Disaster risk reduction

Let’s begin the recovery before the disaster

Soheil Mohammadi October 24, 2022

1 year after L'Aquila earthquake, March 2010 (Photo credit: Riccardo Civico, distributed via imaggeo.egu.eu)

Every natural event that causes damage to the built environment must be followed by recovery; however, this phase of disaster risk management has received less attention from academics than the others [1]. In all its aspects, disaster recovery has remained a contentious topic, with experts debating its definition, approaches, objectives, activities, and even when it should begin and finish [2–4]. ...[Read More]

Fire impacts on Earth across space and time: a discussion-driven conference

Alicja Bonk and Judith Kirschner July 11, 2022

Boreal forest fire in Canada (Photo credit: Stefan Doerr, distributed via imaggeo.egu.eu)

Earth is the only known planet with fire activity – everywhere else, there is not enough oxygen for this process to occur. Since fire appeared on Earth many millions of years ago, it has played a key role in the development of plant adaptation and the distribution of ecosystems. However, the natural occurrence of fire changed with the onset of human evolution. The purposeful use of fire for ...[Read More]

Repression Without Resistance: Answering Natural Hazards Related Disasters

Joana Parente June 27, 2022

Extreme weather events

Answering disasters triggered by natural hazards is a profoundly political process; who can tell us about this is Isabelle Desportes with her study cases of Ethiopia (the 2016 drought), Myanmar (cyclone Komen in 2015) and Zimbabwe (the 2016/2019 drought). Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Dr Isabelle Desportes, a researcher who approaches disaster risk governance from the angle of politic ...[Read More]

Life with dust: its impacts and how to catch it

Gabriele Amato April 4, 2022

18 April 1935: Dust storm approaching Stratford, Texas. Dust Bowl surveying in Texas. Credit NOAA George E. Marsh Album, theb1365, Historic C&GS Collection. http://www.photolib.noaa.gov/htmls/theb1365.html

In today’s interview, we have the pleasure to meet Dr Slobodan Nickovic, who won the prestigious 2022 Plinius Medal. Slobodan is a research consultant at the Republic Hydrometeorological Service of Serbia, and at the Institute of Physics in Belgrade, Serbia. Throughout his career, he worked for national and international educational, scientific, and operational institutions including the Uni ...[Read More]