Natural hazards – News, Research and Analysis – The Conversation

People inspect the damage following a tsunami at a village in Sumur, Indonesia, on Dec. 24, 2018. (AP Photo/Fauzy Chaniago)

August 17, 2020

The world’s biggest waves: How climate change could trigger large landslides and ‘mega-tsunamis’

Ryan P. Mulligan, Queen's University, Ontario and Andy Take, Queen's University, Ontario

Massive landslides can trigger destructive and deadly tsunamis, and climate change could make them worse.

May 13, 2020

Grounded aircraft could make weather forecasts less reliable

Matthew Blackett, Coventry University

More than one million weather observations were made by aircraft each day in 2019. Since the pandemic started, these have dropped by 90%.

The neighborhood known as The Mudd suffered disproportionate damage, a reflection of the Bahamas’ history. AP Photo/Fernando Llano

December 9, 2019

Risk rooted in colonial era weighs on Bahamas’ efforts to rebuild after Hurricane Dorian

Jason von Meding, University of Florida; David O. Prevatt, University of Florida, and Ksenia Chmutina, Loughborough University

It's now officially the end of hurricane season, but the rebuilding of the Bahamas continues, slowed by the risks imposed by a history of colonialism and class division.

Many houses still do not have cyclone-ready roofs, so are liable to lose them if hit by the full force of the storm. Dan Peled/AAP

December 3, 2019

Homes can be better prepared for cyclones. But first we must convince the owners

Mitchell Scovell, James Cook University and Daniel Smith, James Cook University

Most homes are not as cyclone-ready as they could be. It seems lower insurance premiums aren't enough of an incentive for owners to upgrade their homes, but a new study points to some solutions.

Emergency services haven’t been able to protect people and properties against increasingly intense bushfires. Scott Davis/AAP

November 19, 2019

Putting homes in high-risk areas is asking too much of firefighters

Mark Maund, University of Newcastle; Kim Maund, University of Newcastle, and Thayaparan Gajendran, University of Newcastle

Land-use planning should give more weight to the increasing risks of natural hazards like bushfires as the first step in reducing the impacts.

Social media helped some people cope with the Townsville floods earlier this year. AAP Image/Andrew Rankin

May 29, 2019

Online tools can help people in disasters, but do they represent everyone?

Billy Tusker Haworth, University of Manchester; Christine Eriksen, University of Wollongong, and Scott McKinnon, University of Wollongong

Disaster information needs to come from all sections of a community at risk, and we need to leave nobody marginalised.

May 29, 2019

Will climate change cause humans to go extinct?

Anders Sandberg, University of Oxford

An expert responds to a teenager who wants to know – is there any hope for humanity's future?

Without a solid national plan to confront climate threats, there’s plenty more hardship on the horizon. AAP Image/Rob Blakers

March 7, 2019

Australia needs a national plan to face the growing threat of climate disasters

Robert Glasser, Australian National University

With heatwaves, droughts and fires all on the rise, the federal government is urged to merge its separate strategies on disaster resilience and climate readiness.

Treacherous bushfire conditions are predicted to grow even more frequent as the climate changes. AAP Image/Andrew Brownbill

February 6, 2019

Climate change is poised to deliver more Black Saturdays in decades to come

Scott Hamilton, The University of Melbourne

Black Saturday in 2009 was Australia's worst bushfire tragedy. But climate projections predict more bushfire danger in the future, threatening our water supplies as well as homes.

Devastation from Hurricane Michael in Mexico Beach, Florida, Oct. 12, 2018. Residents whose homes have suffered major damage in multiple storms could eventually be offered buyouts, but the process can take several years. AP Photo/Gerald Herbert

October 19, 2018

Government-funded buyouts after disasters are slow and inequitable – here’s how that could change

A.R. Siders, Harvard University

Government agencies spend millions of dollars yearly to buy and demolish homes sited in floodplains. But the program is slow, cumbersome and doesn't always help those who need it most.

Environmental regulations generally improve communities’ preparedness and resilience during disasters. AP Photo/Gerald Herbert

September 23, 2018

Coal ash spill highlights key role of environmental regulations in disasters

Brian J. Gerber, Arizona State University and Melanie Gall, Arizona State University

The damage to coal ash sites from Hurricane Florence demonstrates how a community's vulnerability to natural disasters is closely linked to how stringent environmental regulations are.

Picture painted by a primary school child in Sri Lanka after the tsunami in 2005. UNESCO World Heritage Centre

April 4, 2018

Children aren’t liabilities in disasters – they can help, if we let them

Christine Eriksen, University of Wollongong; Avianto Amri, Macquarie University; Briony Towers, RMIT University; Emma Calgaro, University of Sydney; John Richardson, The University of Melbourne; Katharine Haynes, Macquarie University, and Scott McKinnon, University of Wollongong

It's understandable to want to shield children from the impacts of disasters. But research suggests that they should be given a voice in disaster planning and a role in reducing the risks.

The British First Fleet knew little of conditions in Port Jackson, later Sydney Cove, before their arrival. George Edwards Peacock, State Library of New South Wales.

April 1, 2018

Black skies and raging seas: how the First Fleet got a first taste of Australia’s unforgiving climate

Joelle Gergis, The University of Melbourne

When the First Fleet sailed into Sydney Cove in 1788, they entered an ancient and unforgiving landscape. A new book charts Australians' relationship with one of the world's most volatile climates.

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