Disasters affect all, human and non-human alike. It is imperative that we consider the harms to non-human life and ecosystems as both a moral obligation and a realistic effort to preserve the ecosystem services upon which we all rely.
(Jesse Brothers/Sioux City Journal via AP)
Focusing solely on humans at the expense of other life in the aftermath of train derailments limits the effectiveness of our disaster response management.
Inner city occupations and shack settlements alike are the inevitable consequence of the fact that huge populations of people have to get by without a living wage.
People without vehicles line up in Yellowknife to register for a flight to Alberta; residents were ordered to evacuate the area because of encroaching wildfire.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Bill Braden
As the mass evacuation of Yellowknife unfolds, the needs of minority populations will emerge. Past experiences indicate emergency officials may not be ready to meet the needs of a diverse population.
Almost half of all crises are disasters waiting to happen, because warnings have been unheeded or ignored.
Thick plumes of heavy smoke fill the Halifax sky as an out-of-control fire in a suburban community quickly spreads, engulfing multiple homes and forcing the evacuation of local residents on May 28, 2023.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Kelly Clark
There is an alarming lack of disaster preparedness plans in Canada that consider the unique risks and needs of unhoused people during wildfires.
The Bald Mountain Wildfire in the Grande Prairie area in Alberta in May 2023. Much of B.C. and Alberta is already experiencing higher-than-usual wildfire risk.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Government of Alberta Fire Service
High-risk, high-uncertainty events like earthquakes tend to fall out of view when we are occupied with more predictable seasonal events like wildfires, which have very visible effects on our lives.
Fire at the University of Cape Town, South Africa.
Photo by Brenton Geach/Gallo Images via Getty Images
To keep up with climate-related disasters, we need transformational solutions. These range from ‘sponge cities’ and floating houses to putting out bushfires minutes after they start.
Evacuations can save lives, as in the case of post-tropical cyclone Fiona. As more frequent extreme weather events are set to occur, it is important to have evacuation plans in place.
Hurricane Ian pounded western Cuba on Sept. 26, 2022, on its way to the Florida coast.
AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa
The long delays in housing displaced flood victims point to the need to develop a permanent reserve of temporary housing to be available wherever and whenever disaster strikes.
Professor of Architecture and SARChI: DST/NRF/SACN Research Chair in Spatial Transformation (Positive Change in the Built Environment), Tshwane University of Technology