Preparedness

Between 2010 and 2025 floods in Indonesia claimed more than 1,700 lives and caused an estimated USD 5.8 billion in losses. ADB-backed forecasting systems now warn communities up to nine hours ahead, alongside livelihood support for affected households.

Experts say that without major upgrades to flood defenses, the city will fall deeper into an annual pattern of chaos and paralysis as climate change takes hold.

In the aftermath of a disaster, affected areas are trapped in a severe information vacuum. When roads are damaged and communications fail, entering the disaster zone and conducting onsite surveys doesn't give an tell what help is necessary and where.

This paper reviews 35 studies on public interpretations of institutional presence in flood-prone areas, finding that perceptions of risk, trust, and preparedness are shaped by how communities experience flood management and governance visibility.

This survey assesses disaster preparedness among Houston-area households, finding most residents feel somewhat prepared but with disparities by income and location. Insights aim to guide leaders in addressing gaps and promoting equitable resilience.

A roving crew installs cameras on California’s highest, craggiest ridgelines to catch wildfires early. Since 2023 artificial intelligence has scanned the network’s footage, and it now spots 51 per cent of the state’s wildfires first.

A survey by IRES for the Romanian insurers’ association UNSAR finds that 88 per cent of Romanians say they know how to react in an earthquake, but only 44 per cent have agreed a family plan and 40 per cent keep a first-aid kit.

The Indonesian government is working with Japan to broadcast earthquake early warnings through mosque loudspeakers, with trials planned in Jakarta and other regions by 2030 before nationwide rollout.

Federal agencies in the United States already use drones to map wildfires and detect hotspots. The Forest Service is now testing ground robots, and researchers are training machine-learning models on drone imagery to predict how fast a fire will spread.

WMO’s Global Seasonal Climate Update forecasts the Niño 3.4 anomaly reaching about +3.7°C in October–December, the highest since observations began, with a near-100 per cent likelihood that El Niño persists through February 2027.

Firefighter and researcher Marc Castellnou sends weather balloons into towering wildfire plumes to measure temperature, wind and humidity, opening a new way to anticipate when a fire turns extreme – and why some keep burning fiercely at night.

Municipalities can prevent system failures through redundancy – intentional duplication of critical functions that increases reliability – and keep mission-critical communications functioning so public safety professionals can serve the community.

This free online game, inspired by the book "Tout peut changer en une minute", teaches the right reflexes before, during and after a disaster or emergency. Players face concrete situations and receive an immediate explanation of the right action.

On International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction, SRSG Kamal Kishore reflects on how everyday decisions about our homes shape disaster risk, how public policy can expand people’s capacity to act, and why recovery works best when households shape it.

When policy, finance and implementation work together to protect where people live, resilience takes root – strengthening communities today and expanding opportunity for generations to come.

When disasters are imminent, timely warnings can be the difference between life and death. However, warnings are only effective when they are received, understood, and acted on.

This Disaster Management Reference Handbook provides a comprehensive overview of Tonga’s disaster risk environment, institutional structures, and operational mechanisms.

This study examines how Canadian emergency management organizations conceptualize and implement accessible risk communication

When confronted by disaster, home is the first thing we fight to protect, and the first line of defence too. Resilience is innovated at the household level – through smarter design, better data and nature being put to work. 🌿

Playful preparedness uses games, improvisation and creative activities to help communities anticipate disasters, build practical skills and imagine more inclusive, resilient ways of responding to future crises.

This report identifies 12 priority capabilities and 12 emerging technologies to strengthen EU disaster and infrastructure resilience towards 2040, using a strategic foresight process combining literature review, horizon scanning and expert consultation.

This report analyzes the 2026 flash flood in Nepal, finding a massive rock-ice avalanche—not rainfall—triggered the disaster. It advocates multi-hazard monitoring, early warning systems, and transboundary risk management to build Himalayan resilience.

When disasters strike in Guinea-Bissau, their effects can linger long after the immediate danger has passed. How quickly the government responds can shape how well lives are protected and how soon services, livelihoods, and communities recover.

This study provides guidance for public health authorities and event organizers to prevent and manage heat-related illness at mass gatherings, offering risk assessment tools and practical measures for safer, climate-resilient events in diverse contexts.

The application, named “Abhawa”, is designed to provide the public with easier access to official weather information and forecasts.

This study examines how cities across the Arizona urban corridor incorporate heat resilience into their networks of plans, using an integrated assessment approach. The researchers applied three complementary plan evaluation methods.

This paper analyses London’s Cool Spaces scheme, finding a misalignment between policy intentions and real-world use, with depoliticisation and structural vulnerabilities undermining its effectiveness as a long-term urban heat resilience strategy.

This case study examines the current status of Nepal’s heat early warning system (HEWS), focusing on risk knowledge, monitoring, warning dissemination, and preparedness

This case study examines the current status of Bangladesh’s heat early warning system, outlining how heat risk is understood, monitored, and communicated, and how warnings prompt actions across institutions.

The Global Heat Health Information Network (GHHIN) experts have identified ten key trends influencing heat action, driving the focus and prioritizing action for the Network and its numerous global, regional and national partners.

Youth innovators in Bangladesh developed an AI-driven tool using a RAG framework to translate real-time weather forecasts into localized, Bangla-language, impact-based guidelines to support early action in coastal Bangladesh.

El Niño conditions have been observed in the tropical Pacific since June 2026, with forecasts indicating further strengthening through the end of 2026 and into early 2027, potentially making it one of the most intense events in decades.

FOI request shows wildfire risk scheme scrapped, as survey highlights many fire services lack proper protective gear.

With forecasts indicating a high risk of El Niño-related impacts across southern Africa, World Vision Malawi implements anticipatory actions to maintain people’s food security, protect their livelihoods, and support water, sanitation and hygiene measures.