systems, and they can be expensive to implement. But inaction may be even more expensive.

 

News: INFLOW project for Nile basin sets sights on consolidating impacts this year

By Red Cross / Red Crescent Climate Centre on Feb 06, 2026 01:26 am
Researchers and partners from the INFLOW project met in Nairobi earlier this month focused on translating research findings into operational flood-forecasting and early action in the White Nile basin in South Sudan (pictured) and Uganda.

 

News: From coverage to protection: Putting a risk diagnostic to work in The Gambia

By Centre for Disaster Protection on Feb 06, 2026 12:47 am
Over the past decade, the Gambian government has taken important steps to prepare financially for shocks, including becoming one of the first countries to join the African Risk Capacity (ARC) and one of the few that have consistently purchased insurance.

 

News: Study identifies warning signs for extreme flash flooding

By Met Office on Feb 05, 2026 04:18 pm
The research helps explain some of the world’s most dangerous flash-flood events and may aid future improvements in identifying risk. It offers forecasters new insights and could in the future help communities mitigate against extreme weather events.

 

News: Fifty years after the 1976 earthquake: Honoring Guatemala’s strength, diversity, and the future we choose together

By Connecting Business initiative on Feb 05, 2026 04:04 pm
Today, as Guatemala reflects on the 50th anniversary of that defining moment, we honor not only the memory of those affected but the enduring spirit of a country that is beautiful, megadiverse, and full of life.

 

News: Nature-based solutions in the Pacific risk leaving women behind

By Development Policy Centre on Feb 05, 2026 04:01 pm
Women, who often bear the greatest burdens and responsibilities around climate change, risk being sidelined by the NbS agenda.

 

News: City skylines need an upgrade in the face of climate stress

By Conversation Media Group, the on Feb 05, 2026 03:57 pm
This article argues that city skylines must evolve to survive climate change. It highlights the need for sustainable architecture and resilient infrastructure to protect urban centers against extreme weather and rising temperatures.

 

News: Why Patagonia burns every summer: climate change, shifting fire regimes, and policy failures

By Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists on Feb 05, 2026 03:47 pm
Patagonia’s 2025–2026 fire season will likely be one of the most severe in recent decades, and the crisis is not an isolated phenomenon.

 

News: Financing Brazil’s resilient future: Preparing public budgets for a new era of climate disasters

By World Bank, the on Feb 05, 2026 12:55 pm
Brazil must modernize its public budgeting for climate-related disasters by adopting proactive disaster risk finance strategies, shifting from reactive emergency spending to planned financial tools like reserves, contingent credit, and insurance.

 

News: How prepared is India to protect both its economy and its people from disasters caused by natural hazards?

By Social Policy Research Foundation (SPRF) on Feb 05, 2026 03:50 am
Recent disasters raise an urgent question: how prepared is India to protect both its economy and its people from disasters caused by natural hazards?

 

News: Why probability is the key to future weather forecasts

By Met Office on Feb 05, 2026 03:06 am
Probability-based forecasts can better inform weather-based decision-making, according to new Met Office research.

 

News: Avalanche winter 1951: impetus for hazard maps

By WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF on Feb 04, 2026 10:40 pm
After the avalanche winter of 1950/51, SLF researchers developed a system for mapping areas at risk from avalanches. The resulting colour scale for danger zones still forms the basis of the hazard maps produced today.

 

News: Building resilience from the ground up: Risk-informed planning in Congo and Burundi

By Global Center on Adaptation on Feb 04, 2026 06:54 pm
Recognising the value of local knowledge, the Global Center on Adaptation (GCA), in partnership with the World Bank, engaged JBA Global Resilience to deliver a risk-informed planning assignment to support climate-resilient neighbourhood development.

 

News: Overheated and underprepared: European survey finds citizens concerned about heat and ability to cope with climate change

By European Environment Agency on Feb 04, 2026 06:17 pm
Europeans are very concerned about extreme heat and other impacts of climate change like wildfires according to the results of a Europe-wide survey.

 

News: Avoidable Deaths Network’s Winter – Spring 2026 bulletin

By Avoidable Deaths Network on Feb 04, 2026 06:06 pm
The Avoidable Deaths Network (ADN) is pleased to announce the upcoming events, which will be held in different countries, across the globe and through the Winter-Spring season.

 

News: Expert Q&A: How can the US avoid power outages during winter storms?

By World Resources Institute on Feb 04, 2026 01:18 pm
The United States faces a pressing energy challenge: how to ensure people have reliable and affordable electricity when deadly storms hit.

