‘Godfathers of climate chaos’: UN chief urges global fossil-fuel advertising ban

In a major speech in New York on Wednesday, António Guterres called on news and tech media to stop enabling “planetary destruction” by taking fossil-fuel advertising money while warning the world faces “climate crunch time” in its faltering attempts to stem the crisis. In his speech, Guterres announced new data from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) showing there is an 80% chance the planet will breach 1.5C (2.7F) in warming above pre-industrial times in at least one of the next five calendar years.

Building resilience through infrastructure investments

The Climate Investment Funds’ resilience programming helped build or rehabilitate more than 12,000 units of small-scale infrastructure and almost 3,000 km of roads. A new Results Deep Dive publication looks into what was delivered in 15 countries.

Evolving multi-hazard paradigms in a nutshell

Understanding multi-hazard approaches is crucial in an era of escalating natural hazards leading to disastrous impacts on Earth’s citizens. Triggered by the increasing frequency and severity of these events, this brief post provides a concise yet comprehensive overview of evolving paradigms in multi-hazard research and management.

How Miami-Dade County is protecting public housing residents from dangerous heat waves

The federal government requires all public housing to be heated to keep residents warm, but it does not require cooling. So during heat waves, people may be at risk of heat stroke and other heat-related illnesses, especially as the climate warms. So Miami-Dade County has taken action on its own.

From Panama to Suez and the Turkish Straits: The cost of climate change for international trade

A new study led by the CMCC also highlights the possible effects on production and prices of agricultural commodities. Global trade relies on maritime routes, which pass through key chokepoints, for smooth and timely shipments. Analysing how climate change will impact these key areas for global trade, and hence both national and global economies, is an area of concern when assessing the adaptation measures, particularly in the context of the unequal distribution of climate change impacts on agriculture.

Ocean warming triggers Indo-Pacific heatwaves.

An intense heatwave gripping South and South-East Asia since late March comes as no surprise to leading meteorologists who have been warning of steadily rising temperatures in the Indian Ocean. Temperatures in the Philippines and Thailand have topped 50C this month, while Bangladesh has recorded almost 30 days of heatwaves. Scientists say the heatwaves are directly linked to climate change and ocean warming, which are likely to bring even more intense weather events such as cyclones.

UN-Water, Partners Estimate Water Requirements of Climate Mitigation

The International Universities Climate Alliance (IUCA) and the UN-Water Expert Group on Water and Climate Change have published a study estimating water requirements of climate change mitigation measures. The report identifies trends related to the water intensity of mitigation and adaptation options considered by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), and recommends countries take these into account in their climate policies.

Advancing scenario practice to build resilience to geologic hazards

Based on research of past scenario efforts as well as emerging approaches, this guidance is designed to help practitioners develop “next generation” scenarios that motivate policy development and action to mitigate risk. It provides a resource for co-production and use of scenarios for geologic hazards—earthquakes, landslides, and volcanoes—particularly in low-resource international contexts.

UNDRR Annual Report 2023

In 2023, UNDRR crossed the halfway point of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction. This milestone was marked by a renewed global determination to accelerate progress in the remaining years to 2030, as was expressed in the UN General Assembly’s political declaration on the Sendai Framework’s midterm review.

Responding to climate change impacts on human health in Europe: focus on floods, droughts and water quality.

This report aims to raise awareness about the range of risks to human health associated with changes in water quantity and quality under the changing climate. It assesses our preparedness for ongoing and future impacts by examining the current policy landscape in Europe. At the same time, it seeks to inspire action by showing examples of practical measures implemented across various sectors and on various scales in the EEA member and collaborating countries.

Plastic pollution and disaster risk reduction

This paper highlights the interlinkages between the downstream stage of the plastic lifecycle and disaster risk, analysing: the impact of plastic pollution on ecosystem resilience; the impact of plastic pollution in accumulation zones; the increase in vulnerability due to plastic pollution; and the impact of disasters on plastic pollution.

SINGAPORE INTERNATIONAL WATER WEEK 2024

SB 60 Side Event: Loss and damage data to accelerate climate action

The proposed side event at the 60th session of the Subsidiary Bodies (SB 60) will explore the data and evidence requirements for effectively tracking slow and rapid onset hazards, the current state of data on losses and damages and explore opportunities to scale-up and demonstrate application at multiple levels.

Web talk on investing in disaster risk reduction with the topic of direct and indirect costs of disasters.

