Archive for category: Natural Disaster

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Addressing Homelessness in Tajikistan  

Homelessness in Tajikistan After the fall of the Soviet Union, Tajikistan became “one of the poorest countries” in the world. Wages shrunk and access to public services disappeared, forcing many to become independent and depend on their low income. According to Michal Kruzliak, the Development Manager of Habitat for Humanity, living standards worsened as internal wars and economic decline led to financial shortages, resulting in poor house maintenance. As a result, homelessness and Tajikistan has been a challenge. 

Additionally, civil wars affected the speed of housebuilding, leaving many stranded on the streets. For those who did have access to a home, warmth and comfort were usually absent as huge families had to live in small dwellings and human beings had no choice but to sit upon hard, cold brick and dirt. Even though the economy was beginning to improve, natural disasters like earthquakes quickly reversed the progress this country had made as they damaged more and more houses and left many homeless, according to Habitat for Humanity. As of 2023, 21.2% of the population in Tajikistan remains in poverty, which is almost 1.25 million people.

Habitat for Humanity

Habitat for Humanity is a nonprofit organization that has helped countries worldwide including Tajikistan. Since 1999, this organization has been aiming to end homelessness in Tajikistan by building and repairing houses and assisting more than 7,800 families with finding a home.

Earthquakes have always been a constant problem in Tajikistan. The power of this natural disaster is so strong that it destroys the windows and doors of people’s homes, many of which still have not been fixed. With Habitat for Humanity’s help, many people were given loans to build safer buildings and receive training on how to make their structures more stable, allowing families to better withstand earthquakes and other harsh conditions, according to its Country Profile.

Momajon and Karim completely rebuilt their house with the help of Habitat for Humanity. Typically, housebuilding was an extremely long and complicated process: one would have to wait years before constructing another wall due to the rising prices and declining wages. However, these individuals successfully built their houses from scratch, sharing their newly prized possessions with the rest of their family members through low-interest loans from banks and insurance provided by Habitat Tajikistan. The help they received from the organization did not solely help the process of house building but also provided them with a comfortable life.

UNICEF

The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) is another organization that has helped tackle the health challenges in Tajikistan. Especially for small children, undernutrition has been a significant problem even to this day. According to UNICEF, “As many as 21 percent of children under five are stunted (have chronic malnutrition), including 6 percent who are severely stunted.”

To aid this issue, UNICEF has made investments in care facilities and hospitals, bringing them medicine, equipment and instructions on how to better help the Tajikistan community. Instead of death being the only option for families to face, the people of Tajikistan now have a form of hope to come to after many fall ill due to malnutrition. To further aid families with younger children and infants, this organization also promotes child care through maternal and child services such as increasing child feeding practices in hospitals and giving out more necessary items to household parents. Additionally, because of this organization’s help, 1.4 million children were able to improve on the status of their health, such as with diseases like polio.

Shelter for Life

Shelter for Life (SFL) is an international development organization that is working to provide humanitarian assistance to developing countries, especially through shared local involvement. Specifically in Tajikistan, there was many harsh weather conditions like flooding that hurt property security for many families, leading to a deterioration of many homes. To address the issue of homelessness in Tajikistan and the destruction caused by natural disasters, SFL created innumerable amounts of shelters and latrines and even created a school building as a form of shelter. Additionally, because of the low funding in Tajikistan, the quality of the houses are poor, allowing for a greater chance of destruction when natural disasters like earthquakes hit. Even though this organization cannot directly stop an earthquake, it can and did implement preparedness training to allow many to better recover from the trauma from earthquakes, allowing the effect of homelessness to take a lesser toll. 

There is Hope

As seen through the above organizations, much work has been done to address homelessness in Tajikistan. Though problems of malnutrition, health care, lack of shelter and more may continue, these organizations are making a significant difference.

– Linda Yoonseo Lee

Linda is based in Phoenix, AZ, USA and focuses on Good News for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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Solution in Sight for Drought in the Horn of Africa

Drought in AfricaThe Horn of Africa, encompassing Kenya, Ethiopia, Djibouti, South Sudan and Uganda, has been experiencing the most severe drought in decades. This crisis has directly and indirectly impacted millions. The death toll in Somalia alone reached a staggering 43,000 in 2022. However, the accurate scale of the devastation caused by the drought in the Horn of Africa will only become clear once we have the total count of deaths from the other affected countries.

Current Situation

In the past three years, the region has been grappling with a severe lack of precipitation, with some areas receiving minimal to no rainfall. This prolonged drought has had devastating consequences, particularly for the communities whose livelihoods depend on livestock and the rain. Approximately 10 million animals have perished due to drought, resulting in displacement for millions of herders who are forced to flee their homes for areas where water is available and seek humanitarian assistance.

The drought-related food insecurity has pushed them to the brink, where they face hunger, malnutrition, starvation and even death. Furthermore, the drought has increased transportation costs and food prices, exacerbating the situation and plunging more individuals into poverty. These dire conditions have also heightened the risk of conflicts in the region.

