‘Paying for predictions’ at Tacloban media workshop on climate
April 1, 2015
The Philippine Climate Change Commission (CCC), jointly with the United Nations Development Programme and the […]
Forecast-based financing key to early disaster-response
March 27, 2015
(This blog post was first published by the ICRC regional delegation in Delhi on 24 March 2015.) […]
WMO: Thousands of lives saved by better forecasting, early warning and readiness
March 24, 2015
Thousands of lives have been saved around the world over the past year alone by […]
New 15-year global framework recognizes climate change as a driver of disaster risk
March 19, 2015
The new global framework for policy and programming on disaster risk reduction (DRR) “outlines clear targets and […]
At Sendai, IFRC announces ‘One Billion Coalition for Resilience’
March 16, 2015
IFRC President Tadateru Konoe yesterday presented the International Federation’s voluntary commitment toward post-2015 disaster risk […]
‘Let’s square up to the task’: Princess Margriet of the Netherlands speaks to UN conference on disaster risk
March 15, 2015
(Full text of today's speech by HRH Princess Margriet of the Netherlands at the opening […]
Lethal Pacific storm marks start of Sendai disaster conference, as IFRC and UN call for ‘unprecedented cooperation’ on climate
March 14, 2015
The opening over the weekend of the UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (WCDRR) […]
‘Long-anticipated’ El Niño officially here, but expected to stay weak without major influence on weather
March 9, 2015
US scientists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) say the technical threshold for […]
Losses from river floods to worsen significantly by 2030, says new global ‘risk analyzer’
March 5, 2015
River flooding will “affect more people and cause significantly more damage by 2030” because of […]
Introducing humanitarians and environmentalists to decision-science insights and applications
March 2, 2015
An increasing number of scientific disciplines focus on understanding how and why people make decisions and […]
Germany continues ‘paradigm shift’ in preparedness with drive for new forecast-based financing trials
February 25, 2015
Germany's Federal Foreign Office and the German Red Cross (GRC) this week distributed a six-point action plan for […]
Weather and climate warnings ‘do little’ to protect farmers and vulnerable people in developing world
February 20, 2015
(This story first appeared on www.trust.org last Friday 13 February.) Warnings of extreme weather and climate threats […]
UNICEF and Climate Centre address health risks in Ghana through serious play
February 17, 2015
Some 12,000 Ghanaian children die each year from diseases that could be prevented by hand-washing […]
Better use of climate information could bolster African development, says new report
February 13, 2015
Better use of climate information could help promote development in sub-Saharan Africa, according to a […]
IFRC humanitarian cash for Albania after ‘worst floods since 1971’
February 9, 2015
The IFRC is releasing more than a quarter of a million US dollars in emergency […]
As Davos meeting closes, climate ‘warning shots’ from Africa and Pacific
January 29, 2015
When global figures gathered in the Swiss resort of Davos last week for the annual […]
WEF report: Extreme weather second only to conflict as ‘likely’ source of global risk
January 21, 2015
The annual World Economic Forum (WEF) begins in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland, today, and among the featured […]
IFRC mobilizes to help nations in Southern Africa hit by disastrous seasonal floods
January 16, 2015
Tens of thousands of people have been forced out of their homes in Malawi, Mozambique […]
A high-tech future for humanitarians one step closer after Red Cross Red Crescent summit in NL
January 9, 2015
Clusters of unmanned aerial vehicles that could relay mobile-phone signals using a “mesh network” to restore communications […]
El Niño: We’re still in limbo, says International Research Institute for Climate and Society
January 8, 2015
The Pacific Ocean remains primed for an El Niño event, according to the Australian Bureau of […]
Final data for 2014 set to confirm ‘no standstill in global warming’
January 5, 2015
International meteorologists say last year is on course to become the hottest ever recorded in […]
Global agreement on climate in 2015 ‘important step’ closer after COP 20 in Peru
December 15, 2014
A global agreement on climate change that will harness action by all nations “took a […]
‘Rethinking possible futures’ through solar-powered, lighter-than-air sculpture at D&C Days
December 6, 2014
An ambitious, cooperative project to create solar-powered, lighter-than-air sculptures at Development and Climate Days (“D&C […]
