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IMPULSE FOUNDATION: A COMMUNICATION STRATEGY TO FACE EMERGENCY SITUATIONS

Posted in Uncategorized on 03/20/2010 11:05 pm by Mainak Mazumder

                           http://datastore.rediff.com/h5000-w5000/thumb/61565F65596459686560706E/drz44006hvcci2oi.D.0.radio999999999.jpg


It was in the eighteenth century when thinkers like Malthus perceived that Nature was similar to an organization, which worked through checks and balances. If the earth was overcrowded, natural calamities occurred and reduced the population. On the other hand, humans possibly by its own choice maintained this balance through restraint and planning. Humans couldn’t but exploit natural resources if he/she has to live a comfortable life and on the other hand nature needs to maintain her stability. There need to be an equilibrium between the needs and growth, otherwise a breakdown occurs and the obvious question that surrounds us is to what degree can this disturbance be absorbed by nature. It’s true that our environment is bounteous but not infinitely so. The only intelligent way to solve this crisis is to reconsider the degree of exploitation which humans can afford for serving the purpose.

Emergency Management not only concerns environmental, social, financial and political set ups but also is eminently concerned with the acts of human in addition to its cognitive, effective and evaluative process. Behavior at the time of catastrophes refers not simply to visible political action but also to those perceptual, motivational and attitudinal components which craft for human political identification demands and his system of benefits, values and goals. Behaviouralism is one of the most important developments in this century. Now this new and modern approach is made applicable for the study of disaster management.

In simple words, behaviouralism emphasizes scientific, objective and value free study of political phenomenon as conditioned by the environment, particularly the behaviour of the individuals involved in the phenomenon. It’s from here came the concepts of ‘Society’, ‘Institution’, ‘Custom’, and the likes.

If for example someone mentions ‘the community’, we generally identify the particular reference on or after the context. He /She may be speaking of his home town or the ‘French Community’ or particular groups of place of worship or even about the nation. Again, if a speaker mentions ‘the crowd’, we may generally be sure that he is referring to say, ‘the rush hour crowd’ and not the ‘sporting crowd’. If we look deeply into this then one is clear that each of this represents a different kind of social phenomenon, but the context of conversation leads us to the correct choice. Each of the above ‘referents’ are provided by the circumstances. For example, when the sociologist speaks of ‘the community’, we are referring to a form of social organization which may be distinguished from other forms. We are interested in its common characteristics and in depicting its various types. We are interested again not only in this crowd or in that crowd, not merely in the description of a particular crowd at a particular time. The Sociologists here seeks to understand the crowd as a certain kind of complex social relations to contrast, say the way men behave in crowds from the way they behave in other kinds of groups. By nature human always desire to live in society and follows the rules and regulations of the state. If a person is left alone to live in a dense and dreadful forest, he/she will certainly feel extremely fed up with it and often sometime would certainly desire to be in the company of his fellow beings.

The present article focuses on impulse foundation for the communities at large and is another part of community based disaster management. ‘Community’ is a term we apply to a pioneer settlement, a village, a city, a tribe or a nation. Wherever the members of any group either miniature or a large form exist mutually in such a way that they share the basic conditions of common life, we call that a group of community. The work of a community is that life may be lived wholly within it. One can not live entirely within a business organization or a church; one can only live within a tribe or a city. The basic criterion of community, then, is that all of one’s social relationships may be found within it. There are communities, who are all inclusive and independent of others. Among primitive peoples, we sometimes find communities of no more than a hundred persons, as for example, among the yursk tribes of California, which are almost or together isolated. But modern communities and very large ones are much less self-contained. It’s rather economics and increasingly so, political interdependence, which is a major trait of our great modern communities.

A clear look into the theme would provide more details and the behavior they tend to take in retaliation to a natural calamity.  We may live in a metropolis and yet be members of a very small community because our interests are circumscribed within a narrow area. Or we may live in a village and yet belong to a community as wide as the whole area of our civilization or wider. No civilized community has walls around it to cut it completely off the larger one, whatever ‘iron curtains’ may be drawn by the rulers of this nation or that.

Hence, if we take that a community is an area of social living marked by some degree of social coherence, then the next point of communication strategy becomes much easier.

Let’s now examine as to how this communication could help to built impulses for disaster reduction, risks and promote reconciliation before, during and after disaster and conflict through the process of change in behavior within the communities. It specially tries to focus on the core area between a pre-disaster and post-disaster management. It is true that media fail just where they should be strongest, that is, at reaching large number of people quickly and cheaply, where alterative means of contact are not immediately possible. However it is seen that radio broadcasts alone, when professionally produced over a long period of time, can change the way people behave and thus in turn influence the community.

Hence all together a new scheme could be taken up, so that we are able to boost the basic instincts of an individual based on the trained reflexes, which could save a human from the clasp of a natural disaster (critical time 30-40 seconds).

It may be termed as ‘Project Impulse Foundation’.

When an emergency is sounded, most of us happen to be nervous and there is obviously a change in our behaviour. There is also a change in relations within a community, since the matter affects all of us within. Slowly, when the emergency takes a shape of a Natural catastrophe, it’s that 30-40 seconds of ones basic instinct which either saves us or leads to death.

Forget Science and other known attributes, its just BASIC INSTINCTS as what exactly we do out of our own sudden thought, which helps us to take some quick decisions.

It’s the impulse and the quick reflexes that make us do things, which we normally won’t do. These are where we need to stress more and it could be done through a simple yet very powerful tool called ‘Impulse Foundation’. The idea takes its strength after identification of an opportunity for a new form of emergency management from the school of theaters and dramas.

The origin of the theater goes back to times beyond recorded history. Twenty five thousand years ago, two thousand years before Shakespeare, western theater was born in Athens, Greece. Between 600 and 200 BC the ancient Athenians created a theatre culture whose form, technique and terminology have lasted two millennia and they created plays that are still considered among the greatest works of world drama. Their achievements was very remarkable if one considers that there have been only two other periods in the history of theatre that could be said to approach the greatness of ancient Athens – Elizabethan England and perhaps the twentieth century.

Theatre has affected social science in many ways. One of the major attributes of the theatre is emergency management. In essence theatre or drama is not just about entertainment but have a strong social message associated with it, which directly and indirectly affects our life. We can channelize the enormous power of this soft part for increasing the impulse growth of the target audiences, not only within a large community, but also in communities far more urban or rural background and get access into their culture to blend the theories of emergency management into their life. This saves lives. This is the essence of ‘IMPULSE FOUNDATION’.

But for that we need to understand the communities and its sentiment as nowadays we find, what never existed in primitive societies, people occupying specific local areas which lack the social coherence necessary to give them a community character. For example the residents of a ward or district of a large city may lack sufficient contacts or common interests to instill conscious identification with the area. Such a ‘neighborhood’ is not a community because it doesn’t posses a feeling of belonging together – it lacks community sentiment.

The Project speaks of a concept of one world. This is our target, where the communication can speak its own strategies and opens its marvelous dramas on emergencies for the people of the world.

Today as we look forward to high definition television bringing satellite – transmitted pictures from around the globe, we sometimes dismiss radio as merely a quaint prologue to the present. Radio was and is more than that. It defined the twentieth century as much as the automobile. The first modern mass medium radio made America into a land of listeners, entertaining and educating, angering and delighting and joining every age and class into a common culture. The various entertainers in the thirties and forties – the ‘golden age’ of broadcasting – captured the imagination of millions. People talked them as much about the schemes of Amos and the Kingfish or the visitors to Fibber Mc Gee and Molly as they talk today about Murphy Browns new baby or the blast video footage on the TV News. Radio created national crazes across America, taught Americans new wage to talk and think and sold them products they never know they needed. 

Radio brought them the world.

It was a new medium of radio at that time was to the printing press, what the telephone had been to the letter: It enabled listeners to experience an event as it happened. Radio which knows no geographic boundaries draw people together as never before. Sooner or later people wanted more of everything – music, talk, advice, drama. Radio meant that for the first time in history one person with a microphone could speak to many, influence them and perhaps change their lives. The concept borrowed the metaphor from a farmer scattering seeds across a field.

Now a single speaker could seed information, propaganda, entertainment, political and religious fervor, culture and even hatred across the world. The farmers phrase the word that changed the nation was broadcasting. It was the twenties, when we find that use of radios are slowly fading it out and the old dramas are becoming our memories but Radios has again emerged as the most necessary gadget coupled with the power of dramas and theaters with a new mission to reach remote places and save the world from disasters. This is the basis of project Impulsive Foundation.

It was in the mid eighties that broadcasters were faced with a set of opportunities as well as difficulties, in developing ‘socially useful’ radio programmes, designed to have an intended outcomes. In Afghanistan, where the war have left lives turned upside down, most schools and healthy centers had been destroyed, and they had to face the hazards post my millions of anti-personnel mines scattered from aircraft and farmers are facing newer challenges in cultivating crops and keeping animals alive. It was BBC along with Radio Afghanistan who was addressing those needs through their innovative dramas, which the locals were interested, although there were problems for effective social communication. But apart from the challenges, success always came in.

There were lots of pre-testing tests which was conducted prior to broadcast and people were able to identify the key messages that arose out of the programme. During later evaluations, the drama in which this analogy featured was the second most recalled programme. That project after following feedback from listeners and two local health services, it was established that radio was the primary source of information. It was this search for common ground that another International Non-Governmental Organization who specializes in using media to help populations in conflict and the post-conflict areas in Sierra Leone, Talking Drum Studio (TDS), undertook a number of activities to “strengthen communities to participate in building a tolerant, inclusive society for sustainable peace.” These activities included helping the local people and its production and creating good working relationships with the community, chiefs, army and police.

These had left with wonderful feedbacks from the war ravaged country of Sierra Leone. The people were quick to learn and remember facts from radio programmes. There were increase in knowledge and that the key information was the radio dramas. The fact which is to be seen is whether the same would apply to disaster prone areas as well. It is observed that people with access to radios do respond to ‘solutions-oriented’ entertainment programmes, particularly those broadcast in their local languages, which reflect their lives and with which they can identify.

