The pandemic coincides with the long rainy season in Kenya. Rain increases mosquito breeding sites, vector density and thus transmission of mosquito-borne diseases.
Rains regularly displace thousands in Africa.
Vadim Petrakov/Shutterstock
Australian emergency services are using social media for a number of purposes during disasters. What they are not doing well is analysing social media data in real time to improve disaster management.
The disasters have come one after another. While they may not be entirely preventable, we can take many practical steps tailored to local needs and conditions to reduce the impacts on our cities.
Flooding in Pontypridd, South Wales, after Storm Dennis in February 2020.
Neil Munns / EPA
The unusual weather can be attributed to the Indian Ocean Dipole. This is the difference in sea surface temperatures between the eastern and western tropical Indian Ocean.
Indonesia’s capital Jakarta will face escalating flood costs by 2050.
It’s the first time since overlapping records began that Australia experienced both its lowest rainfall and highest temperatures in the same year.
dan HIMBRECHTS/AAP
David Jones, Australian Bureau of Meteorology; Karl Braganza, Australian Bureau of Meteorology et Skie Tobin, Australian Bureau of Meteorology
The Bureau of Meterology says persistent drought and record temperatures were a major driver of Australia’s fire activity, and the context for 2019 lies in the past three years of drought.
Residents of Grantham pay their respects during the dawn memorial service after the 2011 Queensland flash floods. Research into natural disaster recovery suggests there is a long road ahead for survivors of the current bushfire crisis.
AAP/PATRICK HAMILTON
Tropical cyclones Idai and Kenneth have shown how important it is to integrate local information and resources with global scale forecasts and support.
Queensland’s January 2019 floods were so large their scale could only be accurately captured from space.
EPA/NASA Worldview
The damage to the dam holding back a reservoir just a mile from the nearest town downriver should focus minds on ensuring civil infrastructure is maintained.
Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources fire rangers wade through floodwaters as they deploy pumps in Pembroke, Ont., in May 2019. Too many authorities involved in fighting flood risks can often paralyze flood management efforts.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang
Canadian history and international relations theory gives us perspective on why co-ordinating flood management has proven so difficult in Canada and what can be done about it.