Natural hazards – News, Research and Analysis – The Conversation

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.

Articles on Natural hazards

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