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Famine early warning systems are fundamental for anticipating and preventing food security crises. These systems require diverse socio-economic, climate and other environmental indicators. However, the uncertainty that is inherent in climate forecasts and other early warning data can influence the accuracy of early warning systems. Inaccurate forecasts result in ineffective preparedness and poor r
Early warning systems are essential tool for humanitarian preparedness and response. The diversity of inputs required, ranging from agricultural production estimates to market price variability and weather forecasts, means that interpreting food security signals is not an easy task. Each of these inputs is fraught with uncertainty which analysts need to assess when making projections about future
This paper examines how organizations and society learn from disasters. While learning can and does take place, the depth of this learning is often superficial. The paper argues that lessons that are more fundamental are learnt with difficulty. In order to examine the aetiology of disasters and organizational learning from them, the paper presents a theoretical framework based on systems theory. C
Food security assessment in sub-Saharan Africa requires simultaneous consideration of multiple socio-economic and environmental variables. Early identification of populations at risk enables timely and appropriate action. Since large and widely dispersed populations depend on rainfed agriculture and pastoralism, climate monitoring and forecasting are important inputs to food security analysis. Sat
Remote sensing allows scientists to detect slowly evolving natural hazards such as agricultural drought. Famine early warning systems transform these data into actionable policy information, enabling humanitarian organizations to respond in a timely and appropriate manner. These life-saving responses are increasingly important: In 2006, one out of eight people did not have enough food to eat and 2
We combine socioeconomic data from a large-scale household survey with historical climate data to map the climate sensitivity of availability and access dimensions of food security in Mali, and infer the ways in which at-risk communities may have been impacted by persistent climatic shift. Thirty years after 1982–1984, the period of most intense drought during the protracted late 20th century dryi
This article describes an experimental Hunger and Climate Vulnerability Index showing the relative vulnerability of food insecure populations to climate risks at country level, as a tool for better understanding risks to food security presented by climate change. Data from socioeconomic and environmental indicators were analysed, and the most relevant indicators were aggregated using a composite i
Introduction: Recently, the abortion issue has entered the spotlight in the USA, leading to potential radical actions. As the majority opinion on the abortion issue vary with state, some individuals will be in the numerical minority within their state, possibly evoking feelings of exclusion. Social exclusion can motivate a radicalization process. The aim of this paper is to explore how individuals
This report examines how climate change is impacting agriculture and threatening national and global food systems, particularly in climate hotspots, and how these trends are projected to intensify over the coming decades. The report defines and details transformative adaptation for agriculture and why such longer-term, systemic approaches are needed to protect the lives and livelihoods of millions
Accurate detection of SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibody (nAb) is critical for assessing the immunity levels after virus infection or vaccination. As fast, cost-effective alternatives to viral infection-based assays, competitive binding (CB) assays were developed to quantitate nAb by monitoring the ability of sera to inhibit the binding of viral spike (S) protein to the angiotensin converting enzyme
This paper explores the current process and practice of contingency planning in humanitarian organisations. It sets out the key terms and concepts relating to contingency planning, explores the contingency planning process, explains the main models used by humanitarian organisations and presents a new concept of the process that enables a more dynamic approach than previous frameworks.The paper al
East Africa experiences chronic food insecurity, with levels varying from year-to-year across the region. Given that much can be done to prevent this level of suffering before it happens, humanitarian agencies monitor early indicators of food insecurity to trigger early action. Forecasts of total seasonal rainfall are one tool used to monitor and anticipate food security outcomes. Factors beyond r
Forecast-based early action (FbA) initiatives are diverse, with very different approaches to the timing of decisions and actions, and to the types of forecast, monitoring data and delivery mechanisms used. They are also increasingly of interest to donors and humanitarian agencies as they consider how to reduce the growing humanitarian burden and reconsider how aid is spent. FbA programming uses fo
Sedimentary molybdenum (Mo) and uranium (U) enrichments are widely used to reconstruct changes in bottom water oxygen conditions in aquatic environments. Until now, most studies using Mo and U have focused on restricted suboxic-euxinic basins and continental margin oxygen minimum zones (OMZs), leaving mildly reducing and oxic (but eutrophic) coastal depositional environments vastly understudied. C
Mitochondrial quality control prevents accumulation of intramitochondrial-derived reactive oxygen species (mtROS), thereby protecting cells against DNA damage, genome instability, and programmed cell death. However, underlying mechanisms are incompletely understood, particularly in fungal species. Here, we show that Cryptococcus neoformans heat shock factor 3 (CnHsf3) exhibits an atypical function
• Semiarid regions control a large fraction of the interannual variability in the global terrestrial CO2 sink and of atmospheric CO2 growth rate. • Semiarid ecosystems are characterized by recurring disturbances that alter the regional C budgets. As disturbances are expected to become more frequent or intense in the future, quantifying their contribution to semiarid C balance is crucial. • We revi
