This week I think back on my time in the United States of America, where I was able to spend the holiday season. In North America, “fall” marks the beginning of this holiday season, and symbolises a time filled with traditions of togetherness that transcends regions. In New England, particularly in the state of Massachusetts, …[Read More]
The frequency and severity of extreme weather events, such as heavy rainfall, droughts, and storms, are increasing globally, putting societies and infrastructures worldwide at risk [1]. These developments demand effective adaptation measures and ways to enhance societal resilience. Consequently, it is necessary to understand how people perceive and respond to natural hazards. Knowing that the …[Read More]
We are honoured to hear from Dr. Enner Alcântara, Professor at the São Paulo State University (UNESP) and leader of the Remote Sensing, Spatial Analysis, Environmental Modelling and Natural Disasters Research Group. His research in remote sensing has played a crucial role in recognising, managing and mitigating the impacts of disasters, bringing out significant contributions. …[Read More]
In February 2023, Brazil experienced its largest rainfall event on record, which devastated the northern coast of the state of São Paulo. This event caused landslides, floods, and numerous fatalities, making it even more tragic than previous disasters in the region, which already have been elaborated on in another blog post. The situation highlights the …[Read More]
Extreme hydrological events affect billions of people worldwide, and their negative impacts will likely increase due to climate change, urbanisation and ageing infrastructure. Further understanding of hydrological extremes and societal responses to floods is critical in mitigating flood risk and creating better urban environments. In today’s interview, we talk with Prof. Alberto Viglione. Alberto has …[Read More]
CoastSnap is a global citizen science project aiming at monitoring the changes in our coastlines due to processes such as storms, rising sea levels, and human activities using smartphones. We will discover more about this promising project by chatting today with Dr Mitchell Harley, founder of the CoastSnap program. Mitchell is a Researcher and Senior …[Read More]
Flood hazards often turn destructive and cause substantial loss of life and assets. Annually floods cause significant damage; for example, during the last decade of the 20th century, around 100,000 people lost their lives, and more than 1.4 billion people were affected [1]. Historically, flooding has been viewed as a friend and foe of human …[Read More]
In today’s interview, we have the pleasure of talking with Dr Heidi Kreibich, lecturer at the Geography Department at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and head of the working group “Flood risk and climate adaptation” at the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ). From her interest in investigating different types of flooding associated with complex physical and …[Read More]
Rising global temperature and melting of glaciers in the Himalaya are changing the Himalayan cryospheric dynamics and causing a dramatic increase in the frequency and magnitude of the natural and anthropogenic hazards. One such example was the 7th February 2021 Uttarakhand landslide-induced floods, which killed almost 200 people and washed away two hydropower dams, amidst …[Read More]
Transport networks are crucial to our lives, from commuting to work to reach health care facilities, from the transport of goods to leisure travelling. To quote Robin Chase, an American transport entrepreneur: “Transportation is […] the glue of our daily lives. When it goes well, we don’t see it. When it goes wrong, it negatively …[Read More]