Science and technology

While virus microbes can spread further and faster than ever, pharmaceutical companies are unwilling to invest in pandemic prevention because procedures to develop vaccines are long and costly. The Future Vaccine Manufacturing Hub is finding a new model involving localised ‘pop-up’ factories that can get large supplies of vaccines to people within weeks.

Caribbean farmers recently toured Japan with the hope of viewing transferable technologies, including permaculture and vertical farming technologies. Participants felt that these technologies could potentially strengthen climate resilience, particularly given the frequency of hurricanes, floods and drought.

China has started an ambitious seismic prediction pilot program to create a national earthquake warning network. The project involves a huge web of interconnected sensors that will allow scientists to monitor, in real-time, tectonic activity taking place between eight and 20 kilometers underground.

How risk data informs resilience investments and drives decision-making will be the focus of the Understand Risk Forum. The event will bring together the global community of disaster risk management experts and practitioners highlight best practices, facilitate nontraditional partnerships, and showcase the latest technical knowledge in disaster risk identification.

A Pacific Climate Change Centre will be established in Samoa at the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP). The Centre will be a hub for inclusive coordination to support climate resilient development and responses to climate change, and will host climate change experts, researchers and officials for research, training and policy initiatives.

The Aid & International Development Forum welcomes nominations for the Asia Innovator of the Year Award. The prize celebrates individuals and teams who have developed initiatives, research, or inventions impacting humanitarian aid and development sectors in Asia over the past year, and helping Asia reach its Sustainable Development Goals.

While Small Island Developing States are some of the world’s most vulnerable countries to disasters and climate change, they are also ideal for piloting comprehensive analytical tools and innovative methodologies that help us understand climate and disaster risks and design resilience strategies.

The use of average temperatures provides numerous insights into our climate system. But heating and cooling degree-days can help glean additional information from temperature and how it impacts our world, including energy usage and agriculture. Using them together can improve understanding of the connection between weather, climate and their impact on society.