It’s these programmes which can significantly affect our impulses or reflexes towards disaster management. The only factors that should be kept in mind are:

  • Dramas should be focused as well as entertaining

  • Programmes should be made after proper research for the target communities

  • Encourage local participation and find out innovative ways to involve local people

  • Programmes to achieve long term objectives

  • Programmes to also focus on success stories on other parts of the globe

  • Dramas to focus on vulnerable children and women

The project can definitely help the people to use their impulses/reflexes to save themselves from the grasp of a natural calamity in that crucial 30-40 seconds and would be a step towards creation of a Safer World for us as well as for our future generations.

Thanks a lot for reading.

—

Please send your feedback in the e-mail address given below.

Thanks and Regards,

Mr. Mainak Mazumder

Disaster Management Specialist and Consultant

E-mail: mainak@earthmessenger.org and mainak.mazumder@gmail.com

Website: http://www.earthmessenger.org
 

Heritage Photos: A Tribute To India’s First Female Photo Journalist

Posted in Homai on 08/05/2008 04:17 pm by Mainak Mazumder

On the Eve of India's Independence Day, here goes a tribute to Ms Homai Vyarawalla, India's first Woman photojournalist, (95 years) who worked at Delhi from 1942 to 1970, chronicling in pictures the nation's tumultuous march towards Independence and after. A witness to many historic events.
"The Newspaper gave me one rupee a picture, in those days. That was a big thing. Photography was something completely new, not being done by any other women"- She recalls

Ms Homai has very less friends. Born in 1913, into a middle class home in Navsari, Gujarat and daughter of an actor father, Homai grew up in Bombay. She was the only girl child in the entire class to successfully complete Matriculation.

In her own words, 'I normally accompanied my father to theatres, who used to direct plays. I was overjoyed to see colors, paints and brushes there and it soon became my toys. I believe it was my first step to what I wanted to do in my life. It was destined. I was a patient listener to my father when he has sessions with the co-artists and actors. It gave wings to my imagination.'

Ms Homai tied the knot with her school friend Mr. Manecksaw. This gentleman had a passion for photography. Within limited resources, he uses to take photographs. Denied of all the facilities, required to develop his photographs, it was just a hit and trial method for him.

"He covered blankets all around and made a darkroom for developing negatives, placed some colored glasses on his bicycle for light adjustments and then finally best pictures to the editors for publishing in their respective newspapers. It gave me a chance to see his work closely and I asked my mother if I could accompany him, for clicking photographs."

First Achievement:

Manecksaw and Homai went on for a picnic and then to see Amarnath Temple. On the way, she requested Manecksaw, if she could take some snaps.

She once said, "I don't know the theory part of photography; I don't know the focal length, aperture settings etc. I just imagine my composition and click accordingly."

While all the women were rejoicing, she went on capturing photographs. She was very excited after clicking her first photograph and went ahead by sending one of the pictures to the editor of "Bombay Chronicle" and her first picture, was published full page.

The newspaper gave her one rupee a picture in those days, which was considered to be a good amount by any standard.

Man behind a Women's Success:

Manecksaw saw the talent inside Homai and use to lend his camera often, so that she can go to different places and click photographs. A genius was born. Whenever, she saw something interesting, she would carry his camera and shoot. Manecksaw then use to sell them in his name, since publishers use to know him. It was later in the 1930s, that the pictures were created in Homai's name.

A Never ending career:

Homai started getting assignments from the illustrated weekly of India, when the war began. She was supposed to take pictures of all the war time activities. Later her name along with her husband's was recommended to establish the Far Eastern Bureau of the British Information Services in Delhi.

A scenario changed. At Mumbai, the pictures were of public but in Delhi, it became a political scenario.

Homai took her 3 year old son and stayed in her mother-in-laws house. She use to get all supports from the British Employers. Later she got the accreditation from the Onlooker (a paper about the evening functions of the high society people of Delhi) and she was allowed to go out and take photographs.

Homai use to like her profession so much that She use to do all the film processing work herself and after long office hours she used to manage her family work. She would wake up early in the morning, prepare breakfast and clean the house. The office permitted her to come late.

After independence, Homai was still doing well. All embassies use to keep in touch with her for her pictures and to be published in the Onlooker. She has never ending assignments.

Memories:
 
"Once, the then Chief Justice of India came for a visit to the Taj Mahal. After taking all the pictures inside the monument, I thought to get a shot of him while coming out of monument. I came down and started clicking. In order to get the correct combination I kept on moving back and forgot that there was a canal behind me full of water. Unfortunately I fell in water. I quickly came out and kept clicking all drenched. While going away the Chief Justice of India came to me and said, 'Never try this stunt again even if the weather is hot, it will break your bones"

Ms Homai had clicked photographs of almost every leader, kings, queens, ministers who came to India. At the age of 95, Homai is all alone now. She now practices women craft and keeps her busy. Her husband had expired. Her Son who was a chemical Engineer teaching at the Birla Institute of Technology had also expired due to Cancer.

She still engages herself in books, cooking and doing household work, "I do all my work myself. And that's what keeps me going."

She is a professional who keeps a distance from her subjects and refuses to be over-awed into hero-worshipping. This perhaps distinguishes her from the average photojournalist, who, given her fame and experience, would have been too willing to drop names and claim proximity with the great and mighty. There it is a selective memory around certain images of history; we're just very lucky to still have this heritage to access.

A lady who followed a road less traveled by and made a difference. On the eve of Independence Day, let's pay tribute to India's First Photojournalist. Her enchantress in true sense and child like simplicity produced her photographs effortlessly and in exquisite manner, which always reflected the ecstatic quality of her soul.

Her work will always be remembered and will continue to speak for centuries. 
"I know that if things are going to happen in a particular way, you can't stop them. This knowledge has helped me to carry on with life. Try your best and leave the rest to the Almighty. But don't give up trying. Thought of dying doesn't affect me, as that is the only truth of life."

Thanks for taking your time and reading this article. I do hope that you will kindly forward it to your near and dear ones. Incase, you want to share knowledge about this great lady, please feel free to revert back to us in our e-mail address:   admin@mainaksworld.com

Our Team will definitely try to incorporate your views on our website.

Thanks and Regards,
Mr. Mainak Mazumder
Founder
Disaster Management and Climate Change Website:    www.mainaksworld.com


 

Sleeplessness; A personal Disaster

Posted in Writing (Sleep Disorder) on 07/05/2008 11:37 pm by Mainak Mazumder


Sleepless nights and too much stress do affect our lives. Our biological clock acts abnormally and that's not natural. We sleep at night and wake up during day. Ask anyone and the answer goes; 'We need to sleep at least 8 hours a day'. But do we really do that? Some says 'Yes' and most will say 'No'. Employees of different organizations are so stressed with their daily schedules that some sleep with their eyes open. We are biologically designed to spend one third of our lives asleep. But many are just too busy to sleep. These hectic lifestyles have made the corporate to wake up to the sleep deficit of their employees who work for long hours.There can be various types of sleep disorders. They are given below:

a) Insomnia:

It is the inability to sleep. Generally, it is the problem to stay asleep. The symptoms include frequent awakenings, or waking up and finding that one is unable to sleep. It happens mostly due to worry or depression. Hence the easiest way to treat it is to remove depression from ones life. Always think positive and stay infront of bright light. A room well lighted gives you good positive thoughts and enhances your good mood. However, if your difficulty in sleeping has occurred for more than a month and is interfering with your daily functions, it is time to seek help from a professional. Treatment can be as simple as educating yourself on the reasons behind your insomnia.

b) Narcolepsy:

It is a sleep disorder causing excessive daytime sleepiness and, in many cases, sleeps attacks during waking hours.

c) Sleep Apnea:

Sleep Apnea is defined as the cessation of breathing during sleep.

d) Fibromyalgia:

People suffering from fibromyalgia suffer from overwhelming daytime fatigue despite an adequate amount of sleep and the presence of numerous painful tender points in the back hips, thighs and neck. Some exercise increases the phenomenon. Unfortunately, there is no specific diagnostic test for fibromyalgia. Instead, go from doctor to doctor in search of a diagnosis and often receive treatments directed at their individual symptoms. Most patients with fibromyalgia will concede that on those rare nights when they obtain a good night of sleep they feel significantly better, more alert and have a reduction in pain and discomfort.

e) Restless Legs Syndrome:

It is a movement disorder that causes uncomfortable sensations in the legs. These sensations typically are worse during periods of rest, especially just before sleeping at night, but they may happen during daytime periods of inactivity, such as watching a movie, attending a long business meeting or flying in a plane. Whenever the discomfort of Restless Legs Syndrome occurs, it is usually accompanied by an overwhelming urge to move the legs and this movement may relieve leg discomfort temporarily. During night, people suffering from these symptoms make it difficult to fall asleep. As a result, insomnia happens. The cause of RLS remains unknown. However, evidence suggests that there is dysfunction in dopamine pathways in the brain. It may also be linked to certain types of iron deficiency.

What the Research Says About Sleep Duration?

The first thing experts will tell you about sleep is that there is no “magic number.” Not only do different age groups need different amounts of sleep, but sleep needs are also individual. Just like any other characteristics you are born with, the amount of sleep you need to function best may be different for you than for someone who is of the same age and gender. While you may be at your absolute best sleeping seven hours a night, someone else may clearly need nine hours to have a happy, productive life. In fact, a 2005 study confirmed the fact that sleep needs vary across populations, and the study calls for further research to identify traits within genes that may provide a “map” to explain how sleep needs differ among individuals.

Though the actual amount of sleep is under research, but a minimum amount of 7-8 hours of sleep is necessary. Too less sleep can inhibit your productivity and have negative effect on your memory i.e your ability to remember and consolidate information and lack of sleep can also lead to serious health consequences and can seriously jeopardize your safety.

