1. Flooding and droughts drove them from their homes. Now they’re seeking a safe haven in New York. The Guardian.

An October 2025 article in The Guardian reported how worsening floods, droughts, and storms are forcing thousands of families from countries like Bangladesh, Senegal, and Guatemala to leave their homes and migrate in search of safety (Jiwa & Mandiola, 2025). The authors described how extreme weather has destroyed farms, houses, and infrastructure, making it impossible for many people to rebuild. For instance, repeated river floods in Bangladesh have erased villages that once depended on rice cultivation, while droughts in Africa and Central America are making farmlands unlivable. Many displaced people are now seeking to settle in major cities even as far away as New York hoping to start over. The article emphasized that these migrations are not only the result of natural disasters, but also of deep inequalities, weak governance, and a lack of adaptation support.

This story felt deeply personal to me because I am from Bangladesh one of the countries mentioned in the article. I grew up hearing stories about families who lost everything to floods or river erosion and had to move to our capital Dhaka or even abroad to survive. Seeing those same stories appear in global media made me realize how local experiences are now part of a global climate reality. Climate migration is not just about changing locations; it’s about losing identity, memories, and a sense of belonging. What I found especially meaningful is how this article connects emotional storytelling with structural problems. It reminded me of McLeman’s (2014) research, which explains that climate migration is not simply a “choice” but a survival response when both environmental and social systems collapse. Reading this, I understood that climate disasters are not only physical events they are social and psychological ruptures. From a communication standpoint, I think it’s vital to show that climate migration is not about “others” far away; it’s about people like us, who are part of the same world system.As a Bangladeshi student studying climate communication, this topic gives me a sense of duty.  I feel that effective communication should go beyond statistics and show human resilience the courage of families rebuilding lives after losing everything. To me, this article is a reminder that storytelling can connect empathy with action. Climate migration is a shared story of struggle, adaptation, and hope and it’s one we all must listen to.

Reference: Jiwa, J., & Mandiola, C. (2025, October 22). Flooding and droughts drove them from their homes. Now they’re seeking a safe haven in New York. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/oct/22/climate-disasters-migration-newyork ; McLeman, R. A. (2014). Climate and human migration: Past experiences, future challenges. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139084162

2. The Great Mosquito Resurgence in the United States

A September 2025 feature in Vox painted a sobering picture of mosquito-borne diseases making a strong comeback in the United States (Irfan, 2025). Once thought to be confined to tropical regions, viruses such as dengue, chikungunya, and even malaria are appearing more often in states like Texas and Florida. The article explained how warmer temperatures, wetter seasons, and urban expansion are creating the perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes. In Texas, for example, researchers have expanded surveillance after detecting more frequent cases of West Nile virus and a small number of locally acquired dengue infections. Global travel adds another layer of risk, since travelers can unknowingly carry viruses into communities that were previously unaffected. The message is clear: climate change and globalization are reshaping the health map of the U.S., and the insects we once dismissed as summer nuisances now carry very real dangers.

What makes this story unsettling is how familiar it feels. Mosquitoes are something everyone has swatted away on a summer night, but now they represent a hidden threat that could reshape daily routines. Reading about local dengue transmission in Texas makes it hard to think of these illnesses as “distant problems.” The news also highlights an uncomfortable truth: our health is inseparable from the environment we live in. It isn’t just about hospitals or vaccines; it’s about managing standing water in backyards, supporting public health surveillance, and recognizing that climate change isn’t abstract—it is changing what diseases we face at home. Personally, I find it a wake-up call that prevention starts not only with governments but also with small actions in our own communities.

Reference: Irfan, U. (2025, September 17). The great mosquito resurgence. Vox. Retrieved from https://www.vox.com/climate/461647/vector-borne-disease-threats-us-texas-malaria-westnile-oropouche-fever

3. Climate disaster and climate change in Korea

KBS News reported expert commentary from Korean climate scientists warning that 2025 could be “more dangerous” as climate change reshapes Korea’s climate patterns and raises the likelihood of more frequent extreme events. The article explains that the country is moving toward a “new normal” in which summers last longer and become hotter, making heatwaves not only more common but also more intense and more hazardous for everyday life. It also highlights that recent weather has become increasingly unstable and difficult to predict, with rapid shifts between severe cold and unusually warm conditions. This kind of volatility matters because many parts of society still operate based on the expectation of four distinct, predictable seasons. When those patterns weaken, the impacts ripple outward. Farming calendars and crop stability can suffer, schools and workplaces face new safety challenges, and public health systems must prepare for heat-related illness, dehydration, and increased risk to older adults, children, and outdoor workers. The report also notes that even if the previous year felt relatively mild in terms of typhoon damage, this does not mean the risk is decreasing. 