UNDRR invites you to its WebTalk on Investing in Disaster Risk Reduction with the topic of direct and indirect costs of disasters. UNDRR’s approach to DRR Finance includes five steps that provide a comprehensive overview of the national financial framework.

6th JRC Summer School on Sustainable Finance

the JRC Summer School on Sustainable Finance aims to bring together researchers, practitioners, and policymakers to discuss recent developments and innovations in the field of sustainable finance. By doing so, it exposes researchers to the most demanding issues faced by the industry and helps them produce policy-relevant research.

Fifth High-Level Session of Open Consultative Platform (OCP-HL-5)

The 5th High-Level Session of the WMO Open Consultative Platform (OCP-HL-5) will take place at Salle Obasi, the main conference room of the WMO building in Geneva, from 12:00-13:40 CEST on June 13, 2024. The theme of OCP-HL-5 will revolve around Public-Private Engagement for Sustainable Satellite Data Services.

How Insurers Game Out Disaster Risk and Drop Customers 

Rising losses from storms and hurricanes are prompting insurers to increase rates and curtail coverage. CSAA Insurance Group refused to renew its policy this year on the home that Ronnie de Supinski owns with her husband, Bronis, in Livermore, Calif. The reason given? Wildfire risk. The wildfire-risk score sent by CSAA? Zero.

How African cities can learn from each other about building climate resilience

More necessary than ever, communities must come closer together, share goals, knowledge, and ideas, and co-create innovative solutions to climate change. Here’s how some cities in Africa have responded to climate shocks and what others can learn from their experiences and better understand how to build a future of shared climate resilience and prosperity.

Hidden threat: Global underground infrastructure vulnerable to sea-level rise 

As sea levels rise, coastal groundwater is lifted closer to the ground surface while also becoming saltier and more corrosive. A recent study by earth scientists at the University of Hawai‘i (UH) at Mānoa compiled research from experts worldwide showing that in cities where there are complex networks of buried and partially buried infrastructure, interaction with this shallower and saltier groundwater exacerbates corrosion and failure of critical systems such as sewer lines, roadways, and building foundations.

USGS deploys “aftershock kits” to study Whitehouse Station earthquakes 

A U.S. Geological Survey team has begun a seismic sensor deployment to capture aftershock data following the 4.8 magnitude earthquake that rattled New Jersey April 5, 2024, and was felt for hundreds of miles. The team is deploying eight “aftershock kits” this week, which will gather information such as where aftershocks originate in the area, how long they last, and their magnitude, said Greg Tanner, a USGS electronics technician.

Côte d’Ivoire launches NAP communication strategy and digital campaign to engage youth in climate change adaptation 

Côte d’Ivoire is currently preparing to launch its first national NAP document, which is expected to be validated by the minister in the coming month. Recognizing that the country will not achieve its climate ambitions without bringing all actors and citizens into the NAP process, the Côte d’Ivoire government has worked in parallel on their first NAP communication strategy, published in April 2024. The main objective of the strategy is to inform and raise awareness of the NAP’s priorities among all stakeholders.

Lessons on resilience from a year of global earthquakes 

Rapid population growth in disaster-prone regions concentrates people where recovery after extreme events is costly. Thanks to Japan’s years of planning, preparations, and implementation of resilient building strategies, the country has become adept at mitigating the effects of significant earthquakes.

Study identifies increased threat to coastlines from concurrent heat waves and sea level rises 

Concurrent occurrences of heat waves and extreme short-term sea level rises at the same coastal locations significantly increased between 1998 and 2017 when compared to the preceding 20 years, reports a study published in Communications Earth & Environment. The study also suggests that these events may be five times more likely to occur between 2025 and 2049 under a modeled high emissions scenario.

A new paradigm in Climate Finance 

By embracing an equitable, empowering paradigm, this fund can deliver on international commitments and empower those most affected to forge climate-resilient futures.

The Frontline Scorecard: An Assessment Tool for Climate and Disaster Risk Management in Health Systems 

Health care systems are at the frontline of delivering critical care during emergencies, mitigating illnesses and deaths. Yet many countries struggle to meet even routine demands for health care. Climate change, disasters, pandemics, and demographic changes are bound to increase pressures on already strained health systems.