Sleep disturbance can lead to:

* Increased risk of motor vehicle accidents

* Increase in body mass index ' a greater likelihood of obesity due to an increased appetite caused by sleep deprivation

* Increased risk of diabetes and heart problems

* Increased risk for psychiatric conditions including depression and substance abuse

* Decreased ability to pay attention, react to signals or remember new information

Hence, sleep well and don't compromise on your sleep time. Stay healthy and increase your ability to cope up with your day to day challenges successfully.

Thanks for taking your time and reading this post. If there is any mistake in the above data, please let me know at our E-mail address:   admin@mainaksworld.com  or    mainaksworld@yahoo.com

MAINAKSWORLD has a new logo. The particular logo is designed by Mr. Suman Bajpeyi (Graphic Designer and Photographer). This is a voluntary work on his part. Please put a comment, if your time permits.

—- Mr. Mainak Mazumder

      Environmentalist (Double Gold Medallist in Masters) and Specialist in Disaster Management

      Founder of the Disaster Management and Climate Change Website:

      www.mainaksworld.com
 

Relief and Discrimination

Posted in Relief and Discrimination on 03/02/2008 08:11 pm by Mainak Mazumder

Relief and Discrimination:



In any emergency, the response by Governments and Aid organizations can only said to be successful when it reaches everyone in need. But in disaster zones worldwide, despite the best efforts of many, a great need remains.



The main things that happen in the disaster areas are:



1) Importance shifting to other emergent conflict points.


2) There is a clear lack of dialogue during the distribution of relief as a result there is discrimination based on the reasons of sex, ethnicity, religion etc.


3) The people of above sixty and disabled have difficulties in getting relief and plans should be made to help them out. The older persons and the disabled may find it difficult to travel to distribution sites and often do not have strength to carry the goods back to their shelters. This is the case, when the sites are located high above due to some security reasons. Mobility is also a big problem for these people, where flooding is regular. According to United Nations, the age of the older person is more than 60 years or over.



The elderly are often deemed helpless. When the Iranian city of Bam was destroyed by an earthquake in December 2003, killing over 26,000 people, disaster response experts were helped by local elderly men of influence who organized community responses across the city.



When relief material was distributed following the Indian Ocean Tsunami, An older people stood alone in the remains of his thatched roof and refused to join for collection of relief for him. Asked why he did not join in and he shook his head and said that' it's of no use. I've been pushed out before and have fallen on the ground. I know I'll get nothing this time around, too.



These are the challenges which are faced in general:



1) Use of untrained or unqualified personnel, lack of adherence to quality and accountability standards, as well as humanitarian principles and values and the non-utilization of local response capacities and skills.


2) Sometimes delayed entry of foreign relief workers or goods and equipment, lengthy procedures for gaining legal status to operate in the disaster-affected countries.



Special emphasis should be given to Women during a disaster. Because they are the persons, who are most vulnerable. So, whether disabled or not, young or old, of whatever colour or race, women remain the most vulnerable and discriminated category, whereas the first local response comes from women. At Banda Aceh, over 70 % of Staff of local NGOs delivering relief in Banda Aceh were women. There are instances where women were denied their rights to relief. Then there is violence against women at conflict areas. Alongside contraventions of women's rights, disaster after disaster produces irrefutable evidence that with displacement- be it as a result of natural hazards or conflict- the risks of physical abuse to women and girls rises substantially. The nature of the discrimination varies but commonly includes sexual violence, exploitation and abuse, forced prostitution, domestic violence, trafficking, forced and early marriage and widow inheritance.



In general some disaster prone communities are also vulnerable to discrimination. This happens especially with some disaster prone communities, groups, households and individuals. A disaster can reinforce various forms of discrimination. May it be social or may it be political or may it be racial. But the fact lies that we kill our humanity and our very essence of being humans and act in a different manner.



Another challenge, which is faced by the agencies are lack of continuous focus on the affected areas. This is due to the fact that when a disaster happens, in general the Media of the World focuses its attention to it. But at times, when things almost are half done, a different quite similar type of incidence occurs in some other part of the World and Journalists based there are given marching orders. This does hamper the development and the aid work, which was conducted in the area. Not only the agencies loses there focus but the obvious question that arises is that the Job/task remains half done. Later, we again bring some rehabilitation project into the area and that again involves lots of money. In the mean time, the persons involved in the first task loses there attention and thus lot of motivation is required for the new project officers to conduct the task. This is from my personal experience. Hence Journalists should be on board on disaster relief committees.



How to meet this challenge?



We have every reason to see that this is really a great challenge, which need to be addressed. We have to take some time and think on these lines. So, any international organizations should have separate regions and separate force ready to tackle the issues.



The international community needs to agree on clear definitions of all potential minority groups to prevent opposing interpretations and to ensure a common understanding of the vulnerability of minorities. Aid agencies need to improve initial need assessments by sharing information learning from experience and developing indicators on the impacts of discrimination. Minority and vulnerable groups need to be supported and enabled to participate in the planning; design and implementation of all emergency and non-emergency programmes. Agencies need to advocate within communities to change existing negative attitudes towards minority and vulnerable groups.



It's a tough task, but if these can be done then, we can move one step towards a sustainable world. Agencies need to advocate within communities to change existing negative attitudes towards minority and vulnerable groups. Government and Non-Governmental agencies must also identify and address obvious and hidden discrimination, within their organizations.



On the other hand disasters do not discriminate. They strike indiscriminately, affecting minorities and majorities alike. However, there are various impacts to discrimination. The vast desert and semi-desert region in northern Kenya is home to 3 million people ' most of whom are pastoralists. By 2006, there has been drought in the region. In Wajir in north eastern Kenya, visiting journalists reported that many grazing cattle had died by March and that two-thirds of the people were dependent on food aid. The crippling drought was then followed by floods. The appalling infrastructure seriously hampered the food and medical aid distribution programme, as the only road to the worst affected area had reportedly been washed away. The United Nations now has sophisticated early warning system in place, based on factors such as expected rainfall and crop yield, which can forecast when critical food shortages are likely to arise in advance. Then the obvious question comes to one's mind is that why the Government did not act in time. There may be many reasons but one may be due to the fact that Kenya's political elite consider or regard the pastoralist way of life as an anachronism. Often it is seen that geographically distant from the capital cities; pastoralists are also sidelined politically, lacking the influence to press their case in the corridors of power.



Now with the effect of climate change felt in most parts of the world, we have a problem in the desert areas of Africa. It is also clear that the long term impact can be catastrophic. Hence, the more we go on neglecting these issues; we are going to make our fellow brother's and sisters' more and more dependent to disaster relief assistance. Not only that there are evidence of caste based discrimination in some parts of the World. After the Indian Ocean Tsunami, 'Dalits' who are treated as 'untouchables' in the Hindu caste system, were forbidden by other castes from drinking water from UNICEF water tanks because sharing with Dalits would, in their view pollute the water. So, discrimination can be deep rooted, not just for operational relief work but also for recovery and further rehabilitation work.



So, what could lead to a better relief?



a) The donor agency should see and include minority peoples in the team. Ideally the ratio of minority peoples in the organization should equal the ratio of minority peoples among the public.


b) Educate minority peoples with the aim of developing community resilience as well as obtaining professionals from the communities.


c) Be aware of discrimination against the minorities in humanitarian work, by self examination as well as through consultations with people from the community and human rights specialists.


d) Participate in advocacy in domestic, regional and international forums. Humanitarian organizations can also play a vital role in human rights advocacy.


e) Develop indicators on the impact of discrimination against minorities in disaster management with the co-operation of human rights.



Now the donors and the funding agencies should look into these aspects:



a) Put more value on the issue of discrimination in humanitarian operations. Disaster Relief and discrimination are inseparable issues.


b) Examine the possibility of introducing special measures for minority groups, particularly those who do not have access to basic materials.


c) Understand the vulnerability of minorities, especially those who are prone to being affected by disasters. If the region has a history of disasters, then there is an absolute need for disaster preparedness.



Recently when I visited Assam State, India, I found that the State Red Cross Branch, under Indian Red Cross Society have built orphanages out of their own resources. Kids in the age of 1-3 years are their occupants at 'Sishu Gram' (Sishu in English means Children and Gram in English means Village).



Recent floods have washed out everything. The donor attention should also focus into these aspects while funding for any program. Disasters bring along with them lots of trauma and pain. Especially the Children are the most affected. They are the living dead. A small contribution for their education and care in good shelters can make wonders. It's not an emotional statement, but a fact which is hard to ignore.



Media:



In a disaster, it is common to see images of children, often vulnerable, unwell, used by humanitarian agencies to generate compassion and funds. While the images can create the desired effect with donors, children's protection and special needs are rarely incorporated within budget lines and programmes, resources are not prioritized and there is a lack of clear strategies to support and protect children.




Children are too often used to generate support, but they do not always enjoy the benefits.



So, what can be done?




Prioritize prevention of discrimination and violence against children. This means clear budget lines for prevention programmes and services.



There is also a need to enhance the capacity of all humanitarian personnel through education on children's rights.



Create accessible, safe and child-friendly reporting systems and services. This includes safe, well-publicized, confidential and accessible mechanisms for children, their caregivers and others to prevent and report violence against children.



Help to improve collaboration between humanitarian agencies. This includes developing clear systems and standards to prevent and respond to all forms of violence against children at all stages of a disaster ' preparedness, response and recovery. Children don't get the support they need.



Hence, separate funds should be allocated solely for the purpose of children. Community Recovery Committees ' a diverse group including different ethnicities, backgrounds and genders that are well trained, with adequate resources and able to communicate with the formal humanitarian system- can greatly assist equitable assistance. An oversight mechanism to ensure that discrimination against poor and neglected groups is minimized in the committees is needed and their assessments have to be cross-checked.



I do believe that a little attention to the above mentioned problems and its solutions can help us to create a Safer World for us as well as for our future generations.



This is one of the post, which I wrote after thinking a lot. I faced the situations. It is heart-rending in a disaster area. One is bound to be in tears. I am not emotional, but what is stated above is true fact. Please put a comment, if your time permits. I will be glad to see your support on the above issue. Lets together join hands and create a Safer, Stronger, Greener and a Disaster Free World for us as well as for our future generations.



