Blogs

Measuring the impact of war on Syria is an ongoing challenge as the conflict continuesto devastate the lives of people and their communities. However, efforts to understand the nature and extent of the damage are essential for identifying immediate needs, and for preparing reconstruction plans that can be launched at the first sign of peace.

After Cyclone Hudhud, the one story that seemed to resonate consistently was the efficiency in clearing roads blocked by fallen trees and debris to make sure connectivity was restored at the earliest. We decided to dig deeper to find out what had been done differently here.

Since October 29th, 2015, Central Asia has experienced fifteen earthquakes of moment magnitude 5.0 or greater, which on average amounts to an earthquake every 6 days.

Climate risk management requires data and knowledge. The digital revolution has changed the daily lives of billions of people. But what about the billions who have been left out of this technological revolution?

Building on the idea of dividends of resilience, people working in disaster risk management are increasingly looking beyond avoided losses to the benefits gained even if disaster doesn’t strike for many years. 

The latest cyclical warming of Pacific Ocean waters, first observed centuries ago and formally tracked since 1950, began earlier this year and already has been felt across Asia, Africa and Latin America.

Despite its thousand-year history, the devastation associated with El Niño is not inevitable. Progress made by many other countries since the last major event, in 1997-98, shows that we can get a grip on its effect – and others caused by climate trends.

Local and international scientists agree that we can expect to have a major earthquake in the region. We don’t know exactly when it will strike, but we know it is closer than we think.

​​When I first heard about OpenStreetMap (OSM) – the so called Wikipedia of maps, built by volunteers around the world – I was skeptical of its ability to scale, usability in decision making, and ultimate longevity among new ideas conceived in the digital age. Years later, having working on many disaster risk management initiatives across the globe, I can say that I am a passionate advocate for the power of this community.

Sub-Saharan Africa is making significant economic and development strides. Yet, natural disasters, combined with the effects of climate change, rapid urbanization, and conflict situations are threatening these gains, keeping vulnerable and poor communities in a chronic cycle of poverty.