Red Cross community work in Pacific is ‘solid base’ for planning climate adaptation
November 6, 2014
Community-based approaches are increasingly emphasized as the most viable for planning and implementing climate adaptation […]
Climate change impacts already felt ‘on all continents and across the oceans’, says IPCC
November 2, 2014
By the Climate Centre The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) today published the full […]
New study of downstream effects of El Nino on flood risk
October 20, 2014
(This article was first published by Climate Central on 20 October 2014.) The phantom El Niño continues to hold […]
Environment and climate change: The impact of climate change on human mobility
October 18, 2014
The climate is a key determinant of where people live and climate change can lead […]
IFRC World Disasters Report: climate change contributing to ‘a new era of risk’
October 16, 2014
This year, World Disasters Report takes on a challenging theme as it questions why culture is […]
Final conference in Climate Forum East finds fun ways to point up health challenges
October 14, 2014
Participants at the final conference of the Climate Forum East project, in the Belarus capital […]
Join us for the 12th Development & Climate Days at COP 20 in Lima
October 13, 2014
At the Country Club Lima Hotel during COP 20 in Lima 6–7 December 2014 #zerozero For the first time […]
IFRC announces ‘information to action’ initiative at UN Climate Summit in New York
September 23, 2014
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) today announced a “Climate […]
Ebola and climate impacts in Africa: Is there a link?
September 21, 2014
For the first time in its history, the United Nations has created an international mission […]
New Pacific partnerships announced as UN small islands conference closes in Samoa
September 4, 2014
The IFRC and the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) today signed a […]
First-ever global conference on climate and health ends at WHO in Geneva
September 3, 2014
The first-ever global conference on climate and health ended last Friday at the Geneva headquarters of the […]
Cultivating resilience in Guatemala: agreement to consolidate ‘inter-institutional cooperation’
August 28, 2014
Guatemala’s Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources (MARN), the National Coordination for Disaster Reduction […]
New global campaign on ‘vital’ weather and climate services for small island states
August 8, 2014
A global campaign to improve weather and climate services for all small island developing states […]
Climate Centre joins White House ’round table’ on agriculture and food resilience
August 5, 2014
Intense heatwaves, heavier downpours, and severe droughts and wildfires. These are all climate impacts projected […]
‘Gender and climate change’: New Australian Red Cross briefing paper
July 30, 2014
The latest addition last week to the Australian Red Cross (ARC) series of online gender briefing […]
Gender and climate change
July 27, 2014
This guidance note outlines how climate change can impact men and women differently and identifies […]
What’s in it for them? New CDKN ‘resource pack’ on climate change in Africa and South Asia
July 23, 2014
The Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN) last week launched a comprehensive resource pack “to […]
Factoring climate and urban risk into assessment: new IFRC guidance
July 22, 2014
The IFRC yesterday announced the release of its new supplementary guidance, Integrating Climate Change and […]
Turning climate science into animations: A lesson in teamwork from the Pacific
July 18, 2014
Two humorous animation films by an alliance of agencies in the Pacific link climate science […]
In fight against extreme poverty, World Bank to screen investments for ‘climate and disaster risk’
July 18, 2014
As of this month, US$ 52 billion of new development investment in the World Bank’s […]
Participatory games summer school at the Universita della Svizzera italiana
July 11, 2014
Last month’s Humanitarian Summer School on games for development and humanitarian work was the first […]
New German support for ‘humanitarian challenges of climate change’ includes forecast-based funding
July 10, 2014
Germany – in a bid to improve understanding between humanitarians and climate scientists – has […]
‘Actionable information’ at the Understanding Risk Forum 2014
July 4, 2014
The biennial forum of Understanding Risk (UR), whose theme was “producing actionable information”, ended at […]
WMO: ‘Prepare for El Nino’
July 1, 2014
Many governments are now preparing for an El Niño – associated with regional-scale drought and […]
Harnessing ‘human computation’ for 21st century humanitarianism
June 24, 2014
World experts in the emerging field of “human computation” gathered in Washington, DC last week […]