Thanks a lot for reading.



—— Mr. Mainak Mazumder


Environmentalist (Double Gold Medalists in Masters)


Specialist in Disaster Management


(Geographic Information Systems and Remote Sensing)


Founder of the website on Disaster Management: MAINAKSWORLD


World Wide Website Address: www.mainaksworld.com


 

BE SAFE AND HELP OTHERS: HAPPY NEW YEAR 2008

Posted in new year on 01/06/2008 06:48 pm by Mainak Mazumder

BE SAFE IN 2008 AND MAKE A DISASTER FREE WORLD: HAPPY NEW YEAR


 


The beginning of the New Year provides us an opportunity to reflect on the past and make resolutions to fulfill new goals in the coming year.


The recent devastating hurricane at Bangladesh, earthquake at Indonesia, fires in California and other national and international disasters such as Hurricane Katrina and the tsunami in Southeast Asia remind us that disaster can come at any time and in any form. As the Founder of MAINAKSWORLD, I know that there is much more work to do in disaster preparation, especially with the added threat of human-induced disasters. I am also keenly aware that even the most prepared Government response will not be enough if citizens have not prepared themselves for times of emergency.


Let's take an example, regardless of how a flood occurs; the rule for being safe is simple ? head for higher ground and stay away from flood waters. Even a shallow depth of fast-moving flood water produces more force than most people imagine. The most dangerous thing one does is to try walking, swimming or driving through floodwaters. Two feet of water is enough to carry away most automobiles. Even 6 inches of swiftly moving water can sweep you off your feet.


So, Lets learn the ways to save oneself and share this useful life saving knowledge with your near and dear ones. Let's all join hands and create a Safer, Stronger, Greener and a Disaster Free World.


I want to thank all of my readers, my well wishers in this New Year, whose wishes have helped me to move forward with my dream of creation of a disaster free world. Thank you so much for being with me always.


HAPPY NEW YEAR 2008.


Regards,


Mr. Mainak Mazumder


Environmentalist and Specialist in Disaster Management


(Geographic Information System and Remote Sensing)


Founder of the website on disaster management: MAINAKSWORLD


World Wide Web address:  www.mainaksworld.com  


Our E-mail:     admin@mainaksworld.com


 


 


Here is an example, which I want to share with you in this New Year:


 


Transportation is so basic that many of us overlook its overwhelming importance in our daily lives. Practically everything used in our homes, offices or schools across Tennessee (United States of America) - from furniture to food items to clothing - requires a large and complex transportation network which is why keeping Tennessee moving is the primary goal of the Department of Transportation.


 


In the winter, transportation maintenance crews sometimes get up at 3 a.m., or may stay out all night, keeping roads clear of snow and ice. In the spring and summer, they stay busy filling potholes, cutting grass and picking up litter. These functions all coincide with the department’s mission to plan, implement, maintain and manage an integrated transportation system for the movement of people and products, with emphasis on quality, safety, efficiency and the environment.


 


Today, Tennessee’s road system stretches 87,259 miles, enough to circle the world more than three times. Of that figure, 13, 752 miles are on the state-maintained highway system, representing 16 percent of the total highway miles within our state and carrying 72 percent of the traffic. Included in the state highway system are 1,074 miles of interstate highways. Although the interstate system makes up just over one percent of the total highway mileage, it carries one quarter of all the traffic in Tennessee.


 


Experience has shown that communication and coordination are the keys to a successful emergency response. With this in mind, in December, TDOT invited members of the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA), the Tennessee Highway Patrol and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation to join them in a winter weather training exercise. As everyone have seen many times, a serious blast of winter weather can lead to major power outages and can paralyze the transportation network. During a major winter storm, it is important for all responding agencies to coordinate and work together for the best possible response. By assembling these key agencies for our first winter weather drill, each organization is able to better understand individual responsibilities and how they can work



TEMA, of course, is the lead agency in responding to emergencies in Tennessee. TDOT employs three primary Emergency Service Coordinators (ESC), one of whom is embedded at TEMA headquarters, in addition to their team of regional Emergency Services Liaisons who work with the TEMA regional offices. These employees, as well as TDOT’s Public Information Officer and four Community Relations Officers, are all trained in the National Incident Management System. Keeping the lines of communication open is clearly critical in emergency situations.



During a major disaster, TDOT will touch almost every aspect of the response, including search and rescue, evacuation, law enforcement, debris management, and health services. Their primary responsibility is to ensure that Tennessee’s transportation infrastructure is fully operational as quickly as possible. This includes not just highways, but also airports, rivers and ports, and railroads. TDOT coordinate transportation resources, such as buses, trains, aircraft and watercraft, to assist in the movement of evacuees and critical supplies, as well as emergency responders themselves. In addition, TDOT work with a number of outside entities, including Federal Express, Civil Air Patrol, US Army Corps of Engineers and the US Coast Guard, who can provide specific resources in reconnaissance or response missions. These are but a few of our areas of responsibility in the event of a disaster, but they do illustrate the broad role TDOT plays in any response.


 

MAINAKSWORLD: KYOTO AND ITS IMPACTS ON CLIMATE CHANGE

Posted in kyoto protocol on 01/01/2008 11:19 pm by Mainak Mazumder

Kyoto and its Features (Climate Change):


 


Kyoto Protocol has been signed long back. Long negotiations and reservations, it was signed by almost 174 nations. Recent Bali Conference on Climate Change also spoke about Kyoto. Here is just a summary of what the Kyoto look like when it was first placed at United Nations.                 


             


The Protocol’s major feature is that it has mandatory targets on greenhouse-gas emissions for the world’s leading economies which have accepted it. These targets range from -8 per cent to +10 per cent of the countries’ individual 1990 emissions levels “with a view to reducing their overall emissions of such gases by at least 5 per cent below existing 1990 levels in the commitment period 2008 to 2012.” In almost all cases — even those set at +10 per cent of 1990 levels — the limits call for significant reductions in currently projected emissions. Future mandatory targets are expected to be established for “commitment periods” after 2012. These are to be negotiated well in advance of the periods concerned.


 


Commitments under the Protocol vary from nation to nation. The overall 5 per cent target for developed countries is to be met through cuts (from 1990 levels) of 8 per cent in the European Union (EU[15]), Switzerland, and most Central and East European states; 6 per cent in Canada; 7 per cent in the United States (although the US has since withdrawn its support for the Protocol); and 6 per cent in Hungary, Japan, and Poland. New Zealand, Russia, and Ukraine are to stabilize their emissions, while Norway may increase emissions by up to 1 per cent, Australia by up to 8 per cent (subsequently withdrew its support for the Protocol), and Iceland by 10 per cent.


 


Looking at Kyoto Protocol (11th December, 1997):


 


The Article 2 of the protocol states that achieving its quantified emission limitation and reduction commitments under Article 3 of the Kyoto Protocol, in order to promote sustainable development, shall: Implement and/or further elaborate policies and measures in accordance with its national circumstances, such as:


 


i)                     Enhancement of energy efficiency in relevant sectors of the national economy;


 


ii)                   Protection and enhancement of sinks and reservoirs of greenhouse gases not controlled by the Montreal Protocol, taking into account its commitments under relevant environmental agreements; promotion of sustainable forest management practices, afforestation and reforestation.


 


iii)                  Promotion of sustainable forms of agriculture in light of climate change considerations;


 


iv)                  Research on and promotion, development and increased use of, new and Renewal forms of energy of carbon dioxide sequestration technologies and of advanced and innovative environmentally sound technologies;


 


v)                   Progressive reduction or phasing out of market imperfections, fiscal incentives, tax and duty exemptions and subsidies in all green house gas emitting sectors that run counter to the objective of the convention and application of market instruments.


 


vi)                  Encouragement of appropriate reforms in relevant sectors aimed at promoting policies and measures which limit or reduce emissions of greenhouse gases not controlled by the Montreal Protocol.


 


vii)                Limitation and/or reduction of methane emissions through recovery and use in waste management, as well as in the production, transport and distribution of energy.


 


To this effect the countries should take steps to share their experience and exchange information on such policies and measures, including developing ways of improving their compatibility, transparency and effectiveness. The conference of the countries serving as the meeting of the Parties to this protocol shall, at its first session or as soon as practicable thereafter, consider ways to facilitate such co-operation, taking into account all relevant information.


 


It was also stated that the parties should implement policies and measures under Article 2 of the Kyoto Protocol in such a way to minimize adverse effects, including the adverse effects of climate change, effects on international trade and social, environmental and economic impacts on other parties, especially developing countries. The Kyoto Protocol also states that the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to this Protocol, if it decides that it would be beneficial to coordinate any of the policies and measures in paragraph 1 (a) above, taking into account different national circumstances and potential effects, shall consider ways and means to elaborate the coordination of such policies and measures.


 


The Article 3 of the Kyoto Protocol States that the Parties included in Annex I shall, individually or jointly, ensure that their aggregate anthropogenic carbon dioxide equivalent emissions of the green house gases listed in Annex A, do not exceed their assigned amounts, calculated pursuant to their quantified emission limitation and reduction commitments inscribed in Annex B and in accordance with the provisions of this Article, with a view to reducing their overall emissions of such gases by at least 5 per cent below 1990 levels in the commitment period 2008 to 2012.


