In developed countries, checking the weather forecast is important when planning a weekend trip, but to rural farmers in poor regions, it can make the difference between putting food on the table and going hungry. The impact of weather forecasting on poverty is notably strong, and new tech solutions are being implemented across the globe to ensure food security for farmers and communities.
Estimates indicate that a surprising 70 percent of the world’s food supply is created by small, independently owned farms less than two acres in size. Yet this backbone of agriculture can be easily devastated by droughts.
For example, the eastern region of Africa known as the Horn, which is home to Ethiopia, Somalia and Kenya, has experienced at least one drought per year for over a decade, causing more than 25 percent of the population to suffer from hunger. This weather has drastic economic consequences as well since the Horn is heavily dependent on its major exports of coffee and bananas.
In an effort to reverse this trend, Satellite Technologies for Improved Drought Risk Assessment (SATIDA) was created by a partnership between Vienna University of Technology and four other organizations, including Doctors without Borders and the Austrian Central Institution for Meteorology and Geodynamics.
SATIDA shows how positive the impact of weather forecasting on poverty can be with its multifaceted research approach. The four major components of the study are a complex drought indicator, regular forecasts, a mobile application and a database linking all other elements together.
“The goal is to know whether a drought is going on,” Markus Enenkel, lead researcher of the International Research Institute for Climate and Society at Columbia University told CNN in February. “We can give a seasonal summary to help people prepare.”
SATIDA’s research team is actively working on two projects using satellite and smartphone technology. One marks official confirmation of droughts when they occur to enable insurance payments to farmers in the event that their crops fail. The second project enables farmers to prepare for droughts ahead of time by providing more precise forecasting with smaller intervals.
Though similar efforts have been made in the past, such as when the World Bank pledged $213 million for anti-poverty weather forecasting tech in Bangladesh in 2016, the distinction of SATIDA is its keen focus on community-based improvement.
Shailaja Fennell, Cambridge University’s coordinator of the Global Food Security Initiative, summarized the importance of the users and their families in the impact of weather forecasting on poverty:
“The world of IT is fantastic, but to truly deliver, the products must be owned and analyzed by the community.”
– Dan Krajewski
Photo: Flickr
10 Facts About Hunger in Guinea
Guinea, officially the Republic of Guinea, is a country located on the West coast of Africa. The country is home to around 10.5 million people. Natural disasters, such as the Ebola epidemic and recurring floods, have left much of the population with food insecurity. Here are 10 facts about hunger in Guniea.
10 Facts About Hunger in Guinea
While food insecurity remains high, the rise in average life expectancy as well as the presence of assistance programs in the country show promise in reducing the rampant hunger in Guinea.
– Alexi Worley
Photo: Flickr
World Bank Funds $375 Million for Modern Waterway in India
For years, rivers have operated as efficient and effective waterways for transporting large and bulky cargo around the world. These waterways are a more convenient and reliable mode of transportation, serving as a cheaper and less polluting method than road or rail.
However, India has yet to develop this cheaper and greener mode of transportation, as goods still travel by road and rail networks. These methods continually slow the movement of cargo and increase trade costs so much so that India’s logistics costs are projected to account for as much as 18 percent of the country’s GDP.
In response to these obstacles, The World Bank approved $375 million to support the construction of the first modern waterway in India, which will be implemented on a 1,360 km stretch of the Ganga river. This project will bring thousands of jobs in cargo logistics and necessary transportation to one of the country’s most populated regions.
The loan will help support the Inland Waterways Authority of India as they develop the infrastructure and navigation services necessary in building the waterway, known as National Waterway 1. The capacity augmentation of National Waterway 1 will preserve more than 150,000 tons of CO2 equivalent in greenhouse gas emissions per year.
In generating about 370 million tons of freight annually, the region only utilizes a tiny fraction — about five million tons — toward water transportation. Once operational, the waterway in India will implement an additional transport network along the river, partnering with the Eastern Dedicated Rail Freight Corridor, as well as with other existing networks of highways. These various transportation methods will help the region’s industries and manufacturing units pick and choose between different modes of transportation as they send their goods to markets in India and abroad.
With the assistance of the substantial loan from the World Bank, India will soon construct an innovative waterway that will not only be a cheaper and greener mode of transportation but will bring jobs and necessary transportation to the region, potentially growing their economic, social and political structures.