 

News: Building energy resilience by understanding nuances of power outages across the US

By University of Connecticut on Feb 04, 2026 01:07 pm
UConn research gives insights into regional weather differences that complicate grid resilience.

 

News: Tsunamis from the sky

By Eos – AGU on Feb 04, 2026 12:15 pm
A Q&A with the authors of a Reviews of Geophysics study that examines meteotsunamis, their data, research tools, coastal impacts, how scientists investigate them, and the key unanswered questions that still drive this field.

 

News: Heatwaves cost billions: how we can better prepare

By Natural Hazards Research Australia on Feb 04, 2026 12:00 pm
Heatwaves are becoming increasingly frequent, deadly, and costly in Australia, making improved preparedness at household, community, and policy levels an urgent necessity.

 

News: From space to resilience: breakthrough in lightning monitoring with AI and satellite images

By Centro Euro-Mediterraneo sui Cambiamenti Climatici (CMCC) on Feb 04, 2026 12:00 pm
Research demonstrates how deep learning applied to satellite data can significantly improve the detection of lightning and convective storms.

 

News: From reactive to resilient: How Steamatic, a Barbados-based company, strengthened business continuity with UNDRR support

By United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) on Feb 03, 2026 06:17 pm
Barbados-based company Steamatic ran on experience, commitment and ingenuity, but lacked a formal business continuity plan in the face of disasters – until joining the UNDRR–BCCI project to strengthen disaster resilience for SMEs.

 

News: EU Mission on Adaptation launches new portal to support a climate-resilient Europe

By European Commission on Feb 03, 2026 06:03 pm
The EU Mission on Adaptation to Climate Change has launched a new Mission portal, providing a rich source of information and practical tools for regions, local authorities and communities to understand climate risks.

 

News: Panic buying ahead of the winter storm isn’t preparedness. Here’s who it hurts.

By Grist Magazine on Feb 03, 2026 05:39 pm
Panic buying has a direct impact and an indirect impact for families that are in households that are experiencing food insecurity.

 

News: Strengthening early warning communication systems across the Caribbean

By World Meteorological Organization (WMO) on Feb 03, 2026 04:42 pm
A strong communication system is a crucial part of early warning and disaster preparedness.

 

News: The hidden role of the built environment in campus disaster preparedness

By PhysOrg, Omicron Technology Ltd on Feb 03, 2026 04:40 pm
Preparedness is constrained—and sometimes enabled—by buildings , housing types, infrastructure, and space. In other words, preparedness is not just something people decide to do. It is something their environments allow them to do.

 

News: Resilience bonds could serve as an insurance solution to address climate change risks

By Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology on Feb 03, 2026 04:32 pm
Researchers have identified two urgent challenges the United States faces in adapting to climate change: a potential disaster insurance crisis and the lack of comprehensive relocation policies for communities facing chronic flooding.

 

News: Researchers warn that beloved islands are at risk of completely vanishing: ‘Substantial impact’

By The Cool Down on Feb 03, 2026 04:27 pm
In a study published in Nature Communications, a team of researchers found that Europe’s Outermost Regions and Overseas Countries and Territories could face the most danger from future sea-level rise.

 

News: Wise use, shared future: Strengthening Caribbean wetlands for climate resilience

By International Union for the Conservation of Nature on Feb 03, 2026 04:13 pm
In the face of growing climate change–related threats and increasing pressures from human activities, the regional Wise Use of Caribbean Wetlands project is supporting government and civil society to strengthen the management and monitoring of wetlands.

 

News: Aussie bushfire prevention tech goes global

By Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) on Feb 03, 2026 03:51 pm
A powerline fault detection system invented at RMIT is being rolled out globally thanks to AUD $50 million in new funding.

 

News: What one year of Trump’s climate censorship reveals

By Context on Feb 03, 2026 03:27 pm
The US administration has methodically removed references to climate change and environmental justice from government resources and even blocked or deleted access to longstanding data and information that might contradict or undermine his agenda.

 

News: In a warming Arctic, Norwegian Red Cross ’snow-how’ helps communities prepare for emergencies

By Red Cross / Red Crescent Climate Centre on Feb 03, 2026 03:20 pm
Long distances, harsh weather year-round, and limited resources – this is the reality for Norwegian Red Cross volunteers in the Arctic.

 

News: Hunting for historical Adriatic meteotsunamis

By European Geosciences Union on Feb 03, 2026 03:12 pm
Before modern instruments, our only clues about past sea events came from written records and folklore. Along the eastern Adriatic coast, stories of sudden floods and “tidal waves” (locally called šćiga) have been passed down for generations.