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Disaster response
The power of youth: In Vanuatu, young volunteers keep the water flowing
Youth volunteers of Vanuatu join hands with elders and their communities to reduce climate impacts, from flooding to droughtJean Philipe Clement, 58, stands ankle deep in the river that causes him and his community several sleepless…
Philippines: Detainee reconnects with family through Red Cross messages, finds forgiveness and hope
Riva had been living a quiet life in a city north of Bacolod when her friends told her that they were planning to move to Manila to work as housekeepers. Looking for a better life, Riva decided to join her friends and left her four…
ICRC president: “Humanitarian action cannot be a substitute for the lack of political…
Commissioner, Ministers, Excellencies, colleagues,From Gaza to Ukraine, Sudan, Yemen and the Democratic Republic of Congo, the International Committee of the Red Cross witnesses a global failure to protect civilians in armed…
Unravelling complexity through Impact Webs: a novel approach for mapping the systemic nature of…
Impacts from natural hazards, climate change and other human-generated shocks do not occur in isolation.Risks from these types of events – and our responses to them – exhibit complex characteristics that are felt across sectors and…
The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR and formerly UNISDR) internships
"I gained exposure to several private sector actors involved in disaster risk reduction initiatives during my internship. I was very lucky to be working in an exceptional group and participating in various activities, such…
Climate risks to resilience and food security in Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance Geographies:…
This Climate Risk Profile provides an overview of climate risks to food security and resilience in Somalia, including an overview of current and projected climate change impacts to agriculture, livestock, fisheries, water resources, and…
Financial protection against climate risks for family farmers in northern Central America
The approximately two million family farmers that live across northern Central America are among the most vulnerable populations in the region. These family farmers typically cultivate staples like beans or maize on 1-2 hectares of land,…
Saving the Gobi Desert and Mongolian steppes from the dzud will also save lives and livelihoods
With this year’s freeze harsher than ever, the call for climate risk solutions that are big and bold enough to save Mongolia’s lands and livestock are more pressing than ever.When the earth freezes in Mongolia, a large part of the…
Despite positive steps in British Columbia, animal welfare in disaster management remains overlooked
Disasters serve as focusing events, providing a “window of opportunity” to reassess practices, propose new policies and animate the human decisions that make communities vulnerable to climate-related disasters.Elisabeth Stoddard,…
Five African resilience projects have been chosen to receive CDKN financing
As part of its commitment to turning climate knowledge into climate-resilient action, CDKN is providing Knowledge to Action (K2A) grants in Africa. After putting out an open call for locally-led adaptation initiatives last year, five K2A…
Menstruation-Related Symptoms and Associated Factors among Female University Students in Vietnam
1. IntroductionDysmenorrhea and pre-menstrual syndrome (PMS) are health problems worldwide, and their prevalence varies by country. A meta-analysis reported that PMS is observed in 12% of women in France, whereas it affects as several as…
Protecting bathing water quality from sewage overflow in Rimini, Italy
During heavy rainfall events, Rimini frequently experienced combined sewage system overflows which caused local surface flooding in the city and direct discharge of untreated, diluted wastewater into the sea. The resultant contamination…
China: University of San Agustin garnered the championship in the 22nd IHL Moot Court for…
IHL is the body of law which regulates the conduct of armed conflict to retain a degree of humanity even in the worst of wartime. The Red Cross Humanitarian Law Moot is organized every year to promote the knowledge and awareness of IHL…
Guatemala launches Early Warnings for All Initiative
Guatemala City, 12 March 2024 - Guatemala has committed to enhancing the protection of its people by announcing the national launch of the Early Warnings for All (EW4All) initiative in Guatemala, which aims to provide multi-hazard early…
ROADMAP2 Call for good practices in DRM
As part of the ROADMAP2 project, the Italian Center for Research on Risk Reduction CI3R is looking for good practices in the field of Disaster Risk Management to include in the flash reports and the Solutions Explorer tool developed by…
Mozambique: ICRC calls on respect for civilians, ramps up support to Mozambique Red Cross response…
"It is heartbreaking to see so several women and children traumatized and exhausted," said Catherine Gendre, the Head of the Delegation of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Maputo. "We call on all the armed actors to…
Can earth-covered houses protect us from bushfires? Even if they’re a solution, it’s not risk-free