 


Annex A


Greenhouse gases


Carbon dioxide (CO2), Methane (CH4), Nitrous oxide (N2O), Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), Perfluorocarbons (PFCs), Sulphur hexafluoride (SF6) ,


Sectors/source categories


Energy


Fuel combustion


Energy industries, Manufacturing industries and construction, Transport, Other sectors, other


Fugitive emissions from fuels


Solid fuels, Oil and natural gas, Other Industrial processes, Mineral products, Chemical industry, metal, production, other


Production


Production of halocarbons and sulphur hexafluoride, Consumption of halocarbons and sulphur hexafluoride, other


Solvent and other product use


Agriculture


Enteric fermentation, Manure management, Rice cultivation, Agricultural soils, Prescribed burning of savannas, Field burning of agricultural residues, other


Waste


Solid waste disposal on land, Wastewater handling, Waste incineration, other


 


Prior to the first session of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to this Protocol, each Party included in Annex I shall provide, for consideration by the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice, data to establish its level of carbon stocks in 1990 and to enable an estimate to be made of its changes in carbon stocks in subsequent years. The Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to this Protocol shall, at its first session or as soon as practicable thereafter, decide upon modalities, rules and guidelines as to how, and which, additional human-induced activities related to changes in greenhouse gas emissions by sources and removals by sinks in the agricultural soils and the land-use change and forestry categories shall be added to, or subtracted from, the assigned amounts for Parties included in Annex I, taking into account uncertainties, transparency in reporting, verifiability, the methodological work of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the advice provided by the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice in accordance with Article 5 and the decisions of the Conference of the Parties. Such a decision shall apply in the second and subsequent commitment periods. A Party may choose to apply such a decision on these additional human-induced activities for its first commitment period, provided that these activities have taken place since 1990.


 


The article 4 also states that any Parties included in Annex I that have reached an agreement to fulfil their commitments under Article 3 jointly, shall be deemed to have met those commitments provided that their total combined aggregate anthropogenic carbon dioxide equivalent emissions of the greenhouse gases listed in Annex A do not exceed their assigned amounts calculated pursuant to their quantified emission limitation and reduction commitments inscribed in Annex B and in accordance with the provisions of Article 3. The respective emission level allocated to each of the Parties to the agreement shall be set out in that agreement.


 


The Parties to any such agreement shall notify the secretariat of the terms of the agreement on the date of deposit of their instruments of ratification, acceptance or approval of this Protocol, or accession thereto. The secretariat shall in turn inform the Parties and signatories to the Convention of the terms of the agreement.


 


If Parties acting jointly do so in the framework of, and together with, a regional economic integration organization which is itself a Party to this Protocol, each member State of that regional economic integration organization individually, and together with the regional economic integration organization acting in accordance with Article 24, shall, in the event of failure to achieve the total combined level of emission reductions, be responsible for its level of emissions as notified in accordance with this Article.


 


The Article 5 states that each Party included in Annex I shall have in place, no later than one year prior to the start of the first commitment period, a national system for the estimation of anthropogenic emissions by sources and removals by sinks of all greenhouse gases not controlled by the Montreal Protocol. Guidelines for such national systems, which shall incorporate the methodologies specified in paragraph 2 below, shall be decided upon by the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to this Protocol at its first session.


 


Methodologies for estimating anthropogenic emissions by sources and removals by sinks of all greenhouse gases not controlled by the Montreal Protocol shall be those accepted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and agreed upon by the Conference of the Parties at its third session. Where such methodologies are not used, appropriate adjustments shall be applied according to methodologies agreed upon by the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to this Protocol at its first session. Based on the work of, inter alia, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and advice provided by the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice, the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to this Protocol shall regularly review and, as appropriate, revise such methodologies and adjustments, taking fully into account any relevant decisions by the Conference of the Parties. Any revision to methodologies or adjustments shall be used only for the purposes of ascertaining compliance with commitments under Article 3 in respect of any commitment period adopted subsequent to that revision.


 


The global warming potentials used to calculate the carbon dioxide equivalence of anthropogenic emissions by sources and removals by sinks of greenhouse gases listed in Annex A shall be those accepted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and agreed upon by the Conference of the Parties at its third session. Based on the work of, inter alia, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and advice provided by the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice, the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to this Protocol shall regularly review and, as appropriate, revise the global warming potential of each such greenhouse gas, taking fully into account any relevant decisions by the Conference of the Parties. Any revision to a global warming potential shall apply only to commitments under Article 3 in respect of any commitment period adopted subsequent to that revision.


 


The Article 8 states that The information submitted under Article 7 by each Party included in Annex I shall be reviewed by expert review teams pursuant to the relevant decisions of the Conference of the Parties and in accordance with guidelines adopted for this purpose by the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to this Protocol under paragraph 4 below. The information submitted under Article 7, paragraph 1, by each Party included in Annex I shall be reviewed as part of the annual compilation and accounting of emissions inventories and assigned amounts. Additionally, the information submitted under Article 7, paragraph 2, by each Party included in Annex I shall be reviewed as part of the review of communications.


The review process shall provide a thorough and comprehensive technical assessment of all aspects of the implementation by a Party of this Protocol. The expert review teams shall prepare a report to the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to this Protocol, assessing the implementation of the commitments of the Party and identifying any potential problems in, and factors influencing, the fulfillment of commitments. Such reports shall be circulated by the secretariat to all Parties to the Convention. The secretariat shall list those questions of implementation indicated in such reports for further consideration by the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to this Protocol.


The Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to this Protocol shall adopt at its first session, and review periodically thereafter, guidelines for the review of implementation of this Protocol by expert review teams taking into account the relevant decisions of the Conference of the Parties.


The Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to this Protocol shall periodically review this Protocol in the light of the best available scientific information and assessments on climate change and its impacts, as well as relevant technical, social and economic information. Such reviews shall be coordinated with pertinent reviews under the Convention, in particular those required by Article 4, paragraph 2(d), and Article 7, paragraph 2(a), of the Convention. Based on these reviews, the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to this Protocol shall take appropriate action


All Parties, taking into account their common but differentiated responsibilities and their specific national and regional development priorities, objectives and circumstances, without introducing any new commitments for Parties not included in Annex I, but reaffirming existing commitments under Article 4, paragraph 1, of the Convention, and continuing to advance the implementation of these commitments in order to achieve sustainable development, taking into account Article 4, paragraphs 3, 5 and 7, of the Convention, shall:


The first review shall take place at the second session of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to this Protocol. Further reviews shall take place at regular intervals and in a timely manner. The Protocol also states that the parties should       formulate, implement, publish and regularly update national and, where appropriate, regional programmes containing measures to mitigate climate change and measures to facilitate adequate adaptation to climate change:


i) Such programmes would, inter alia, concern the energy, transport and industry sectors as well as agriculture, forestry and waste management. Furthermore, adaptation technologies and methods for improving spatial planning would improve adaptation to climate change; and


(ii) Parties included in Annex I shall submit information on action under this Protocol, including national programmes, in accordance with Article 7; and other Parties shall seek to include in their national communications, as appropriate, information on programmes which contain measures that the Party believes contribute to addressing climate change and its adverse impacts, including the abatement of increases in greenhouse gas emissions, and enhancement of and removals by sinks, capacity building and adaptation measures;


like cooperate in the promotion of effective modalities for the development, application and diffusion of, and take all practicable steps to promote, facilitate and finance, as appropriate, the transfer of, or access to, environmentally sound technologies, know-how, practices and processes pertinent to climate change, in particular to developing countries, including the formulation of policies and programmes for the effective transfer of environmentally sound technologies that are publicly owned or in the public domain and the creation of an enabling environment for the private sector, to promote and enhance the transfer of, and access to, environmentally sound technologies;


cooperate in scientific and technical research and promote the maintenance and the development of systematic observation systems and development of data archives to reduce uncertainties related to the climate system, the adverse impacts of climate change and the economic and social consequences of various response strategies, and promote the development and strengthening of endogenous capacities and capabilities to participate in international and intergovernmental efforts, programmes and networks on research and systematic observation, taking into account Article 5 of the Convention;


cooperate in and promote at the international level, and, where appropriate, using existing bodies, the development and implementation of education and training programmes, including the strengthening of national capacity building, in particular human and institutional capacities and the exchange or secondment of personnel to train experts in this field, in particular for developing countries, and facilitate at the national level public awareness of, and public access to information on, climate change. Suitable modalities should be developed to implement these activities through the relevant bodies of the Convention, taking into account Article 6 of the Convention;


Its also stated that in the context of the implementation of Article 4, paragraph 1, of the Convention, in accordance with the provisions of Article 4, paragraph 3, and Article 11 of the Convention, and through the entity or entities entrusted with the operation of the financial mechanism of the Convention, the developed country Parties and other developed Parties included in Annex II to the Convention shall:


(a) Provide new and additional financial resources to meet the agreed full costs incurred by developing country Parties in advancing the implementation of existing commitments under Article 4, paragraph 1(a), of the Convention that are covered in Article 10, subparagraph (a); and


(b) Also provide such financial resources, including for the transfer of technology, needed by the developing country Parties to meet the agreed full incremental costs of advancing the implementation of existing commitments under Article 4, paragraph 1, of the Convention that are covered by Article 10 and that are agreed between a developing country Party and the international entity or entities referred to in Article 11 of the Convention, in accordance with that Article.


Article 27 of the Kyoto Protocol states the fact that at any time after three years from the date on which this Protocol has entered into force for a Party, that Party may withdraw from this Protocol by giving written notification to the Depositary.


Any such withdrawal shall take effect upon expiry of one year from the date of receipt by the Depositary of the notification of withdrawal, or on such later date as may be specified in the notification of withdrawal.


 


Any Party that withdraws from the Convention shall be considered as also having withdrawn from this Protocol.