– Brandon Johnson
Photo: Flickr
The Issue of Water Quality in Uganda
Uganda is a country in Africa that has undergone tremendous growth in its economic sector as a result of a large amount of the population moving to urban centers in the country. However, despite this growth, the country is struggling to provide clean water to its citizens.
Although it is common for issues regarding water quality to be limited to rural areas, the country as a whole is lacking in basic necessities.
In fact, Water.org estimates that 21 percent of Ugandans lack access to safe water, and nearly 87 percent do not have sufficient sanitation facilities. A possible reason for this could be the high population growth in the country, which has stressed the water quality making it abysmal.
In Kampala City, researchers have found the presence of pathogenic bacteria in the springs, which provide a major source of water for the population. The contamination could be due to poor waste management and badly-designed pit latrines. In addition to the contaminated spring water used for domestic purposes, the drinking water quality in Uganda may be in trouble due to the presence of nitrates.
According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, children between the ages of 12 to 14 who have come into contact with nitrate-contaminated water are reported to exhibit delayed reactions to light and sound stimuli. Clearly, the state of water in Uganda is far below adequate and is wreaking havoc on the population.
Pollution and water contamination kill millions every year and the stress put on the economic sectors by urbanization and population growth has only increased the trouble in Uganda.
In order to improve the water quality in Uganda, the country must work with organizations to provide safe water and sanitation to its citizens. For those who live in rural areas, health and hygiene education is going to be key in identifying unsafe water for domestic use and consumption.
Once the country puts these programs in place, it can focus on developing a better system to deal with its rapid economic and population growth so as to ensure everyone has access to clean water.
– Jacqueline Artz
Photo: Flickr
The Impact of Weather Forecasting on Poverty
In developed countries, checking the weather forecast is important when planning a weekend trip, but to rural farmers in poor regions, it can make the difference between putting food on the table and going hungry. The impact of weather forecasting on poverty is notably strong, and new tech solutions are being implemented across the globe to ensure food security for farmers and communities.
Estimates indicate that a surprising 70 percent of the world’s food supply is created by small, independently owned farms less than two acres in size. Yet this backbone of agriculture can be easily devastated by droughts.
For example, the eastern region of Africa known as the Horn, which is home to Ethiopia, Somalia and Kenya, has experienced at least one drought per year for over a decade, causing more than 25 percent of the population to suffer from hunger. This weather has drastic economic consequences as well since the Horn is heavily dependent on its major exports of coffee and bananas.
In an effort to reverse this trend, Satellite Technologies for Improved Drought Risk Assessment (SATIDA) was created by a partnership between Vienna University of Technology and four other organizations, including Doctors without Borders and the Austrian Central Institution for Meteorology and Geodynamics.
SATIDA shows how positive the impact of weather forecasting on poverty can be with its multifaceted research approach. The four major components of the study are a complex drought indicator, regular forecasts, a mobile application and a database linking all other elements together.
“The goal is to know whether a drought is going on,” Markus Enenkel, lead researcher of the International Research Institute for Climate and Society at Columbia University told CNN in February. “We can give a seasonal summary to help people prepare.”
SATIDA’s research team is actively working on two projects using satellite and smartphone technology. One marks official confirmation of droughts when they occur to enable insurance payments to farmers in the event that their crops fail. The second project enables farmers to prepare for droughts ahead of time by providing more precise forecasting with smaller intervals.
Though similar efforts have been made in the past, such as when the World Bank pledged $213 million for anti-poverty weather forecasting tech in Bangladesh in 2016, the distinction of SATIDA is its keen focus on community-based improvement.
Shailaja Fennell, Cambridge University’s coordinator of the Global Food Security Initiative, summarized the importance of the users and their families in the impact of weather forecasting on poverty:
“The world of IT is fantastic, but to truly deliver, the products must be owned and analyzed by the community.”
– Dan Krajewski
Photo: Flickr
Hunger in Senegal
Since gaining independence from France in 1960, Senegal has had a successful run as a country. For example, it is considered one of the most stable democracies in West Africa. Nevertheless, nearly 50 percent of the population experiences malnutrition or hunger in Senegal.