Spatiotemporal link between El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO), extreme heat, and thermal stress in the Asia–Pacific region 

This study evaluated the air temperature and Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI) trends between 1990 and 2019 and found significant increasing trends for air temperature for the whole region while the increases of UTCI are not as pronounced and mainly found in the northern part of the region. These results indicate that even though air temperature is increasing, the risks of heat stress when assessed using UTCI may be alleviated by other factors.

Australian Data Strategy 

The Digital Economy Strategy sets out the Government’s goal to position Australia as a leading digital economy and society by 2030 in order to create better jobs; improve transport, communication and innovation, and enable us to provide better services to all Australians from all walks of life. Data is the building block for this digital future, with 176 zettabytes of new data expected to be generated each year by 2025. Some Australian businesses already use data to create new value, streamline processes and optimise value chains.

Local governments climate finance instruments – Global experiences and prospects in developing countries. 

This report aims to contribute to discussions on increasing the access of local governments (LGs) and cities to climate finance and help LGs understand various financing instruments and sources available to them to meet climate investment needs. It organizes these instruments in a conceptual framework and provides information on each, along with case studies presenting international experiences with their use.

The risk of concurrent heatwaves and extreme sea levels along the global coastline is increasing. 

This study finds that 87.73% of coastlines experienced such concurrent extremes during 1979–2017. There is an average increase of 3.72 days in the occurrence during 1998–2017 compared to 1979–1998. Concurrent heatwaves and extreme sea levels could pose a serious threat to coastal communities under climate change; however, the spatiotemporal characteristics and dynamic evolution of them along global coastline remain poorly understood.

Integrating social vulnerability into high-resolution global flood risk mapping. 

The study aims to identify and characterize ‘hotspots’ of flood risk, accounting for spatial variation in social vulnerability, to provide improved insights into the geography of risk and enhance disaster risk planning and response efforts, particularly in lower income countries with limited data or capacity. Exposure to flooding is greatest in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), and this is expected to increase because of rapid demographic change.

Impact of climate change on the corrosion of the European reinforced concrete building stock. 

The study provides assessment of the penetration of climate change induced carbonation in the concrete cover of the existing buildings in the EU Member States. It estimates the time for on-set of corrosion due to depletion of the cover of the reinforcement, and evaluates the repair costs under the moderate emissions scenario RCP4.5, and under the extreme scenario RCP8.5.

The AI for Good Global Summit  

The AI for Good Global Summit is the leading action-oriented United Nations platform promoting AI to advance health, climate, gender, inclusive prosperity, sustainable infrastructure, and other global development priorities.

SIDS4 – Investing in Resilience – The Good Business Case for Disaster Risk Reduction in Small Island Developing States 

This event will delve into the vital role of disaster risk reduction in implementing the new programme of action for Small Island Developing States (SIDS), attracting both existing and new partners, and fostering a risk-informed and resilience-focused approach to investment in SIDS.

9th Multi-stakeholder Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation for the Sustainable Development Goals (STI Forum 2024) 

The ninth annual Multi-Stakeholder Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation for the SDGs (STI Forum) will be held from 9 to 10 May 2023. In line with recent mandates and as in previous years, the STI Forum will facilitate discussions on science, technology and innovation cooperation in support of the SDGs.

Finance Innovation Festival – Insurance and Investment Opportunities for Nature-Based Solutions 

The festival aims to bring together various communities involved in climate risk assessment, policy analysis, financial innovation, and advocacy for nature-based solutions.

The Central Asia Climate Change Conference 2024 

In 2024, the Central Asia Climate Change Conference (CACCC-2024) will delve into critical issues pertaining to water, energy, food security, and environmental sustainability within the context of a climate-affected Central Asia. Participants will be apprised of the progress made by Central Asian countries in climate mitigation and adaptation, including their reporting under the Enhanced Transparency Framework.

Dangerous humid heat in southern West Africa about 4°C hotter due to climate change 

The southern coastal zone of Western Africa – also called the Guinea zone – experienced abnormal early season heat in February 2024. A combination of high temperatures and relatively humid air resulted in area average Heat Index values of about 50°C, which is classified to be in the ‘danger’ level that is associated with a high risk of heat cramps and heat exhaustion.

The European Commission has laid out a comprehensive strategy to empower Member States in managing climate risks effectively.  
The Communication responds to the first ever European Climate Risk Assessment (EUCRA), a scientific report by the European Environment Agency. Together, they are a call to action for all levels of government, as well as the private sector and civil society. They set out clearly how all major sectors and policy areas are exposed to climate-related risks, how severe and urgent the risks are, and how important it is to have clarity on who has the responsibility to address the risks.

