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Research briefs

Keep up to date with the latest research on disaster risk and resilience on the PreventionWeb knowledge base.

Explore cutting-edge research on disaster risk reduction and resilience through PreventionWeb's dedicated research briefs section. Our platform curates and highlights the most recent academic studies, providing valuable insights into disaster risk management. Each research brief distills key findings from peer-reviewed journals and academic publications.

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These briefs are designed to keep you informed about the latest scientific advances. Links to the full publications are always included, ensuring easy access to in-depth knowledge. Please note that this section exclusively features academic research, distinct from reports by international organizations or Non-Governmental Organisations.

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A captivating view of Arctic icebergs floating in a frigid ocean under a winter sky.
Research briefs
Arctic: Winter sea ice loss may be underestimated

Future Arctic winter sea ice is likely to shrink by around one million square kilometres more than previously thought, after researchers used clues from a warm period 6,000 years ago to improve the reliability of climate models.

University of Cambridge
Cow on a farm in Australia.
Research briefs
South Africa: Drought forces livestock farmers to make tough decisions

Climate change threatens livestock and livelihoods in southern Africa, worsening inequality. Combining improved weather forecasts with targeted support can help vulnerable pastoralist communities adapt and reduce these impacts.

Conversation Media Group, the
Tsunami evacuation route sign at Cannon Beach, Oregon, guiding beachgoers to safety.
Research briefs
Chile: A low-cost tool to plan evacuation routes during a tsunami

In a new study published in Seismological Research Letters, researchers Alejandra Gubler and Matías Carvajal demonstrate that the safety of evacuation routes strongly depends on how soon after an earthquake people begin to evacuate.

Seismological Research Letters
Rain garden, Japan
Research briefs
Japan: Rain gardens balance urban stormwater management near Tokyo

Researchers compared rain barrels, rain gardens, and their combination to assess flood control, costs, and environmental benefits in residential areas.

Shibaura Institute of Technology (SIT)
Rising waters flood the highway outside Budapest's parliament in the aftermath of Storm 'Boris', 2024.
Research briefs
As flood risk rises, some communities question the idea of resilience

Resilience is often considered to be a positive idea. It suggests that people can adapt to uncertainty, to prepare for disruption, and recover quickly when floods strike. But research suggests many communities are deeply uncomfortable with this messaging.

Conversation Media Group, the
Drought in the Amazon River, a consequence of the lack of rainfall in the Amazon
Research briefs
Scientists find key to predicting some El Niño events 12 months ahead

Scientists have identified the conditions that make it possible to predict some El Niño and La Niña events up to a year in advance, potentially giving communities and decision-makers significantly more time to prepare for weather extremes.

University of Melbourne
Research briefs
Türkiye: Earthquake wall repairs depend on how they cracked

Earthquake-damaged masonry walls need repairs tailored to how they cracked. Walls may slide along joints, rock at the base or develop diagonal cracks, and repairs effective for one type of masonry or damage may not work for another.

Istanbul Technical University
Research briefs
Jamaica: Climate disasters trap nations in a “debt-doom loop”

In a Policy Article, authors use Jamaica’s experience with 2025’s Hurricane Melissa to reveal how extreme weather and disaster spending can trap climate-vulnerable countries in a cycle of recovery borrowing and underinvestment in future climate resilience

American Association for the Advancement of Science