Saving Mona Lisa

Paris Floods Underscore Museum Vulnerability to Climate Change

By Elke Weesjes Sabella

The next Natural Hazards Observer will focus on historic and cultural preservation. Until then, enjoy this article by Observer editor Elke Weesjes on how museums save great art from disaster.

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Of Women and Water

How Drought Exacerbates Gender Inequality in India

By Elke Weesjes Sabella

The ongoing drought in India disproportionately affects women—who are largely responsible for collecting water for their families—by causing them to walk long distances in scorching temperatures to find alternative water sources. Fortunately, though, some hopeful initiatives might change their predicament.

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Disaster News Redux

Health Experts Think Zika’s Got Too Much Game for the Olympics

By Jolie Breeden

Even while national health agencies are downplaying the risks of Zika exposure at the 2016 Olympic Games in Brazil, a group of 150 experts are calling on the World Health Organization to support moving or postponing the event due to public health concerns.

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Houston, We Have a Solution!

The Birth of a New Generation of Flood Warning Systems

By Elke Weesjes Sabella

Recent floods in Southeast Texas, left seven dead and thousands of dollars in property damage. Future losses such as these could be avoided, however, thanks to several new warning systems that give better information on where and when a flood will strike.

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Calling Climate Change

Canadian Fire Makes a Case for a New Normal in Disasters

By Jolie Breeden

A mammoth wildfire in Northern Canada this week engulfed an entire town, sparked the evacuation thousands of people, and shut down a portion of Canadian oil production—a situation that could become more commonplace as North America experiences longer wildfire seasons related to climate change.

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