Thanks for reading. In case if you find any mistake in the above data, please let me know your views/suggestions at our e-mail address: admin@mainaksworld.com


 


Thanks and Regards,


Mr. Mainak Mazumder


Environmentalist and Specialist in Disaster Management (Geographic Information System and Remote Sensing)


Founder of the Website on Disaster Management: MAINAKSWORLD


World Wide Website address:  www.mainaksworld.com 


 

CLIMATE CHANGE AND SUSTAINABILITY

Posted in Climate Change 786 on 12/09/2007 01:36 am by Mainak Mazumder

Climate Change and Its Impacts


 


Our personal perception of Climate Change is largely developed through experience and interpretation of records compiled by our ancestors. People who grow up in the warmer temperate regions and tropics are in awe at the first sight of snow, no matter what they have read or visualized from film and television. It is also true that normal climate for a locality is based on weather, which we have experienced over recent years. This perception often occurs despite accounts of earlier catastrophes that had their origin in climate extremes, such as violent storm, flood or drought. Perhaps the exception is the markings seen around many riverside towns that point to levels achieved by past flood events. One of the strengths of humankind has been the ability to survive, adapt and prosper across a wide range of climatic regimes. If we look through the doors of history then we find that our communities have shown a capacity to withstand persisting climatic fluctuations. They do adapt and try to stabilize themselves as and when the climate becomes normal. However, there have been times, when prosperous civilizations have fallen, apparently because the regional Climate Change was so severe and prolonged that the social systems based on food production and trade could not sustain and a disaster took place. An Early record of the annual flow of the Nile River more than two thousand years ago and irrigation activities in China more than one thousand years ago survived and gave us insights into how climate has been in the past. With more of human intervention due to various reasons, there is an increase of Greenhouse Gases and Global Warming, which destabilized our Environment.


 


The World has surpassed a UN Goal of planting one billion trees in 2007 to help slow climate change. It was basically huge forestry projects in Ethiopia and Mexico. According to Indonesia President, about 79 million trees have been planted. He stated that the country would take steps to protect its rapidly dwindling rain forest. When we talk of green belt movement in Kenya, then one obviously remember the name of the Kenyan Environmentalist and 2004 Nobel Peace Prize Winner Wangari Maathai, who through her tireless work have contributed a lot to counter deforestation from logging and the burning of forests to create farmland.


 


A very interesting approach for a good forest management is the Green Belt Movement in Kenya.


 


GBM Kenya is a non-profit grassroots non-governmental organization.  GBM Kenya focuses on six core programs:


 



  • Environmental Conservation/Tree Planting
  • Civic & Environmental Education
  • Advocacy & Networking
  • Pan African Training Workshops
  • Green Belt Safaris (GBS)
  • Women for Change (Capacity Building)

 


Green Belt Movement International has four goals:


 



  • Goal 1: To strengthen and expand the Green Belt Movement in Kenya
  • Goal 2: To share the Green Belt Movement's program with other countries in Africa and beyond
  • Goal 3: To empower Africans, especially women and girls, and nurture their leadership and entrepreneurial skills
  • Goal 4: Advocate internationally for the environment, good governance, equity and cultures of peace

 


Asia and Pacific region accounts for 18.8 per cent of global forests. Within the region, Northwest Pacific and East Asia has the largest forest area (29.3 per cent of the regional total, followed by Southeast Asia (29.1 percent). Deforestation and forest degradation are critical issues, threatening biodiversity, ecosystem stability and the long term availability of forest products as well as depleting the natural resource. Population Pressure, Need for timber, urban and industrial need is the main causes for deforestation. Africa's forest cover was estimated to be about 650 million ha, constituting 17 percent of the World's Forest (FAO 2001). Here also deforestation both for commercial timber and to make room for agriculture is the main concern and represents an enormous loss of natural economic wealth to the Countries.


 


This in turn had a very bad effect on Climate. Therefore effective climate management also has to include these points:


 



  • Strengthen basic and applied research for improved forest planning and management, with emphasis on environmental functions of forests.
  • Modernize forest management concepts by including multiple functions and reflecting the cost and benefits of the amenities that forest provide.
  • Co-operation of United Nations bodies to meet the needs for new knowledge to incorporate environmental values in National Land Use and its Forest Management.
  • Effective Surveillance of the World's Forest Cover.

 


 


Recent Bali conference on Climate Change has a difficult road to go before we can create a sustainable environment. Problems are many and we have very little time. A careful planning, policies and its immediate implementation can go a long way in creation of a Good Climate and in turn a Safer World. The outcome of this conference will, to a degree, determine whether Bali ' and other vulnerable places ' is destined to become a lost paradise, or not. If the Outcome of this conference keeps pace with the many positive political signals of the past year, we are on a good road to preventing a lost paradise. Almost, now after IPCC's series of reports on Climate Change, people are taking things seriously.  


 


But all this took a lot of time. It was in October 1985, at an International meeting in Villach, Austria convened by United Nations agencies, a group of Scientists decided it was time for the World to take action. The meeting concluded that there was a need to combat the perceived danger of global warming that would result from increasing concentrations of so-called green house gases in the atmosphere. These green house gas concentrations, particularly those of carbon dioxide (a product of burning coal, oil and other fossil fuels) are increasing as a direct consequence of a range of human activities. A good climate leads to a sustainable development. Sustainable development is a deep 'seated value and it encompasses issues of great importance to citizens, whether it is maintaining and increasing long term prosperity, addressing climate change or working towards a safe, healthy and socially inclusive society.


 


As, we face increasingly rapid Global Changes, from the melting of the icecaps to growing energy demand and higher prices, the need to address unsustainable trends and change our behavior and attitudes is more pressing than ever.


 


If we take a deep look at the European Union's Sustainable development, then we find that it is targeted at achieving high level of Environmental Protection, Social equity and cohesion, economic prosperity and active promotion of sustainable development worldwide.


 


There are infact multiple inter linkages between key challenges: for example between the use of renewable energy and climate change and poverty.


 


The overall  Objective of this sustainable development is to identify and develop actions to enable us to achieve continuous improvement of quality of life both for current and for future generations, through the creation of sustainable communities, who are able to manage and use resources efficiently and to tap the ecological and social innovation potential of the economy, ensuring prosperity, environmental protection and social cohesion. The renewed strategy sets the overall objectives:


 



  • Climate Change and Clean Energy
  • Sustainable Transport
  • Sustainable Consumption and Production
  • Public Health Threats
  • Better Management of Natural Resources
  • Social Inclusion, demography and migration

 


The best way to deal with Climate Change is to renew our commitment to Sustainable Development.  It doesn't mean that we use our resources in a random way. It means that the needs of the present generation should be met without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. It should be an objective of our policy makers to set out a treaty, governing all the Union's Policies and activities. It is about safe guarding the earth's capacity to support life in all its diversity and is based on the principles of democracy, gender equality, solidarity, the rule of law and respect for fundamental rights, including freedom and equal opportunities for all. Its all so inter related. To that end it promotes a dynamic economy with full employment and a high level of education, health protection, social and territorial cohesion and environmental protection in a peaceful and secure World, respecting the Cultural Diversity, Traditions, Gender, Race, Ethnicity, Religions etc. To that effect, it is also important to use ways for newer technology to fight Climate Change. Use of Remote Sensing Satellites and GIS has to be given more importance. Use of green technology has a great role to play for a sustainable environment and in turn a sustainable Climate. 


 


The Villach Statement and its threat of global warming became an international forum for actions to curb emissions of green house gases to the atmosphere. Around the World a diverse range of interest groups, especially across the environment movement, co-operated to raise public awareness of the greenhouse climate change threat.  Later a series of Government and National and International conferences of invited experts were widely reported in the media and ensured a raised public recognition of the issue. So, successful was the awareness- raising campaign that within 3 years the United Nations, through its agencies UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme) and WMO (The World Meteorological Organization), had established an Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which we know as IPCC.


 


This organization was empowered with:


 


a) “Assessing the scientific information that is related to the various components of the climate change issue, such as emissions of major green house gases and modification of the earth’s radiation balance resulting there from and that needed to enable the environmental and socioeconomic consequences of climate change to be evaluated.


 


b) Formulating realistic response strategies for the management of the climate change issue.


 


3 working groups were established to address the IPCC objectives. The tasks of Working Groups I, II and III were respectively to:


 


i) Assess available scientific information on climate change.


ii) Assess environmental and socio-economic impacts of climate change.


iii) Formulate response strategies.


 


The working group did confirm the Villach conclusions and found a serious anthropogenic threat to the Global Climate. After a period of less than 18 months, in July 1990, the IPCC WG1 published their findings following an assessment of the available scientific literature. The principal findings of the report were:


 


i)         There is a greenhouse effect because a range of gases occurring naturally in the atmosphere, such carbon dioxide, keep the earth’s surface warmer than it would otherwise be.


 


ii)        The concentrations in the atmosphere of a range of greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide, are increasing because of human activities.


 


 


iii)      The increasing concentrations of certain greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, such as carbon dioxide will lead to global warming but neither its magnitude timing, nor its regional characteristics could be determined.


 


 


Later the United Nations General Assembly took up the challenge presented by the IPCC scientific assessment and the Statement of the second World Climate conference. An Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee was convened to develop a Framework Convention on Climate Change in time for the June 1992, Earth Summit at Rio de Janeiro.  The committee, open to all member countries of the United Nations, met six occasions between 1991 and May 1992 before finally a reaching agreement. At the Earth Summit, representatives of more than 150 countries signed the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) that results from negotiations. More countries signed subsequently.


 


The Convention requires countries to take actions necessary for “Stabilization of green house gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system.”


 


Despite the perceived threat posed by anthropogenic global warming, the short period available for negotiations meant that agreement could not be reached on binding mechanisms for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and commitments that individual countries should make. Counter balancing the global warming threat were the immediate economic and social costs that would be experienced by many countries if they took action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.


 


The IPCC continued its work and issued its Second Assessment Report in 1995. Contemporary experiments using computer models of the climate system and various natural and anthropogenic forcing functions pointed to anthropogenic signals that could be detected in the observed Global Warming Pattern. The IPCC in its Second Assessment Report concluded that the balance of evidence suggested that a discernible human influence on global climate could be detected.


 


The public interest in the anthropogenic global warming issue and the perceived need for action did not abate. More than 10,000 people, made up mostly of non-government lobby groups and representatives of the World media, converged on Kyoto, Japan in December 1997 for the third meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC. They were there to witness Government delegates negotiate a Protocol to stem the unconstrained emission of green house gases into the atmosphere. The Protocol was expected to give teeth to the Convention.


 


The Recent Conference on Climate Change (December 3rd, 2007), hosted by the Government of Indonesia, is taking place at the Bali International Convention Centre and brings together representatives of over 180 countries together with observers from Intergovernmental and Nongovernmental organizations and the media. The two week period includes the sessions of the Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC, its subsidiary bodies as well as the Meeting of the Parties of the Kyoto Protocol. A ministerial segment in the second week will conclude the Conference.


