Global assessment report on disaster risk reduction: risk and poverty in a changing climate

This is the first biennial global assessment of disaster risk reduction prepared in the context of the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction. It focuses on the nexus between disaster risk and poverty, in a context of global climate change.
The 2009 Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction is the first biennial global assessment of disaster risk reduction prepared in the context of the International Strategy forDisaster Reduction (ISDR). The focus of this report is the nexus between disaster risk and poverty, in a context of global climate change. Both mortality and economic loss risk are heavily concentrated in developing countries and within these countries they disproportionately affect the poor. Disaster impacts have persistent, longterm negative impacts on poverty and human development that undermine the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). This report identifies underlying risk drivers such as vulnerable rural livelihoods, poor urban governance and declining ecosystems that shape the relationship between disaster risk and poverty. It also shows how climate change will magnify the uneven social and territorial distribution of risk, increasing the risks faced by the poor and further amplifying poverty.

environmental awareness in Tamilnadu

The best way to attempt to bring about a change in the attitudes in the society is through children. They have no vested interests. They are impressionable. They are our future. They are the single most important influence in any family. With this realisation the Ministry of Environment & Forests, Government of India and the department of Environment are working towards creating Environmental awareness among school students in Tamil Nadu.The main objectives of this programme is to educate children about their immediate environment and impart knowledge about the eco-systems, their inter-dependence and their need for survival, through visits and demonstrations and to mobilise youngsters by instilling in them the spirit of scientific inquiry into environmental problems and involving them in the efforts of environmental preservation

KPCL defends power plants at Yedlapur, Yeramaras

KPCL MD S M Jaamdar said on Thursday that even though the land allotted to construct the plant in Yeramaras belonged to Karnataka Industrial Development Board (KIADB), they would still be providing jobs to one member per family to about 250 families. “The land was not purchased for our needs, but by the KIADB for setting up an industrial park in 1980.They had acquired 3,600 acres and have now given us 865 acres. Not only will we be providing jobs to one member each of the 250 families who have given up their land, but we will also be employing 2000 people for direct employment and 3000 people for ancillaries.”He dismissed claims of fly ash from the chimneys polluting the environment and also causing silicosis, a form of lung disease, saying that independent authorities had submitted a report stating that there was no proof of increase in the levels of silicosis. Saying that they were ready to discuss and negotiate, Jaamdar said that there was no point in calling a bundh.Protests galoreProtests have marked the announcement and the foundation laying of the project. Different parties have gathered under the umbrella organisation Raichur Hitarakshana Samithi to protest the project. Some of the protesters want the project to move out of Raichur entirely, while another section wants the power plant in Raichur, but in another place called Chandrabanda. Residents are wary of increase in the amount of fly ash area, with two power plants starting in addition to the eight unit of Raichur Thermal Power Station, scheduled to be operational from November this year. A meeting will be held on Saturday to decide the future course of action. A public hearing has also been called on June 19.

Lighting Research Center assesses light pollution

Scientists at the Lighting Research Center (LRC) at Troy, NY-based Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have developed the first-ever comprehensive method for predicting and measuring various aspects of light pollution. Too much nighttime illumination can cause problems for stargazing and animal healthand may even compromise sleep, but light pollution may not be an issue that most facility managers and building owners consider a top priority. Balancing public and private interests for nighttime lighting has been a difficult undertaking--too little lighting may increase safety and security issues, and too much lighting may cause problems for the environment and human well being--but the LRC research hopes to simplify the problem.
The LRC method, called Outdoor Site-Lighting Performance (OSP), allows users to quantify and optimize the performance of existing and planned lighting designs and applications to minimize the amount of excessive or obtrusive light that leaves the boundaries of a property.
"Until now, the conversation about light pollution had been just that--a lot of talk with no data," says Mark Rea, LRC director and principal investigator for the project. He also says the new method "is a power tool, allowing users to address three important aspects of light pollution--sky glow, light trespass, and discomfort glare--quantitatively and at the same time."
Developed as a practical system for assessing outdoor lighting performance, the OSP method can be used with any commercial lighting software. A database of results has been created to help users compare the performance of their own projects to the glow, trespass, and glare levels measured at nighttime lighting applications across North America and Europe.

