Too many New Zealanders were cut off without phone or internet access after Cyclone Gabrielle hit. Here are some of the back-up options we need before the next disaster strikes.
A cholera outbreak, a harsh winter, ten years of civil war and obstruction from the Syrian government are some of the difficulties faced by aid agencies.
Devastation: the town of Kahramanmaras in southeastern Turkey on February 8.
EPA-EFE/Abir Sultan
If Twitter were to go dark, with it would go a valuable source of data as well as a means of sharing information relied on by activists, journalists, public health officials and scientists.
New satellite mapping techniques can quickly locate washed out and damaged areas.
Ricardo Arduengo / AFP via Getty Images
Zhe Zhu, University of Connecticut and Su Ye, University of Connecticut
Artificial intelligence can spot differences in images from before and after a storm over wide areas in almost real time. It showed Hurricane Ian’s vast damage in Florida.
An army officer speaks with a firefighter amidst destroyed homes in Channel-Port aux Basques, N.L., on Sept. 26, 2022.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn
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.
Climate change is a game changer and our disaster response is no longer sufficient. We must begin to address the underlying causes that make some communities more vulnerable than others.
While well-meaning, it’s unclear whether the benefits of training community members to respond to disasters outweigh the risks.
A medical worker looks through the debris of a medical lab in Port-au-Prince, Haiti following an earthquake in January 2010.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld
Again, thousands of residents in Western Sydney face a life-threatening flood disaster. Obviously, nature is a major culprit – but other drivers are also at play.
The federal election presents an opportunity to promote plans for improving national disaster governance and resilience. But the silence on these issues in political debates has been remarkable.
COVID guidelines have changed a lot over the past few years as the pandemic has ebbed and flowed.
AP Photo/Jeff Chiu
The constantly changing COVID-19 rules can be frustrating. But this pandemic is like no other public health crisis in history. It is better to think of the virus and US responses the way we think about hurricanes.
Thinking carefully about people’s health during and after disaster is crucial to building disaster resilience. Ensuring access to medicines is a core part of that goal.
Heavy rains struck Middle Tennessee, causing flash floods that killed people and swept away homes and vehicles.
AP Photo/John Amis
Malavika Rao, Graduate Institute – Institut de hautes études internationales et du développement (IHEID)
India had the legal ability to classify migrant workers as internally displaced and offer them protection, but instead they were marooned and left to the mercy of fate.
Researchers are using mixed reality technologies to investigate how people behave in in emergency situations. The findings are helping shape disaster responses.
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.
The coronavirus pandemic has resulted in increased adoption of communication and network technologies.
(Shutterstock)
Internet technologies and the devices that enable information access and transfer are useful in crisis management. Accessing these readily available digital technologies can help community resiliency.
Prisoners clearing vegetation to prevent the spread of a wildfire in Yucaipa, California.
David McNew/AFP via Getty Images
Relying on incarcerated workers in emergencies such as the wildfires ravaging parts of the US is a cheap alternative for states. But what protections are there for prisoners?