As extreme fire weather becomes more common across ever larger areas of Australia, we need new options for living with the risk of bushfire. Underground or earth-sheltered housing is one possibility. While still unusual, these homes are…
Inventory of innovative financial instruments for climate change adaptation
Closing the gap between available financing for climate change adaptation and the needs of developing countries requires looking beyond traditional sources of finance—i.e., grants and (concessional) loans—to innovative financial…
India’s water problems set to get worse as the world warms
Winter storms that provide crucial snow and rainfall to northern India are arriving significantly later in the year compared to 70 years ago, a new study has found, exacerbating the risk of catastrophic flooding while also reducing vital…
Staff Spotlight Series: Honey Fombuena
Each quarter, we’re featuring one of our all-star staff members in a Staff Spotlight Series. Staff featured in this Series have been peer-nominated for their superb performance and values-driven work. This quarter, we’re spotlighting…
Europe is not prepared for rapidly growing climate risks
Europe is the fastest warming continent in the world, and climate risks are threatening its energy and food security, ecosystems, infrastructure, water resources, financial stability, and people’s health. According to the European…
Building safer and more resilient schools in a changing climate
SynopsisNatural hazards, some fueled by a changing climate, have a devastating effect on children’s education and lives in every corner of the globe. Through its Global Program for Safer Schools (GPSS), the World Bank works hand-in-hand…
Bridging the gender gap in Quang Tri, Vietnam
Flooding has a disproportionate impact on women and girls, who are more vulnerable to health risks, disrupted livelihoods, and educational challenges. As a member of the Zurich Flood Resilience Alliance, Plan International is working…
Bridging the gender gap in Quang Tri, Vietnam
Flooding has a disproportionate impact on women and girls, who are more vulnerable to health risks, disrupted livelihoods, and educational challenges. As a member of the Zurich Flood Resilience Alliance, Plan International is working…
AI predicts flooding
Susanne Nielsen realizes that it is probably only a matter of time before her parents' summer house at Slettestrand in North Jutland is affected by flooding. Because under the house, which is just 400 meters from the bay of Jammerbugt in…
Pakistan: ICRC conducts first-ever training for Pakistan Maritime Security Agency
Recognizing this, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) organized a comprehensive five-day training entitled "Law of Armed Conflict at Sea" for 23 officers of the Pakistan Maritime Security Agency (PMSA) from February…
A statement on Gaza and Israel from the president of the ICRC
This brutal war has ruptured any sense of a shared humanity. In the face of such deep suffering, we are making three urgent calls:• A cessation of hostilities to allow for meaningful assistance to reach the people in need.• That hostages…
Three Weeks Left to Apply for The Federal Emergency Management Agency Assistance
Homeowners and renters in Androscoggin, Franklin, Kennebec, Oxford, and Somerset counties who have uninsured damage to their property or other disaster-caused losses from the severe storm and flooding from December 17-21 have only three…
Deadly earthquakes trigger hunt for speedier alerts
Dr Quentin Bletery has some good news regarding an all-too-often gloomy subject: earthquakes. A researcher at the French National Research Institute for Sustainable Development, or IRD, Bletery thinks it might one day be possible to…
Vanuatu empowers communities to harness traditional knowledge for climate resilience
An inspiring initiative to bolster resilience against climate change in Vanuatu has seen the island nation take proactive steps to harness traditional knowledge within its communities. Local Civil Society Organisations and…
Flood risk mapping is a public good, so why the public resistance in Canada? Lessons from Nova…
Flood risk maps are an essential public good. Indeed, several countries like the United Kingdom already offer flood risk mapping.Canada committed to a public flood risk mapping portal in the 2023 budget. However, despite the increasing…
Why ‘One Health’ needs more social sciences: Pandemic prevention depends on behaviour as well as…
On March 11, 2024, it will be four years since the World Health Organization characterized the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak as a pandemic. And while COVID-19 continues to impact people globally, it is only the most recent in a long history of…
Accelerating progress on the Sendai Framework by investing in the Gender Action Plan for disaster…
The theme for this year’s International Women’s Day is “Invest in women: accelerate progress” which is exactly what the Gender Action Plan to Support Implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 (Sendai…
UN General Assembly moves forward network for climate action
The Santiago network for Loss and Damage will catalyze technical assistance and boost the capacity of vulnerable developing countries to effectively manage climate-related loss and damage.Following the adoption of a UN General Assembly…
Belgium: Concours Jean Pictet makes the next generation of IHL professionals shine.