The economy relies mainly on the agricultural sector, with most of the citizens being employed in the industry. Even with the success of farmers, however, not nearly enough nourishment is provided to the 13 million people who call Senegal home.
Food insecurity is mainly caused by the fluctuating food prices and unpredictable harvests that happen every year. The truth is that these unpredictable factors cause hundreds of thousands to experience hunger in Senegal.
Some unfortunate results of the fluctuating factors are that more than one million children under five are at risk of food shortages, threatening their growth and their lives.
In fact, the rate of hunger and malnutrition has become such a problem that the World Health Organization estimates that the country is on the threshold of an emergency. Half of the population is living on less than $1.25 a day, providing little room for families to ensure their loved ones are well-fed.
To alleviate hunger in Senegal, organizations like the World Food Programme (WFP) and Freedom from Hunger are supporting those who are suffering. For example, WFP collaborates with the government to provide nutritional support to families with young children. Freedom from Hunger also provides financial and educational services to women and families in rural areas of the country.
Furthermore, volunteers from organizations that seek to improve the state of hunger in Senegal encourage pregnant and lactating women to participate in nutrition awareness sessions. Rural areas of the country are also targeted by these helpful volunteers, for they typically house the most vulnerable in the country.
The government has begun to take part in helping its country, as well. Recently, the government employed a voucher system, under which each household receives a voucher to use for their family’s monthly food needs. In 2017, the UN reiterated their desire for Africa to reach its Zero Hunger Goal by 2030 under new Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. In order for this to happen, Senegal has to keep up the work being done to help families in need, as well as go further in making sure the citizens have proper information concerning nutrition.
Senegal is a nation with low incomes and severe food deficit. The country is on the mend, though, with the help of nonprofit organizations and programs designed to teach families how to receive nutrition in the smartest and most economical way. If governments and organizations keep up the good work, they can lift the burden of hunger in Senegal.
– Jacqueline Artz
Photo: Flickr
Water Quality in North Korea
Water quality in North Korea continues to deteriorate. The country’s water system and sanitation systems are both in a state of disrepair. Even though the country invested in an extensive piped water supply system in the early ’80s, due to natural disasters and low levels of investments the water system in compromised.
As a result of inadequate water quality, North Korea has had poor sanitation and unhygienic behavior from its citizens, resulting in an increased rate of under-five mortality.
Due to the condition of water quality in North Korea, UNICEF’s WASH program has focused on contributing to improved access and utilization of safe drinking water, sanitation services and good hygiene practices in communities and schools in the country.
In 2015, North Korea was impacted by a drought that lasted 18 months, resulting in the lack of drinking water and a further worsening of the country’s water supply system — resulting in an increase in the prevalence of water-borne diseases.
The water quality in North Korea is further threatened by limited sewerage networks and low water levels.
Access to potable water in the country is almost always inadequate and organizations like Concern Worldwide continue to work with local authorities and communities to provide alternative energy and pumping systems to provide North Koreans with water and also build latrines.
Water quality in North Korea continues to negatively impact the country’s food supply and without proper development will continue to result in malnutrition and disease.
While the country’s water issues seem grim, the country has developed a five-year economic plan which focuses primarily on the simultaneous development of nuclear weapons and the economy as a means to improve living conditions in the country.
Although water quality in North Korea continues to worsen, there remains a glimmer of hope in sight for the people of North Korea.
– Rochelle R. Dean
Photo: Flickr
Ten Facts About United Arab Emirates Refugees
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is a federation consisting of seven states that has grown into the most important economic center in the Middle East. The UAE is heavily dependent on oil and was dependent on the fishing and pearl industries prior to 1950. The UAE is very diverse and has become a trading and tourism hub for the region and heavily controls its media content — which includes foreign publications — before distribution. Here are ten facts about United Arab Emirates refugees.
Ten Facts About United Arab Emirates Refugees
There continues to be an open conflict with UAE refugees and how the Gulf States will continue to handle these efforts without the aid of the U.N. However, the UAE maintains that it is offering the best aid to the millions of refugees that seek asylum in the federation.
