Extreme Events Impact Studies (EEIS) Network 

On March 28, 2025, a catastrophic Mw 7.7 earthquake struck central Myanmar along the Sagaing Fault, a major dextral strike-slip boundary between the Burma Microplate and Sunda Plate. The shallow (10 km depth), supershear rupture propagated over 460 km, causing surface displacements exceeding 6 m and violent shaking (MMI IX) in urban centers like Mandalay, Sagaing, and Naypyidaw. The event resulted in over 4900 fatalities, 6000 injuries, and widespread destruction of infrastructure, including residential, governmental, and religious structures. Transboundary impacts were notable in Bangkok, Thailand, where soft-soil amplification led to the collapse of a 33-story skyscraper, claiming 29 lives. The earthquake highlighted systemic vulnerabilities in urban planning, historical preservation, and disaster preparedness, exacerbated by rapid urbanization and inadequate seismic codes. This multidisciplinary study integrates seismic, geological, and socio-economic analyses to examine the event’s mechanisms and consequences. Key findings underscore the role of oblique Indian Plate convergence (35 mm/year) and recurrent seismicity along the Sagaing Fault, with historical precedents dating to 1912. Secondary disasters, including infrastructure collapse and amplified distant shaking, emphasized the interconnected risks in tectonically active regions. The report critiques existing building standards and emergency frameworks, advocating for enhanced seismic monitoring, retrofitting of critical infrastructure, and international collaboration in disaster risk reduction. Lessons from Myanmar’s catastrophe provide a critical blueprint for improving resilience in rapidly developing seismically vulnerable regions globally.

The complete published report is available at: 

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Report can be cited as: 

S. Khan, U. A. Noor, and Z.-D. Xu, “In the wake of the March 28, 2025 Myanmar earthquake: A detailed examination,” Journal of Dynamic Disasters, vol. 1, no. 2, p. 100017, 2025. doi: 10.1016/j.jdd.2025.100017 . Available: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2950576325000017

The August 2025 flash floods in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Pakistan, represent one of the most severe hydro-meteorological disasters in recent decades. Triggered by record-breaking cloudbursts and intense monsoon rainfall between 14 to 16 August, the event caused more than 650 fatalities nationwide, including 328 in KP, with 274 deaths and 227 missing persons reported in Buner District. Beyond the human toll, the floods destroyed 45 bridges, disrupted 200 km of road networks, damaged more than 10,000 houses, and displaced over 45,000 people, causing widespread economic and infrastructural losses across the region. This report presents a technical assessment of the meteorological, hydrological, and socio-economic dimensions of the disaster, showing rainfall intensities exceeding 120 mm/hour, cumulative precipitation of 350 mm within 24 hours, and river discharges reaching up to 20 times above normal levels. These extremes were intensified by steep topography, deforestation, settlement in valley bottoms, and landslides, which accelerated runoff and debris flows. Attribution studies confirm that climate change amplified rainfall intensity by 10–15% and made such events two to three times more likely compared with historical baselines. Beyond the physical factors, the disaster revealed systemic weaknesses in Pakistan’s disaster management framework, including inadequate early warning dissemination, fragile infrastructure, and limited institutional and community preparedness in mountainous regions. These deficiencies underscore the need for targeted investment in climate-resilient infrastructure, integrated multi-hazard early warning systems, and community-based disaster risk reduction to mitigate the impacts of future disasters. The report outlines evidence-based recommendations for institutional capacity building, ecosystem-based flood management, financial risk-transfer mechanisms, and the mainstreaming of climate adaptation into development planning. Collectively, the August 2025 floods underscore Pakistan’s escalating climate risks and the urgent need to move from reactive disaster response toward proactive, long-term resilience building.

The complete report is available at: 

👉 Read/Download Full Report (ResearchGate)

This report presents a comprehensive, multidisciplinary analysis of the 29 July 2025 Kamchatka megathrust earthquake (mainshock origin time 2025-07-29 23:24:52 UTC), synthesizing seismic, geodetic, tsunami, remote-sensing and field-observation data to characterize the rupture, tsunami generation, and regional impacts. Using published USGS finite-fault models, regional ShakeMap products, tsunami gauge and run-up measurements, satellite imagery, and preliminary geodetic offsets, we show that the event released moment consistent with a moment magnitude of ~Mw 8.8 (regional estimates Mw 8.6–8.8). The rupture propagated across an unusually large portion of the Kuril–Kamchatka subduction interface (length scales inferred from different models ≈390–600 km and widths ≈140–200 km), produced localized maximum slip near ~14.5 m with multiple >10 m slip patches, and persisted for ≈180–240 s. A Mw 7.4 foreshock on 20 July preceded intense aftershock activity (≥1,095 events reported in the weeks after the mainshock). The tsunami exhibited strong spatial heterogeneity: measured coastal run-ups reached locally ~17–19 m in constrained bays of the Kurils and Kamchatka, while distant Pacific recordings (e.g., Hawaii, parts of South America, and Japan) showed amplitudes up to ~1.7 m and widespread ocean-wide oscillations. Geodetic offsets of up to ~2 m southeastward were recorded on the peninsula, and at least one naval floating pier at Rybachiy suffered localized damage visible in satellite imagery. Although reported human casualties were limited relative to event size, substantial infrastructure damage and extensive tsunami inundation at exposed ports underline the asymmetric risk posed by large interplate ruptures. We discuss implications for seismic-gap hypotheses along the Kuril–Kamchatka arc, cascading earthquake–volcano interactions observed after the mainshock, and priorities for rapid post-event reconnaissance, tsunami-hazard reassessment, and resilience measures for coastal and naval infrastructure.

On 31 August 2025, a shallow Mw 6.0 earthquake (hypocentre ≈ 8 km) struck Nurgal District, Kunar Province, eastern Afghanistan, producing violent ground shaking (MMI ≈ IX) and a damaging aftershock sequence. The reverse (thrust) rupture and steep mountainous terrain triggered widespread landsliding and severe structural collapse. The event caused extensive human and infrastructure losses: on the order of thousands of fatalities and injuries and the destruction of thousands of homes across Kunar and neighboring provinces. Damage was amplified by the predominance of non-engineered adobe and unreinforced masonry housing, heavy roof systems, limited road access, and disrupted critical services (health, water, and education). We combine seismological data, remote sensing, field observations, and impact reports to characterize the event and its drivers. The findings highlight urgent priorities for Afghanistan: retrofit and resilient construction, targeted risk-reduction in remote communities, improved access for emergency response, and strengthened regional coordination for seismic monitoring and humanitarian action.