Warmer sea surface temperatures around the Korean Peninsula can supply more energy and moisture to storms, which can increase the potential for stronger typhoons and heavier rainfall events that overwhelm drainage systems and raise the risk of flooding and landslides. The article frames these issues as more than just “bad weather,” arguing that climate change is increasingly capable of disrupting social systems, infrastructure, and safety planning that were designed for a different climate reality. Finally, it stresses that delaying progress toward carbon neutrality increases the chance of crossing climate tipping points. Once those thresholds are passed, reversing damage becomes much harder and more expensive, so the article presents early and sustained mitigation, alongside better preparedness, as the most realistic path to protecting public health and maintaining social stability in the years ahead.

What struck me most is how the scientists frame the problem as a breakdown of “normal life,” not just a change in temperature. When seasons become unreliable, it affects everything from school schedules and farming calendars to hospital preparedness and public safety messaging. Personally, I notice that climate news can feel overwhelming because it often sounds like a warning with no clear handle for ordinary people. In risk communication terms, fear-based messages work only when people also believe effective action is possible. If people feel high threat but low efficacy, they tend to shut down or avoid the topic. This is why I think the article’s emphasis on carbon neutrality is important, but it still needs a bridge to everyday, actionable steps. National policy matters most, but public communication should translate “carbon neutrality” into visible choices people can understand, such as cooling center access, heat health alerts, safer work rules during heatwaves, and community-level preparedness for floods and typhoons. For me, climate communication becomes more motivating when it pairs honest urgency with practical pathways, so that anxiety turns into participation rather than fatigue. 

Reference: 신방실. (2025 년 1 월 12 일). [기후위기] “올해는 더 위험” 기후학자들의 경고. KBS News. https://v.daum.net/v/20250112214314450 (Daum)

4. What caused Nepal’s devastating flood damage and how was it contained

In October 2025, Al Jazeera reported that Nepal experienced severe flooding and landslides after several days of very heavy rainfall. Many people died and homes, roads and bridges were destroyed. Eastern districts like Ilam were hit the hardest. Entire hillsides collapsed because the soil could not hold the amount of water that fell in such a short time. The article explained that strong monsoon winds carried large amounts of moisture from the Bay of Bengal toward Nepal. Some places received more than 300 millimeters of rain within one or two days, which is extremely dangerous for a mountainous country. Because slopes in Nepal are steep and fragile, heavy rainfall easily causes landslides and flash floods. The interim government responded quickly by using weather forecasts, issuing warnings, closing risky highways and sending rescue teams with heavy equipment. Experts said these actions helped reduce the number of deaths even though the overall damage was still severe.

What affected me most in this news is that the disaster was not only caused by nature. It was caused by the combination of extreme weather, geography and human vulnerability. Heavy rain and mountains are natural, but houses on unstable hillsides, weak roads and lack of resources make the situation much worse. As a South Asian student, I feel close to this issue. In Bangladesh, India and Nepal, we grow up knowing when monsoon usually comes. Rain is part of our culture and our memories. But now the rain does not follow the old pattern. When I read that Nepal received more than 300 millimeters of rain so suddenly, I imagined how frightening it would be to hear that much rain at night and not know if your home will survive. From an academic point of view, this event connects to ideas I learned in climate communication and disaster studies:

1. Climate change and extreme rainfall 

Warmer atmosphere holds more moisture and releases it in short, heavy bursts. This does not mean climate change caused this flood directly, but it increases the chance of extreme rain. 

2. Disasters are socially produced

Disaster researchers say that hazards become disasters when they meet vulnerable people. Many Nepalese families live on slopes because they are poor or have limited land. This makes them exposed to risk even before the rain arrives.

When disasters keep happening every year, people lose not only physical things but also their trust in the future. They begin to feel uncertain about their own environment. I believe climate communication should also help communities deal with emotional loss and stress, not only share technical information.

Reference: Shamim, S. (2025, October 7). What caused Nepal’s devastating flood damage and how was it contained Al Jazeera. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/10/7/what-caused-nepalsdevastating-flood-damage-and-how-was-it-contained