UNDRR-WMO Pushes Climate Information For Risk Management 

The UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) published a “Technical Guidance on Application of Climate Information for Comprehensive Risk Management” to provide the necessary know-how to develop and strengthen a policy basis for DRR and risk-informed development.

Cultivating change: Sri Lanka’s smallholder farmers explore climate-resilient solutions. 

On the north-central plains of Sri Lanka, in the small rural village in Galenbindunuwewa, a community of maize farmers are reshaping their farming practices to respond to the growing challenges posed by climate change.  They recently welcomed researchers from the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) and a delegation from the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food for Progress Program to share their experiences and aspirations, and to discuss climate-resilient solutions.

Commission sets out key steps for managing climate risks to protect people and prosperity 

The European Commission has today published a Communication on managing climate risks in Europe. It sets out how the EU and its Member States can better anticipate, understand, and address growing climate risks. It further presents how they can prepare and implement policies that save lives, cut costs, and protect prosperity across the EU.

Lessons on resilience from a year of global earthquakes 

Rapid population growth in disaster-prone regions concentrates people where recovery after extreme events is costly. Thanks to Japan’s years of planning, preparations, and implementation of resilient building strategies, the country has become adept at mitigating the effects of significant earthquakes.

Building Safer and More Resilient Schools in a Changing Climate 

Natural hazards, have a devastating effect on children’s education and lives in every corner of the globe. Through its Global Program for Safer Schools (GPSS), the World Bank works hand-in-hand with client countries to ensure the resilience of school infrastructure. This article looks at knowledge, financing, and grants from the World Bank can combine to create impact at scale, over the last 10 years, GPSS has made schools safer for 121 million students across 35 countries.

Connected urban green spaces for pluvial flood risk reduction in the Metropolitan area of Milan. 

This paper investigates the effects of nature-based solutions and green infrastructure networks on pluvial flood risk in the Milan metropolitan area in terms of direct economic damage to buildings and population exposed. Results show that extending the urban green networks by 25% can potentially halve the pluvial flood damages and reduce the population exposed by 40%.

MCR2030 Europe and Central Asia: Partners’ guide for local disaster risk reduction strategies and action plans 

This guide breaks down the MCR2030 offer for local authority members of the MCR2030 network and provides guidance on how to approach the development and implementation of comprehensive and integrated local disaster risk reduction strategies and plans that are aligned with national and regional strategies and plans.

Global multi-hazard risk assessment in a changing climate 

Natural hazards pose significant risks to people and assets in many regions of the world. Quantifying associated risks is crucial for many applications such as adaptation option appraisal and insurance pricing. However, traditional risk assessment approaches have focused on the impacts of single hazards, ignoring the effects of multi-hazard risks and potentially leading to underestimations or overestimations of risk.

Impacts of climate framework laws: lessons from Germany, Ireland and New Zealand

This report and accompanying technical annex analyse the impact of climate framework laws in three countries, Germany, Ireland and New Zealand, based on evidence from 73 expert interviews and desk research. The report covers impacts on climate governance; political debate; climate policies; citizens and stakeholders; and society and climate.

Disaster risk management, climate change adaptation and the role of spatial and urban planning: evidence from European case studies 

This paper advances knowledge and understanding of the relationships between risk management, climate change adaptation and spatial planning as good territorial governance practices. The aim is to present evidence on how risks and their management are progressively being integrated into national planning systems in order to reduce territorial vulnerability and costs related to natural events in the European context.

Global Water Summit, 15-17 April 2024 

As we cross the 1.5°C limit, weather events are going to become yet more extreme. In a changing planet, the costs of achieving water security are huge, but the costs of failure are greater still. The critical conversations about how to engage capital markets in this challenge begin at GWS 2024.

‘Innovating Smart Cities Resilience through Research and Best Practices 

This event will look at how research contributes to bolstering security, technology, and urban planning in improving the resilience of Smart Cities. It will discuss how to integrate security by design principles into spatial development, while fostering collaborative efforts across sectors, for instance by empowering communities as active stakeholders in resilience-building endeavours.

EGU  

The EGU General Assembly 2024 brings together geoscientists from all over the world to one meeting covering all disciplines of the Earth, planetary, and space sciences. The EGU aims to provide a forum where scientists, especially early career researchers, can present their work and discuss their ideas with experts in all fields of geoscience.