Indonesia Forest Fires Fan Regional Haze Concern

well as being unhealthy, the smog can cause major economic disruption costing the tourism, transport and farming sectors billions of dollars.
Spurred on by the 1997-98 fires, Southeast Asian countries signed the ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution in 2002, but Indonesia has yet to ratify the pact.
Areas such as Sumatra and Borneo regularly suffer from forest fires, but risks appear to have risen with the return of the El Nino weather pattern this year.
"The dry season (in Riau) will peak at the end of June to July which may increase hotspots and with wind coming from Australia to Asia, the haze could travel to Malaysia and Singapore," said Blucer Doloksaribu, head of the meteorology agency in Riau's provincial capital of Pekanbaru.
Riau, along with other parts of Sumatra, frequently suffers from forest fires.
Malaysia has already been suffering from haze this year and visibility was cut in the capital Kuala Lumpur last week while air quality in several parts of the country was deemed unhealthy.
Bustar Maitar, forest campaigner for Greenpeace Southeast Asia, said the number of fires appeared to be decreasing, but warned an anticipated long dry season could increase the numbers this year.
He also said the risk of forest fires was also being increased by the land clearing practices linked to some plantation firms and pulp-paper firms.
"Burning forests is still the cheapest way for companies to clear land although the government has prohibited it," he said.
Indonesian data showed the number of hotspots in Sumatra based on satellite surveillance had fallen to 28 as of Sunday from 99 last week after rain.
But on Borneo island the number of hot spots rose to 69 from 17 last week.
"If the weather remains dry, they (hot spots in Borneo) will gradually increase just like in Sumatra and will cause haze," Endarwin, head of extreme weather at Indonesia's meteorology agency said.
The agency has so far not issued recommendations to stop flights because visibility was still above minimum level of 1,000 meters (3,280 ft), he said.
Maitar of Greenpeace criticized a government move earlier in the year to end a moratorium on allowing palm oil plantations and pulp companies to operate in peatlands.
Environmentalists are particularly concerned over an increasing trend toward converting peatland forests.
Once these areas are drained, peat soil is highly flammable, producing more smoke and carbon emissions than other soil types.
INDONESIA NEWS

Ban the two-stroke rickshaw

The just out Economic Survey of Pakistan notes that although air quality in many of our cities is bad, studies conducted in Lahore and Karachi show that carbon monoxide, cadmium and lead levels in these cities far exceed the internationally accepted threshold limits. An estimated 60 to 70 percent pollution in our cities is caused by vehicular emissions. And the biggest polluters are the 2-stroke rickshaws.While the introduction of Euro-II emission standards, starting next month, can only be welcomed, the measure by itself will not be enough to solve the problem. The government must do a lot more. First of all, there is need to create greater public awareness about the health hazards uncontrolled vehicular pollution creates. Second, the existing motor vehicle fitness regulations should be enforced effectively.Third, the rickshaws must be told to comply with cleaner air requirements or ordered off roads. The provincial governments must announce a cut-off date towards that end. In Punjab the previous government had actually given a deadline to rickshaw owners along with an offer of easy availability of loans to acquire green rickshaws, but its resolve to act fizzled out in the face of resistance from rickshaw owners. The present government has also tried and failed to do the needful.The last government had introduced green rickshaws under the president's and chief minister's schemes. These did not prove successful because of complaints about engineering defects. That is a valid issue and needs to be rectified by those concerned. But the rickshaw owners also cite economic reason to insist that if their old two-stroke vehicles are banned they would face economic hardship.Ordinarily, that should be an important consideration, not in the present case since it has to be weighed against the harm that is caused, on a continual basis, to the health of millions of city dwellers. The government, therefore, must refuse to be blackmailed into giving up doing something that is in the larger public interest. What it can, and should, do to encourage the changeover to green vehicles is to offer some sort of monetary concession - justifiable on account of its likely benefit in the form of reduced public health expenditure on pollution-related diseases.
Pakistan News

Indoor air pollution 4th leading risk factor for diseases

Health and Family Welfare Minister Prof AFM Ruhal Haque has said necessary measures will be taken to reduce indoor air pollution (IAP) to minimise its dire impact on human body, preserve ecosystem and mitigate global warming.
He was speaking at the inaugural session of a workshop titled 'Indoor Air Pollution' organised jointly by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and GTZ, a German agency for technical cooperation, at a city hotel yesterday.
“We have to take measures to mitigate climate change for our survival, and to preserve our local ecosystems by ensuring maximum utilisation of our natural resources,” the minister said.
Presenting the keynote paper Dr Joseph H Graziano, professor of Environment Health Science at Columbia University, said cooking by burning biomass like charcoal, wood, agricultural residue and cow dung is primarily responsible for IAP.
At least 20 percent of global warming is caused by IAP, he said, adding that it doubles the risk of pneumonia, tuberculosis, asthma, cardiovascular diseases, low birth weight and prenatal health outcomes.
Dr Joseph said it has been estimated that in developing countries IAP is the fourth leading risk factor contributing to various diseases.
“In the urban as well as rural areas of Bangladesh, the level of indoor air pollution is higher than outdoor air pollution,” he added.
Dr Joseph said GTZ has promoted an improved stove to reduce indoor air pollution and its associated health impacts at the household levels.
A better ventilation, which has been set in the improved stoves, is the replacement of traditional three-stone or shielded open-fire cooking, he added.
Dr Joseph said the improved stoves are mainly developed by the Institute of Fuel Research and Development of Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research and further improved by its partner organisation GTZ.
To date more than 1000 young women and men have been trained, who have constructed over 1,40,000 stoves in the country under the supervision of GTZ, he added.
He also laid emphasis on creating mass awareness about the health damage caused by IAP and encouraging people to take preventive measure in this regard.
Dr Andrew Trevett, acting WHO representative to Bangladesh, Otto Gomm, programme coordinator of GTZ, and Sheikh Altaf Hossain, secretary to health and family welfare ministry were present at the workshop.
Bangladeh news