Early warning

With its solid experience in the field of DRR, from earthquake research to flood early warning systems, Japan stands to further strengthen its relationship with UNESCO, said Mr Sumio Mabuchi, Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, at a meeting with UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova this week...

Africa has struggled to make accurate and detailed predictions of the impact of climate change on its countries, but a recent experiment, CORDEX, which began earlier in 2010, will see the continent take a 'quantum leap' in climate change projection, says Bruce Hewitson, the project’s Africa coordinator...

Recent disasters - including a deadly tsunami and volcano eruption - underscore the need for Indonesians to be better prepared for disaster emergencies, experts say. Despite drills, media campaigns and policy 'it seems people begin to think about preparing only after a disaster strikes. Prevention is still taking a back seat'...

As central Vietnam continues to be battered by flooding that has killed at least 66 and affected half a million people since 2 October 2010, IRIN asked three experts to assess the country’s level of preparedness for flooding that typically occurs from August to November...

'We will continue to reduce flood risk by investing in defence schemes, but it is essential that people are also better prepared, by setting up groups, signing up to our flood warning service and rebuilding damaged properties to make them more flood-proof' said Paul Leinster, Environment Agency chief executive, in a report by The Guardian...

Project scientist Suzanne Rosier reports on the world's biggest climate forecasting project which is inviting internet users worldwide to join its latest experiment weatherathome...

'If natural disasters are to a large extent unpredictable, the effects of such disasters can be anticipated' writes Teddy Lesmana, researcher at the Center for Economic Studies at the Indonesian Institute of Sciences, proposing ways Indonesia could reduce the number of victims from natural hazards...

Heavy rain flooded most of Thailand this past month, affected nine million people in 51 of the country’s 75 provinces, and underscored the country’s need for better community disaster preparedness, government officials say...