Climate Centre trains UN agro-development specialists in game facilitation
June 12, 2014
The Climate Centre last week ran a two-day training session in game facilitation for staff […]
Philippines calls for ‘focused international effort’ to meet climate threats
June 6, 2014
President Benigno Aquino of the Philippines yesterday said it is now vital to mount “a […]
‘Future climate for Africa’ – pointers on resilience from Zambia
May 29, 2014
Officials, academics, scientists and development practitioners last week gathered at two workshops in Zambia to […]
‘Unprecedented’ river levels behind Serbia floods, says World Meteorological Organization
May 25, 2014
Deadly floods and landslides in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Serbia were caused by “some […]
Somali Red Crescent rolls out participatory climate games
May 22, 2014
Resources from the Climate Centre’s Climate Training Kit were rolled out for the first time […]
Global learning: PfR ‘writeshops’ in South-East Asia and Central America
May 15, 2014
Professionally facilitated “writeshops” last June in Bali, Indonesia, and earlier this year in Guatemala and […]
Forecast-based financing could ‘catalyze humanitarian action’, says new research
May 9, 2014
A new research paper by specialists from the Climate Centre, German Red Cross, Royal Netherlands […]
CBA8 conference ends with call for financial help for vulnerable communities to adapt
May 2, 2014
The 8th Annual Community Based Adaptation Conference (CBA8) ended in the Nepalese capital this week […]
El Nino by northern autumn ‘at least 75% likely’, but potential strength uncertain
April 25, 2014
The New York-based International Institute for Climate and Society (IRI), an IFRC partner organization, this […]
IPCC: GHG emissions up despite reduction efforts, but pathways to substantial cuts are available
April 17, 2014
(This is a shortened version of the IPCC press release issued from Berlin on 13 […]
When playing helps build resilience in Mali
April 10, 2014
This article was first published on the social reporting blog of the International Fund for […]
George Washington University students ‘Pay for predictions’
April 4, 2014
Before heading off on their spring break, students enrolled in George Washington University (GWU) Geography’s […]
IPCC climate report sounds humanitarian ‘clarion call’
March 31, 2014
(This article was first published by the Thomson Reuters Foundation) The latest report from the […]
IFRC ‘deeply concerned’ by humanitarian consequences of climate risks highlighted in new IPCC report
March 31, 2014
The Secretary General of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), […]
IFRC publishes online climate course
March 21, 2014
A new course, Climate change – an introduction to staff and volunteers, was launched yesterday […]
‘Sound art’ on a climate theme: competition results
March 20, 2014
The results have been announced in the first-ever international contest for the creation of sound […]
Explaining the global-warming ‘hiatus’: heat sinking into the oceans
March 20, 2014
The Director of the International Research Institute for Climate and Society (IRI), Lisa Goddard, explained […]
‘Engagement games’ for real-world action
March 19, 2014
Many of the initiatives that societies take around the world suffer from the same critical […]
‘Taking science to society’: A game on the ethics of providing climate services
March 10, 2014
There is enormous pressure on the climate science community to provide output that is relevant […]
Double the extreme events, five times the losses? Europe faces a flooded future, says new research
March 5, 2014
Flood losses in Europe are likely to increase “considerably” over the next few decades, partly […]
New science satellite promises ‘near real-time’ precipitation measurement anywhere on Earth
February 28, 2014
The world yesterday entered what the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration calls “a new […]
Ready! Lessons in the design of humanitarian games
February 21, 2014
This detailed look at best practice for using games in disaster risk reduction, using the […]
UK Met Office: more research ‘urgently needed’ to refine climate models
February 19, 2014
The British Met Office – in a new report offering a “global perspective” on the […]
How to ‘be Boulder’ with climate communications. A webcam session of Paying for predictions
February 18, 2014
The Climate Centre last Thursday remotely facilitated a session at the University of Colorado-Boulder of […]
In a changing climate, Dutch lottery grant will ‘help tens of thousands’ in Philippines prepare for disasters
February 11, 2014
The Secretary General of the Netherlands Red Cross (NLRC), Gijs de Vries, has welcomed a […]
Science can save lives. But make research accessible