International Multi-Risk Seminar  

The central goal of the International Multi-risk Seminar is to advance the conceptual and methodological debate on how to evaluate and manage contexts where multiple risks overlap and result in other forms

Introduction to Flood Early Warning Systems (EWS-F) and Flash Flood Guidance System (FFGS) in Central America and the Caribbean Meeting 

Aims to outline the project’s activities and highlight potential initiatives that, upon member agreement, will be launched to support the Early Warnings for All (EW4All) initiative. These activities are specifically designed to enhance hydrological forecasting for flash floods, floods, and droughts, contributing to the development of a comprehensive end-to-end early warning system.

South-East European Early Warnings for All 

How air pollution delayed a surge in extreme rain
Aerosol pollutants have masked the effects of global warming. Without them, the U.S. is about to get a lot wetter.

Navigating Troubled Waters
Since November 2023, escalating attacks on ships in the Red Sea have been compounding disruptions in the Black Sea caused by the war in Ukraine, and in the Panama Canal due to climate-induced droughts. The drop in monthly transits underscores the magnitude of overlapping shipping disruptions.

Building communities that are resilient to disaster risks and climate change effects
To build resilience amongst the plantation community, in June 2023, UNICEF engaged with 130 children living in the tea estates in Sri Lanka to teach them about climate change, the changing weather patterns, and how they can minimize their risks.

FAO proposes five key actions to address climate-conflict nexus
At the United Nations Security Council, Deputy Director-General Beth Bechdol urges game-changing solutions to break the vicious loop between climate crisis, conflict and hunger.

NASA Launches New Climate Mission to Study Ocean, Atmosphere
NASA’s satellite mission to study ocean health, air quality, and the effects of a changing climate for the benefit of humanity launched successfully into orbit at 1:33 a.m. EST Thursday.

Critical transitions in the Amazon forest system
The possibility that the Amazon forest system could soon reach a tipping point, inducing large-scale collapse, has raised global concern^. For 65 million years, Amazonian forests remained relatively resilient to climatic variability.  Now, the region is increasingly exposed to unprecedented stress from warming temperatures, extreme droughts, deforestation and fires.

Detecting atmospheric rivers with satellite observations
Combining this approximated 3-D data with the moisture observed by satellite, scientists created—for the first time—a method to detect atmospheric rivers(AR) via satellite observations. Using this newly developed method, scientists produced the first satellite-based near-global AR dataset.

Century of Reforestation Reduced Anthropogenic Warming in the Eastern United States
Restoring and preserving the world’s forests are promising natural pathways to mitigate some aspects of climate change. In addition to regulating atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations, forests modify surface and near-surface air temperatures through biophysical processes.

Groundbreaking new data can help us better understand glaciers
This innovative dataset, featured in the Earth System Science Data journal, offers an important tool to better understand the mechanisms behind glacier calving, or the breakup of icebergs, which can help to enhance our understanding of the climatic drivers behind glacier loss in Svalbard and the Arctic.

Protecting science in times of crisis
This comprehensive paper by the Centre for Science Futures, the ISC’s think tank, addresses the urgent need for a new approach to safeguard science and its practitioners during global crises.

ARISE Japan Public Symposium 2024: Successes and challenges in DRR innovation—including early findings from the Noto Peninsula Earthquake
UNDRR’s private sector group ARISE has always recommended an attitude of constant innovation, taking into account the rapid changes in society, proactively adopting the latest technologies, preparing from new perspectives, in disaster risk reduction actions towards resilience.

Measuring Vulnerability to Disasters: Presenting the Risk Data Hub Vulnerability Dashboard
In the latest lunchtime webinar of the Mission Adaptation Series, attendees will hear an overview of the main functions of the Risk Data Hub Vulnerability Dashboard, including the indicators selected to measure the different dimensions of vulnerability and their evolution over time.

Transforming Adaptation: Harnessing the power of GCF for climate financing
Presented by Bapon Shm Fakhruddin, Water and Climate Leadership, Green Climate Fund on the 7th March at 1:30pm UTC

Free training on climate change, migration, and health in Latin America and the Caribbean
The webinar series “Climate Change, Migration and Health in Latin America and the Caribbean” is scheduled from March 5, 2024 to November 5, 2024. The sessions will be held every two months in Spanish and English, with interpretation.