Take the law out of the books.The Jean-Pictet Competition was conceived to address the gap of university competitions promoting IHL in a realistic way. Unlike traditional law competitions, it emphasizes practical application combined…
Mapping Our Community: Paula dos Santos Silva’s Journey in the Amazon
Explore Paula dos Santos Silva's incredible journey in the Amazon, where she immerses herself in her passion for geography and dedicates herself to mapping the dynamics of riverside communities. From her academic trajectory in Tefé to…
Climate change in the Dominican Republic: Challenge or opportunity?
Climate change is part of our daily lives, and its impacts become more evident each year. So, what can we do? How do we respond to this challenge?Climate Change in the Dominican Republic: How do we adapt to the obvious?Adapting to the…
Scaling up early warning systems for communities in fragile and conflict zones
In March 2022, the United Nations launched the "Early Warning for All" initiative, targeting global access to Early Warning Systems (EWS) by 2027 to mitigate extreme weather and climate change impacts. This effort, supported by the World…
ICRC at the 2024 European Humanitarian Forum
The European Humanitarian ForumThe Forum, co-organised by the European Commission (DG ECHO) and Belgium in the framework of its Presidency of the Council of the EU, takes place in a global context of sharply growing humanitarian needs,…
Sinking land increases risk for thousands of coastal residents by 2050
One in 50 people living in two dozen coastal cities in the United States can experience significant flooding by 2050, according to Virginia Tech-led research.Published in Nature, the study combines satellite-obtained measurements of…
How WFP is supporting women at the crossroads of climate change and hunger
Their faces smeared with a traditional mussiro mask to enhance their skin, the women stoop to pluck shellfish from the mudflats of Ibo Island, off northern Mozambique. Dropped into plastic buckets, the dripping harvest will later be…
Already hundreds of wildfires annually in the Netherlands
The Netherlands has hundreds of wildfires every year. They are often small but the potential consequences are significant. A group of researchers led by Wageningen University & Research, working with wildfire experts from Deltares,…
Celebrating Pride Month
Perseverance and visibility are the keys to bringing a DEI culture to the fire service.True DEI requires a cultural shift in the fire service. It's not an easy proposition to advance. Reflect on past fire service culture changes like not…
Mitigating Wildfire Losses Incurred by Vulnerable Populations
Vulnerable populations disproportionally incur the greatest losses during natural disasters1. The effectiveness of a community's plan to mitigate for and respond to wildfires can depend on its attentiveness to members of its vulnerable…
Increasing the Focus on Fire Service Behavioral Health
The stressful conditions fire and emergency medical services (EMS) responders endure are getting more attention as alarming statistics on responder behavioral health are revealed.Behavioral health is defined by the American Medical…
Focus on cyber operations that cause physical damage is not enough
Ambassador Gafoor, Excellencies, Colleagues,Under your leadership, Chair, this working group has built significant agreement on ICT threats in the context of international security, including in situations of armed conflict.Delegations…
Fire and EMS: Be Alert for Alternative Fuel Vehicle Conversions
Until firefighters and other first responders know differently, they should not assume vehicles are gas or diesel powered: treat every vehicle at an incident scene like an alternative fuel vehicle.Why?As alternative fuels become…
Sustainable Energy and Conservation Solutions for Fire Departments
The USFA is responsible for the NETC, a nationally recognized historical location in Emmitsburg, Maryland, with 30 structures that function as sleeping, eating, education and office spaces. We are committed to climate change initiatives…
Wildland fire shelter safety warning
The National Wildfire Coordinating Group’s Equipment Technology Committee has released a safety warning concerning wildland fire shelters PDF sold on the open market that do not meet United States. Forest Service specification 5100-606 PDF…
CBRNResponder: The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s one-stop shop for CBRN incident management and data sharing
CBRNResponder is a secure platform for chemical, biological or radioactive/nuclear (CBRN) incident data sharing and multi-hazard event management. It serves as a hub and one-stop shop for all-hazards planning, preparedness, operational…