What is needed is a breakthrough in the form of a roadmap for a future international agreement on enhanced global action to fight climate change in the period after 2012, the year the first commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol expires.


The main goal of the Bali Conference is threefold: to launch negotiations on a climate change deal for the post-2012 period, to set the agenda for these negotiations and to reach agreement on when these negotiations will have to be concluded.


However, this is an opportunity for good negotiations and would constitute a breakthrough. Areas which countries have already indicated a new deal is likely to cover are mitigation - including reducing emissions from deforestation - adaptation, technology and financing.


 


In addition to the future climate change process, other important ongoing issues will are inclusion of adaptation to climate change, the management and operation of a fund for adaptation, technology transfer, reducing emissions from deforestation and issues relating to the international carbon market spawned by the Kyoto Protocol.


 


However, European Union has gone a long way towards sustainable Climate Change. The ‘Environment for Europe‘ process now brings together 56 countries across three continents to jointly address environmental challenges. In support of this process, the European Environment Agency has prepared a series of assessments of the environment for the pan European region to provide policy relevant, up to date and reliable information on the interactions between the environment and society.


 


The first comprehensive assessment of the state of the pan European environment was presented in Sofia in 1995. Updated assessments were presented at the Ministerial Conferences in Aarhus in 1998 and Kiev in 2003. This is the fourth report in the series. Where possible the report evaluates progress, primarily against the objectives of the Sixth Environment Action Programme of the European Community and the Environment Strategy for Countries of Eastern Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia. The report has been prepared in close partnership with a range of international organizations, governmental institutions and non governmental organizations across the region.


 


Successful implementation depends on the setting of clear and realistic targets together with mechanisms to monitor progress. Environmental information across the region still varies in quality, with the availability and reliability of data differing considerably. There is substantial room for further improvement in making much needed data and information not only accessible, but also more comparable and reliable.


 


Biodiversity decline and loss of ecosystem services continue to be a major concern across the pan European region. In addition, the number of invasive alien species in the region continues to increase. The Kiev Resolution’s overarching target of halting biodiversity loss in the region by 2010 will not be achieved without considerable additional efforts and resources. Communication, education and public awareness programmes, however, are being implemented according to the Kiev Resolution.


 


The main fact lies is what is our political answer to the prognostications made by our scientific community? Will the Bali Conference effectively handle these issues? Climate Change has become a global issue and needs global response. This was again followed by European Union's Courageous Commitment to reduce emissions by 20% by 2020. The G8 then called for negotiations on a future climate deal to be concluded by 2009 and at an unprecedented High-Level Event at United Nations Headquarters in New York in September, many World Leaders called for a Breakthrough at Bali on a long term climate change regime. Climate Change has a global impact. Many scientific theories do support the views. Impacts such as intensified drought and rainfall, melting glaciers and rising sea levels, however are helping raise public awareness of climate change and therefore support for politicians to take action. It is also forecasted that Asia would be among the worst affected regions. Projected impacts include an increase of 10 to 20% in tropical cyclone intensity and more frequent heat waves like the one in India in 2002 which killed over 1000 people. Rising sea levels will also threaten millions of Asians, with over half of the population in 21 Asian Countries living in high ' risk areas. There need to be four steps to tackle these issues and forecasts:


 


a)  Mitigation: Action to limit or reduce emissions.


b)  Adaptation: Putting in place a strategy to help developing countries adapt to the impacts of climate change.


c)  Technology:  Helping countries limit or reduce emissions and adapt to the Impacts of Climate Change.


d)  Finance:  Generating investment and financial flows which will allow developing countries to act on mitigation and adaptation without harming their primary economic growth and poverty eradication.


 


The other points that can be kept in mind are: Effective management of our existing forests and biodiversity conservation along with afforestation initiatives. Another important topic is CDM (Clean Development Mechanism), one of the three innovative mechanisms under the Kyoto Protocol which offers rich countries the choice of reducing emissions at home or in developing countries, which can benefit both parties. We also need good awareness initiatives for the masses and the media of the World should be on board of the project, so that our POLICIES AND PLANNING reaches to every corner of the World.


 


More over most important is use of greener technology for effective climate management. Let's work together and create a Safer, Stronger, Greener and a Disaster Free World for us as well as for our future generations.


 


 


Mr. Mainak Mazumder


Environmentalist (Double Gold Medallist in MSc Environmental Sciences)


Specialist in Disaster Management


(Geographic Information System and Remote Sensing)


Founder of the Disaster Management Website: MAINAKSWORLD


Worldwide Web Address: 


www.mainaksworld.com


 


Our E-mail:  admin@mainaksworld.com


 


 
 

CLIMATE CHANGE AND ITS CHALLENGES

Posted in Climate change on 12/07/2007 11:37 am by Mainak Mazumder


Climate change is one of the most critical global challenges of our time. Recent events have emphatically demonstrated our growing vulnerability to climate change. Climate change impacts will range from affecting agriculture- further endangering food security-, sea-level rise and the accelerated erosion of coastal zones, increasing intensity of natural disasters, species extinction and the spread of vector-borne diseases.

Climate change refers to the variation in the Earth”s global climate or in regional climates over time. It describes changes in the variability or average state of the atmosphere over time scales, ranging from decades to millions of years. These changes can be caused by processes internal to the Earth, external forces (e.g. variations in sunlight intensity) and, more recently, human activities.

In recent usage, especially in the context of environmental policy, the term “climate change” often refers to changes in modern climate which according to the IPCC are 90-95% likely to have been in part caused by human action. Consequently the term anthropogenic climate change is frequently adopted; this phenomenon is also referred to in the mainstream media as global warming. In some cases, the term is also used with a presumption of human causation, as in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The UNFCCC uses “climate variability” for non-human caused variations.

Weather is the day-to-day state of the atmosphere, and is a chaotic non-linear dynamical system. On the other hand, climate ? the average state of weather ? is fairly stable and predictable. Climate includes the average temperature, amount of precipitation, days of sunlight, and other variables that might be measured at any given site. However, there are also changes within the Earth”s environment that can affect the climate.

Glaciation

Percentage of advancing glaciers in the Alps in the last 80 years. Glaciers are recognized as one of the most sensitive indicators of climate change, advancing substantially during climate cooling (e.g., the Little Ice Age) and retreating during climate warming on moderate time scales. Glaciers grow and collapse, both contributing to natural variability and greatly amplifying externally-forced changes. For the last century, however, glaciers have been unable to regenerate enough ice during the winters to make up for the ice lost during the summer months.

Ocean variability

A schematic of modern thermohaline circulation. On the scale of decades, climate changes can also result from interaction of the atmosphere and oceans. Many climate fluctuations, the best known being the El Nio Southern oscillation but also including the Pacific decadal oscillation, the North Atlantic oscillation, and Arctic oscillation, owe their existence at least in part to different ways that heat can be stored in the oceans and move between different reservoirs. On longer time scales ocean processes such as thermohaline circulation play a key role in redistributing heat, and can dramatically affect climate.

Climate Change Outreach Programme

Responding to the needs of the countries and following the request from the UNFCCC Secretariat, UNEP/DEC has initiated and implemented a major programme on climate change outreach that directly supported the UNFCCC New Delhi Work Programme on Article 6 (Education, Training and Public Awareness) The objectives of this project are to provide to Governments additional tools for promoting climate change awareness at the national level. Support efforts by associations and NGOs to provide accurate and accessible messages of IPCC on climate change to their memberships or target audiences, make the youth more aware of the climate change implications and motivated to take relevant climate friendly actions, and raise awareness of general public on climate change problems with easily understandable graphic materials. Project partners include the Governments of Kenya, Ghana , Namibia , Russia , Uzbekistan , Mexico , Albania , Georgia, the UNFCCC and IPCC Secretariats, WWF, TERI, the Government of Norway and other donors.

National Climate Outreach Campaigns

Those campaigns have been implemented in Namibia , Ghana , Kenya , Russia , Uzbekistan , Albania and Georgia . Each campaign identified local needs and priorities for implementing national-level Article 6 activities, promoted collaboration and networking among focal points and key stakeholders, produced popular brochures and booklets in local languages, organized radio and TV presentations on hot climate topics ' and much more. In Latin America UNEP/DEC supported publication of a Handbook on Climate Change Communications for local practitioners that was successfully tested at a regional workshop with participants from 10 countries of the region.

Climate Outreach to Youth

UNEP has entered into a partnership with TERI Institute ( India ) to promote environmental education among the school children in India . This programme covered more than 100 schools in 8 states of the country and featured establishing school climate clubs, workshops and seminars for children, arranging climate-related shows and presentations and compiling guide books on climate change for teachers.

Kindly read our new webpage on HISTORY OF UNFCCC at our website address:

http://www.mainaksworld.com/climatechange786a.html

Please write to us your views at admin@mainaksworld.com  or  mainaksworld@yahoo.com

Thanks and Regards,

Mr. Mainak Mazumder

Environmentalist and Specialist in Disaster Management

(Geographic Information System and Remote Sensing)

Founder of the Disaster Management Website: MAINAKSWORLD

World Wide Web Address:   www.mainaksworld.com



 

BANGLADESH CYCLONE: HUMANITARIAN CRISIS

Posted in bangla cyclone on 11/18/2007 09:40 pm by Mainak Mazumder

A severe cyclone has killed more than 500 people in Bangladesh and left thousands injured or missing. As, the latest new goes, Three thousand people have been confirmed dead in Bangladesh after a cyclone hit the south of the country, the private ATN Bangla television network said Sunday as the death toll continued to rise.


“We are expecting that thousands of dead bodies may be found within a few days,” the deputy head of the government’s disaster management office, Shekhar Chandra Das, told AFP in the capital Dhaka.


“We have not been able to collect information about casualties in many remote and impassable places due to the disruption to communications,” he said.


