Some were quick to point the finger at climate change when floods hit eastern Australia in February and March 2022, in the lead up to the federal election. But it’s not that simple, scientists say.
For the first time we’ve calculated what effect a natural disaster has on income tax revenue, finding a 5% decline through lower incomes and higher tax deduction claims.
The urge to create, or donate to, crowdfunding campaigns in a crisis is understandable. But it’s worth asking: who can succeed in crowdfunding, and who gets left behind?
Kate R Saunders, Queensland University of Technology; Kate Helmstedt, Queensland University of Technology, and Kirien Whan, Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute
Improved warnings are unlikely to protect houses, but it means people can prepare – they can move possessions, reach vulnerable loved ones and evacuate in a timely manner.
A weather system called ‘atmospheric rivers’ is causing this inundation. In March last year, an atmospheric river brought 800kg of water vapour over Sydney every second.
Flood-related stress can have a negative impact on pregnant mothers and their unborn babies. But our research found there are many strategies that can limit the harm.
Amid fears that parts of Townsville and other Australian cities might become “uninsurable”, making urban areas more resilient and adaptable to flooding is becoming more urgent.
What do the recent Townsville floods and Tasmanian heatwave have in common? Both were caused by weather systems that stayed put for days or weeks on end. And global warming could worsen that trend.
From a social media post that cracked open a decades-old abuse scandal in the UK and Australia, through to tracking asylum seekers, social media can be vital in breaking investigative news stories.
Terry Flew, Queensland University of Technology and Axel Bruns, Queensland University of Technology
When disaster strikes, more people than ever are turning to social media to find out if they’re in danger. But Australian emergency services need to work together more to learn what works to save lives.
Marine reserves are a hot topic in Australia, with federal and state governments debating whether to allow recreational fishers to take fish from within their boundaries. But new research demonstrates…
Record-breaking rains triggered so much new growth across Australia that the continent turned into a giant green carbon sink to rival tropical rainforests including the Amazon, our new research shows…
The last few years provided plenty of data to help us reform our approach to floods. With devastating flooding in Queensland and Victoria in 2011 and 2013, we should have learned a great deal about which…