– Rochelle R. Dean
Fighting Global Hunger in Sweden
Sweden is a very fortunate country. Globally, Sweden ranks sixth, behind other Western European nations in keeping its citizens fed. There is virtually no hunger in Sweden, meaning it has very low levels of malnutrition and undernourishment as well as high access to safe, clean drinking water. Sweden, being so fortunate in its ability to maintain healthy citizens, has started The Hunger Project — a project designed to achieve a sustainable end to global hunger.
The Hunger Project was founded in 1977 in Sweden. It has become a global nonprofit dedicated to ending world hunger and poverty, declaring “our vision is a world where every woman, man and child leads a healthy, fulfilling life of self-reliance and dignity.” The Hunger Project now has many global allies, including in the United States. Some allied partners are Citi, the Ford Foundation, Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) and the World Bank, to name a few.
Starting to fight global hunger in Sweden quickly moved the project to the areas of the world that needed the most help. The Hunger Project works in three main large areas: Africa, South Asia and Latin America. The Hunger Project uses three essential activities in order to carry out its mission. The first is mobilizing village clusters at the grassroots level to build self-reliance. The second is to empower women as key change agents. The third is to forge effective partnerships with local government.
The Hunger Project works in partnership with people in Africa, South Asia and Latin America in an effort to build “bottom-up” strategies. “At the heart of [their] methodology is our fundamental belief in people as the author of their own development.” The Hunger Project works with people fighting against hunger and poverty in an effort to create a self-sustainable lifestyle outside the hardships of hunger.
The Hunger Project programs reach 17.3 million people in 16,000 communities. The Hunger Project encourages local solutions and community-led results.
While there is not much hunger in Sweden, there is hunger worldwide, and Sweden is working with many other countries globally to help those in need. The Hunger Project believes that the end to world hunger can be achieved by 2030. By working hard and efficiently this goal can be realized.
– Karyn Adams
Photo: Flickr
Education in Paraguay
Paraguay is a landlocked country in the heart of South America. Located between Bolivia, Brazil, and Argentina, the country has a population of nearly seven million people. Although poverty is on the decline, the country’s economic level is not where it should be. The current issues surrounding education in Paraguay go hand in hand with poverty.
In 2012, five percent of Paraguay’s GDP went towards educational needs. The structure of education in Paraguay is similar to those found in other countries around the world. Primary school begins at the age of six and consists of six grades. After primary school, children proceed into secondary school. The secondary school has two parts; lower secondary, which is seventh through ninth grade, and upper secondary, which is grades 10 through 12.
These twelve years of education are mandatory and free. Students are around 17 years of age once they finish their required schooling. Nearly all youth and adults are literate in Paraguay.
Despite these statistics, more complicated issues are involved in education in Paraguay, considering that only 45 percent of students end up completing sixth grade, and adults have an average of six years of education in total. Fifteen percent of the population is living on one euro or less a day, and ten percent of children don’t have any access to schooling. Schools that are run by the government are often crowded and lack adequate resources.
According to Generation Rising, the reason for the lack of attendance in Paraguay is due to a variety of reasons such as, “[the children’s] families need them to bring in extra income, there are no schools in their area or the cost of uniforms, textbooks and supplies is simply too much.”
Providing children with accessible, affordable, worthwhile education is an essential to providing them their human rights. While the overall situation in Paraguay has been seemingly increasing in recent years, there is still progress to be made.
– Shannon Elder
Photo: Flickr
5 Facts About Top Diseases in Lithuania
Lithuania is a fairly small European country with a population of about 2.8 million as of 2016. Despite its size, Lithuania still subject to several major infectious diseases. Since its 2008 financial crisis, Lithuania has recovered significantly and has become one of the fastest growing economies in the European Union. However, despite such impressive development in recent years, finding adequate treatments and solutions to the top diseases in Lithuania remains a challenge.
What are the top diseases in Lithuania?
– 54 percent cardiovascular diseases;
– 20 percent cancers;
– 12 percent other NCDs;
– Eight percent injuries;
– Three percent communicable, maternal, perinatal and nutritional conditions;
– Two percent chronic respiratory diseases;
– One percent diabetes.
Recognizing and understanding the state of people and society in Lithuania in regards to their health and well-being provides key insight into public health successes, as well as areas where additional assistance and improved conditions and resources are needed.
– Mikaela Frigillana
Photo: Flickr