In most areas telephone lines are down and roads blocked. Countless villages have also been blown from the face of the earth.


“The number of deaths so far is 1,723 and it is increasing,” said major Emdadul Islam of the armed forces control room.


“A 20-foot (six-metre) wall of water wrecked the village of Charkhali and 30 more people are still missing,” said local government official K.M. Abdul Wadud.


“The wind and the tidal surge were so strong that it churned up four kilometres (2.5 miles) of a tarmac road,” added resident Anowar Hossen Khan.


The dead were being buried in a mass grave, villagers said.


Millions more were also said to be homeless.


“Village after village has been shattered,” said administrator Hariprasad Pal. “Millions of people are living out in the open and relief is reaching less than one percent of the people.”


Residents in southern districts near the coast bore the full brunt of the storm and told AFP of their terror as they were hit by wind speeds of up to 240 kilometres (155 miles) an hour, huge waves and suffocating rain.


Fulmala Begum, 40, said she was not warned to evacuate and had to take refuge under a bed with her husband and two children as the storm roared around her.


“Five hours later we found ourselves under a heap of tin roofs and two huge trees. Not a single house in my village was spared the catastrophe,” said the woman, lucky to be alive but totally destitute.


Thousands of survivors waited for relief aid amid their wrecked homes and flooded fields after the deadliest storm to hit Bangladesh in a decade, as a news report said the cyclone’s death toll neared 1,800.


The government scrambled to join international agencies and local officials in the rescue mission following Tropical Cyclone Sidr, deploying military helicopters, thousands of troops and naval ships.


Rescuers struggled to clear roads and get their vehicles through, but many found the blockages impassable.


“We will try again tomorrow on bicycles, and hire local country boats,” M Shakil Anwar of CARE said from the city of Khulna.


At least 1.5 million coastal villagers had fled to shelters where they were given emergency rations.


The cyclone, which followed devastating floods in July-September that killed more than 1000, posed a new challenge to the interim administration, whose main task is to hold free and fair national elections before the end of next year. The cyclone triggered a tidal surge that inundated the towns of Patuakhali, Barguna and Jharkhand, cutting off communication links. A government official in Dhaka said there was no immediate information about casualities from the area. The cyclone blew past India's eastern coast without causing much damage.


The cyclone will pass and we will again try to bring back things to normalcy. But the cyclone definitely left behind a legacy of pain, sorrow and memories which are never to be forgotten. It left behind orphans, left behind the cries of a bereaved mother and father. All our planning and policies failed. Situations went out of hand. Mother Nature turned so destructive that we just stood as mere spectators and our near and dear ones are taken away from us.


Taking a lesson from the emerging humanitarian crisis,, MAINAKSWORLD have planned to GIVE MORE STRESS on PERSONAL PLANNING, so that at that exact moment when a disaster strikes, our brothers and sisters of our Planet can save their life.


I have a request to my readers, to kindly circulate this disaster management link to all your near and dear ones and the name of our disaster management website: MAINAKSWORLD ( www.mainaksworld.com ) and lets JOIN HANDS TO CREATE A SAFER AND A DISASTER FREE WORLD for all of us as well as for our future generations.


Lets create a SMILING WORLD together.


Regards,


Founder: Mr. Mainak Mazumder, Environmentalist and Specialist in Disaster Management, (Geographic and Remote Sensing), Founder of the disaster management website: MAINAKSWORLD, World Wide Web Address:


www.mainaksworld.com


Our E-mail: admin@mainaksworld.com


And mainaksworld@yahoo.com






 

ACQUIRED IMMUNODEFICIENCY SYNDROME

Posted in AIDS DAY on 11/17/2007 11:57 pm by Mainak Mazumder

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a retrovirus that can lead to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), a condition in humans in which the immune system begins to fail, leading to life-threatening opportunistic infections. Previous names for the virus include human T-lymphotropic virus-III (HTLV-III), lymphadenopathy-associated virus (LAV) or AIDS-associated retrovirus (ARV).


Infection with HIV occurs by the transfer of blood, semen. Within these bodily fluids, HIV is present as both free virus particles and virus within infected immune cells. Screening of blood products for HIV in the developed world has largely eliminated transmission through blood transfusions or infected blood products in these countries.


HIV infection in humans is now pandemic. As of January 2006, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and the World Health Organization (WHO) estimate that AIDS has killed more than 25 million people since it was first recognized on December 1, 1981, making it one of the most destructive pandemics in recorded history. In 2005 alone, AIDS claimed an estimated 2.4'3.3 million lives, of which more than 570,000 were children. It is estimated that about 0.6% of the world’s living population is infected with HIV. A third of these deaths are occurring in sub-Saharan Africa, retarding economic growth and increasing poverty. According to current estimates, HIV is set to infect 90 million people in Africa, resulting in a minimum estimate of 18 million orphans. Antiretroviral treatment reduces both the mortality and the morbidity of HIV infection, but routine access to antiretroviral medication is not available in all countries.


HIV primarily infects vital cells in the human immune system such as helper T cells (specifically CD4+ T cells), macrophages and dendritic cells. HIV infection leads to low levels of CD4+ T cells through three main mechanisms: firstly, direct viral killing of infected cells; secondly, increased rates of apoptosis in infected cells; and thirdly, killing of infected CD4+ T cells by CD8 cytotoxic lymphocytes that recognize infected cells. When CD4+ T cell numbers decline below a critical level, cell-mediated immunity is lost, and the body becomes progressively more susceptible to opportunistic infections. If untreated, eventually most HIV-infected individuals develop AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome) and die; however about one in ten remains healthy for many years, with no noticeable symptoms. Treatment with anti-retrovirals, where available, increases the life expectancy of people infected with HIV. It is hoped that current and future treatments may allow HIV-infected individuals to achieve a life expectancy approaching that of the general public.


CONFLICT AND HIV RISK


New research findings from Uganda cast doubt on the widely held assumption that internally displaced persons and refugees are more likely to be HIV-infected than people in ostensibly more stable settings. Acholiland, in northern Uganda, is home to an estimated two million internally displaced persons. At just over 8%, HIV prevalence in the region is high (Ministry of Health Uganda and ORC Macro, 2006). However, a study among pregnant women in the Gulu, Kitgum and Pader districts has found that women living outside protected camps had a higher risk of being HIV-infected than their displaced counterparts living in protected camps. This might be due to the reduced mobility and increased access to health and prevention services of women in some of the camps (Fabiani et al., 2006). A recent review of HIV literature on displaced persons in eight countries (including Uganda) also failed to find evidence that conflict increases HIV transmission (Spiegel and Harroff-Tavel, 2006).



VERY HIGH MALARIA RATES FOUND IN HIV-INFECTED PERSONS


Unexpectedly high levels of HIV infection are being found in adults seeking treatment for malaria in Uganda. More than 30% of adults presenting at district health centres with uncomplicated falciparum malaria were co-infected with HIV. Clinical treatment for malaria was three times more likely in adults with HIV. The findings are in line with a growing body of evidence from elsewhere in sub-Saharan Africa that malaria tends to occur with increased frequency and severity in HIV-infected adults. This underlines the need for new strategies of HIV testing and counselling for adults with uncomplicated falciparum malaria (Kamya et al., 2006).



ADULTS AND CHILDREN ESTIMATED TO BE LIVING WITH HIV IN 2006



Total: 39.5 (34.1'47.1) million


Sub-Saharan


Africa


24.7 million


(21.8'27.7 million)



Latin America


1.7 million


(1.3'2.5 million)



Caribbean


250 000


(190 000'320 000)



North America


1.4 million


(880 000'2.2 million)



Middle East and North Africa


460 000


(270 000'760 000)



Western and Central Europe


740 000


(580 000'970 000)



Oceania


81 000


(50 000'170 000)



East Asia


750 000


(460 000'1.2 million)



South and South-East Asia


7.8 million


(5.2'12.0 million)



Eastern Europe and Central Asia


1.7 million


(1.2'2.6 million)



ESTIMATED NUMBER OF ADULTS AND CHILDREN NEWLY INFECTED WITH HIV DURING 2006



Total: 4.3 (3.6'6.6) million


Sub-Saharan



Africa


2.8 million


(2.4'3.2 million)



Latin America


140 000


(100 000'410 000)



Caribbean


27 000


(20 000'41 000)



North America


43 000


(34 000'65 000)



Middle East and North Africa


68 000


(41 000'220 000)



Western and Central Europe


22 000


(18 000'33 000)



Oceania


7100


(3400'54 000)



East Asia


100 000


(56 000'300 000)



South and South-East Asia


860 000


(550 000'2.3 million)



Eastern Europe and Central Asia


270 000


(170 000'820 000)



The ranges around the estimates in this table define the boundaries within which the actual numbers lie, based on the best available information. The data is referred from UNAIDS and WHO.



The theme for World AIDS Day 2007


World AIDS Day was originally organised by UNAIDS, who chose the theme after consultation with other organisations. In 2005 UNAIDS handed over responsibility for World AIDS Day to an independent organisation known as The World AIDS Campaign (WAC).


The WAC's slogan for their work is “Stop AIDS: Keep the Promise”. This is an appeal to governments, policy makers and regional health authorities to ensure that they meet the many targets that have been set in the fight against HIV and AIDS, and especially the promise of universal access to HIV treatment, care, support and prevention services by 2010. This campaign will run until 2010, with a related theme chosen for World AIDS Day each year.


The 2007 theme, "leadership", highlights the need for innovation, vision and perseverance in the face of the AIDS challenge. The campaign calls on all sectors of society such as families, communities and civil society organisations - rather than just governments - to take the initiative and provide leadership on AIDS.


On the eve of World Aids Day (1st December), lets pray and give psychological support to those who still lives with us. A little care from our side, will bring smiles on the face of those, who will one day, leave our planet and become one with almighty.



Let's fight this disaster. Let's make someone smile today. Let's create a family.



—- MAINAKSWORLD TEAM



Kindly visit our disaster management website:



www.mainaksworld.com



 
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