January 31, 2014
(This is an abridged version of an article in the current issue of Nature Geoscience […]
NASA: climate warming continued in 2013
January 24, 2014
Scientists at the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) say last year tied with […]
‘Community-based adaptation’: the future
January 20, 2014
A new look at the future of “community-based adaptation” (CBA) has been made available for […]
Caribbean Reference Centre for Disaster Risk Management launches ‘virtual library’
January 15, 2014
The IFRC’s Caribbean Disaster Risk Management Reference Centre (CADRIM), hosted by the Barbados Red Cross […]
Making better use of scientific information – IPCC authors play ‘Decisions for the decade’
January 9, 2014
A group of nearly 40 of the world’s leading climate scientists this week took time […]
Red Cross workers on both sides of Atlantic grapple with brutal winter
January 7, 2014
Countries on both sides of the North Atlantic continue to face very severe winter weather […]
Climate Centre Review of the Year 2013
December 28, 2013
Here are some of the highlights of the Climate Centre year 2013. Please follow links […]
Climate Centre games ‘deep uncertainty’ with World Bank decision-makers
December 24, 2013
A Climate Centre team last month joined a workshop on decision-making at the World Bank […]
UNISDR: Next world conference on DRR, in Japan, should include ‘strong urban focus’
December 12, 2013
The United Nations General Assembly has set the stage for a new global agreement on […]
Ethical issues for ‘climate services’ unpacked at international conference in Jamaica
December 9, 2013
The Third International Conference on Climate Services (“ICCS3”), hosted by the Meteorological Service of Jamaica […]
New training webcasts for climate-resilient development from IRI, USAID
December 5, 2013
The International Research Institute for Climate and Society (IRI) and the US Agency for International […]
Young people and volunteers take lead on climate awareness in Eastern partnership
December 4, 2013
The activities of Climate Forum East (CFE) are now well underway in the six countries […]
White House order on climate seeks to build resilience against weather extremes
November 29, 2013
An executive order from President Obama on climate impacts earlier this month requires federal agencies […]
‘European Development Days’ in Brussels includes brainstorm on climate-risk assessments
November 27, 2013
On Tuesday and Wednesday this week, this year’s European Development Days (EDD13) gathered thousands of […]
At close of UN climate talks, Secretary-General Ban calls for ‘bold announcements and actions’
November 25, 2013
As the UN-led climate talks in Warsaw – COP 19 – ended on Friday, Secretary-General […]
Communications on climate: a role for music?
November 21, 2013
(This is the last in a series of three blogs from the D&C Days side-event […]
With climate adaptation, success breeds success
November 20, 2013
An old saying goes “imitation is the highest form of flattery”. That’s certainly the view […]
Can beans and dice change lives? The potential of serious, fun games
November 19, 2013
The power of games to get people thinking about their climate vulnerability was revealed this […]
Updated standards for climate-smart risk reduction unveiled at ‘buzzing, fruitful’ COP 19 side-event
November 18, 2013
A new edition of the inter-agency Minimum Standards intended to bridge national climate policy and local […]
Second IFRC side-event at COP 19 in Warsaw: the all-weekend ‘Development and Climate Days’
November 16, 2013
The second of two IFRC side-events at the 2013 UN climate talks in Warsaw – […]
Super Typhoon Haiyan: the climate connection
November 15, 2013
People in the Philippines who track climate news won’t have failed to notice that it […]
IFRC engagement with COP 19 side-events gets underway
November 14, 2013
The first of two official side-events co-hosted by the IFRC delegation at the COP 19 […]
Rising sea-levels make coastal communities more vulnerable to storm surges like Haiyan’s, UN climate meeting told
November 13, 2013
Global sea-levels have reached a record high, according to a World Meteorological Organization (WMO) statement […]
IFRC co-hosting side events at COP 19 ahead of ‘critical year’ for climate
November 11, 2013
This year’s session, the 19th, of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations […]
WMO: atmospheric greenhouse gases reach record high
November 6, 2013
Greenhouse gases in the atmosphere reached a record high in 2012, the World Meteorological Organization […]
Climate Centre joins researchers at ‘critical frontier of science’ to map regional impacts
November 4, 2013
The Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre today joined leading scientists in Brussels to help […]