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Dangerous Climate ‘Whiplash’ Is Impacting Cities Globally, Report Finds

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15 Mar, 2025

This post was originally published on Eco Watch

In a new report, researchers have ranked global cities for flood and drought risks and determined that some of the biggest cities in the world are facing dangerous climate swings between dry and wet periods. Some cities have seen a total change in their climate, moving from typically dry regions to regions prone to flooding and vice versa, according to the study.

The report, conducted by non-governmental organization WaterAid in collaboration with researchers from the University of Bristol and Cardiff University, investigated the climate trends in the 100 most-populated cities globally as well as 12 cities where the NGO operates. 

In total, 95% of the observed cities were experiencing a shift toward wetter or dryer climates, as The Guardian reported.

According to the findings, 15% of the cities are experiencing climate “whiplash,” where they face periods of drought almost immediately followed by flooding. As The Guardian reported, the recent wildfires in Los Angeles were an example of such whiplash, with wetter periods both before and after the fires. 

The rainy period increased vegetation growth, which fueled larger fires. Now, after the fires, some people in Southern California are being evacuated amid wetter weather because of increased mudslide risks, ABC News reported.

“These are recent burn areas and are especially susceptible to heavy rain,” the Los Angeles Fire Department warned. These extreme back-and-forth patterns are happening to cities globally and could worsen, the new report warned.

About 20% of the cities in the study have shifted from more dry extreme weather to wet extremes, with 13% of these cities moving toward wetter climate extremes and 7% moving toward drier extremes. 

WaterAid

“Places that were historically wet are becoming dry and vice versa. Other places are now increasingly battered by both extreme floods and droughts. A deeper understanding of localised climate hazards can support more intelligent and bespoke planning in major cities,” Katerina Michaelides, co-lead scientist on the project and professor of Dryland Hydrology at the University of Bristol, said in a statement.

The cities facing varying climate extremes face risk of infrastructure that cannot keep up with the shifts in wet or dry weather events. As explained by WaterAid, extreme flooding threatens water sanitation and waste systems, which can lead to disease spread. On the other hand, extreme drought puts strain on water resources.

South and southeast Asia and north and east Africa were highlighted as two particularly vulnerable regions to the extreme climate whiplash, with the cities facing the highest risks including Khartoum, Sudan; Faisalabad, Pakistan; Lahore, Pakistan; Baghdad, Iraq; Surabaya, Indonesia; Nairobi, Kenya; and Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

“As the nature and intensity of natural hazards change, their impacts on urban communities will be significantly shaped by social and infrastructural vulnerabilities,” said Sean Fox, associate professor of global development at University of Bristol who provided research for the report. “In other words, risk isn’t just about the chance of a flood or drought occurring, it’s also about how prepared communities are to deal with these hazards.”

To improve equitable access to water, sanitation and hygiene services and make infrastructure better prepared for changing climate and extreme weather, WaterAid is recommending for governments to prioritize climate and water actions and provide plans for adapting to climate; for developers, banks and the private sector to increase investments in climate-resilient water infrastructure and services; and for all parties involved in water services and infrastructure to prioritize the most vulnerable communities.

“We urge the UK to show leadership and maintain its influential role in tackling global climate and health challenges — essential to creating a secure world free from poverty,” Tim Wainwright, chief executive of WaterAid UK, said in a statement. “Now, we need to turn commitments into action — for leaders to build and invest in systems worldwide that can withstand extreme weather and keep clean water flowing globally.”

The post Dangerous Climate ‘Whiplash’ Is Impacting Cities Globally, Report Finds appeared first on EcoWatch.

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Battery life and EV cybersecurity projects receive funding

Battery life and EV cybersecurity projects receive funding

Swinburne University of Technology researchers have been awarded close to $920,000 to advance two projects for battery life and EV cybersecurity, securing a portion of over $46 million shared across 75 new projects.

The university received the funding in the latest round of Australian Research Council’s (ARC) Linkage Projects 2024. The scheme, part of the ARC’s National Competitive Grants Program, funds research that delivers practical benefits and strengthens Australia’s innovation and industry capabilities.

Swinburne’s Deputy Vice Chancellor Research, Professor Karen Hapgood, said, “These projects demonstrate how our researchers are partnering with industry to deliver practical solutions, from extending the life of battery systems to securing Australia’s electric vehicle infrastructure. It’s a powerful example of how university research is driving innovation and supporting a more sustainable, technologically advanced future.”

The first of the two projects, led by Professor Weixiang Shen, received $449,882 to extend the lifetime of battery energy storage systems for power grids.

“This project will enable my team to develop an innovative control strategy to actively manage the operating conditions of an individual battery cell using digital twin technology. It offers an excellent opportunity to implement and validate our approach in inverter-less battery energy storage systems provided by our industry partner, which uniquely enables cell-level control within the system,” Shen said.

“The project’s outcomes will strengthen Australia’s leadership in advanced energy storage technologies, support the growth of the domestic manufacturing sector, and contribute to the creation of high-skilled jobs.”

Aiming to enhance energy storage performance, the three-year project will develop new strategies to slow battery aging within each cell. It will use digital twin technology, combining deep learning and electrochemical modelling, to predict the impact of operating conditions on battery aging and regulate these conditions to control the aging process and extend battery life.

Working in partnership with Relectrify Pty Ltd, the project team will support Australia’s transition to sustainable energy by delivering longer battery life and reduced downtime so that battery systems can produce more over time.

The second project, led by Professor Yang Xiang, received $474,531 to address cybersecurity challenges in electric vehicle charging stations.

“This grant will allow my team to build advanced cybersecurity tools that address the challenges posed by the interaction between EV charging stations, diverse EVs, the national power grid and wireless communication protocols,” Xiang said.

“It creates a unique opportunity to generate novel research insights, validate solutions in real-world settings, and produce tools with strong commercialisation potential. Its outcomes support sustainable economic growth by enabling the safe uptake of EVs, reducing emissions and creating jobs.”

Electric vehicle charging stations are widely deployed, but they face complex security risks due to the diversity of electric vehicles, their connection to the power grid, and wireless communication with users. The three-year project aims to address these challenges by functionality-guided, update-guided and greybox-guided fuzzing techniques.

Working in partnership with T-POWER Pty Ltd, the project team will explore methods for testing charging stations and developing advanced tools to secure EV infrastructure and improve cybersecurity within Australia’s expanding sustainable transport sector.

Image credit: iStock.com/narvo vexar

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