Good News

Recurrent droughts have led to collaborative efforts between governments and aid agencies to explore long-term sustainable solutions. These efforts have yielded promising results, with numerous studies revealing substantial regional underground water reserves. This finding offers hope in this crisis, as these reserves have the potential to sustain millions of people for an extended period, reducing their dependency on rainwater and mitigating the effects of drought and other such phenomena.

Project – Africa Groundwater Access Facility

Implementing a cross-border initiative presents challenges and opportunities of paramount significance to the region. Essential to this project is the necessitated exchange of knowledge and comprehensive research across participating nations. The primary objectives of this strategic plan are as follows:

  1. Active engagement of local communities to instill a sense of ownership and commitment to the project.
  2. Rigorous identification of already known drought hotspots for targeted intervention.
  3. Execute well drilling and establish deep underground bores near these identified hotspots for long-term water scarcity mitigation.

Other Solutions – Land Restoration

Certain countries, like Burkina Faso, are implementing nature-based solutions to challenges such as drought and flooding. These strategies involve tree planting, utilizing innovative agricultural practices and integrating agriculture, farming, fruit crops and livestock pastors within a single area. This holistic approach, which is cost-effective and sustainable, has the potential to not only help millions of people but also save billions of hectares of land in low-income countries in the years to come.

Final Remark

Approximately 1.84 billion people worldwide are impacted by drought, with 85% residing in low-income countries. According to estimates, drought will displace 700 million in the next decade and affect one in every four children. Therefore, the urgency of finding sustainable solutions to reduce the effects of drought cannot be overstated. 

– Maria Waleed

Maria is based in Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan and focuses on Good News and Global Health for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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Dreamwater Providing Drinking Water in Bangladesh

DreamwaterDreamwater Enterprises LTD is a venture under Footsteps Bangladesh that provides Bangladeshi civilians with quality drinking water at an affordable price. Through the construction of water plants, portable water filters and low-cost household filters, Dreamwater has converted more than 4,50,000 liters of flood water into drinking water.

Bangladesh’s Water Crisis

Bangladesh, with a population of 171 million, faces a severe water crisis. More than 18% of its population lives below the poverty line and more than 40% lack access to safe water. This lack of access to clean water sources contributes to the prevalence of water-borne diseases such as diarrhea, dengue fever and tuberculosis. One of the most pressing issues is water contamination. Bangladesh has the highest rate of arsenic-contaminated water in the world, primarily due to natural geological sources polluting groundwater. The presence of arsenic in drinking water poses serious health risks, including skin lesions, cancer, cardiovascular diseases and developmental effects.

Furthermore, the country faces significant challenges due to high salinity levels in its water. This problem is exacerbated by a decrease in the Ganges River’s upstream flow, which has led to increased salinity intrusion from the Bay of Bengal. High salinity not only makes drinking water unsafe but also affects agriculture, as saline water can damage crops and reduce agricultural productivity. This, in turn, threatens food security and the livelihoods of farmers, who make up a significant portion of the population.

Bangladesh’s frequent and severe flooding compounds the water crisis. Flooding can contaminate freshwater sources with pollutants and pathogens, further reducing the availability of safe drinking water. During the monsoon season, the risk of water-borne diseases increases as floodwaters spread contaminants over large areas.

Dreamwater’s Work

Dreamwater’s innovations in water filtration have enabled it to take water from floods and convert it into safe drinking water. The filters take flood water and eliminate odor, enhance taste and remove potential toxins. Its portable water filters can be carried anywhere to convert any water into drinking water. The hand-powered version of the filter allows those in areas without electricity to have access to clean drinking water.

Dreamwater has created centralized water plants that can filter water for entire houses, apartment buildings, factories and other large-scale facilities. This creates safe tap water for drinking and bathing, helping eliminate the spread of waterborne disease in highly populated areas.

Dreamwater filters can convert more than 75 liters of water an hour and last more than 15,000 liters before needing replacement. They are priced at 20,000 BDT, which is around $170, making them affordable for low-income communities throughout the country.

Final Remark

With Dreamwater’s filters, areas in Bangladesh that have been ravished by flooding have an ensured source of clean drinking water at an affordable price. These filters help communities throughout Bangladesh save money and avoid disease, helping fight the country’s poverty and illness issues.

– Nicolas Mezzaucella

Nicolas is based in New Rochelle, NY, USA and focuses on Good News and Global Health for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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SISRI: Preparing Island Nations for Natural Disaster Response

SISRI: Preparing Island Nations for Natural Disaster ResponseThe Small Island States Resilience Initiative (SISRI), funded by the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery and the World Bank, seeks to decrease the effects of natural disasters on small island nations, which are particularly vulnerable to such events. Natural disasters significantly contribute to global poverty. Preventionweb notes that impoverished individuals tend to live in hazard-prone areas and lack the resources to invest in measures that reduce risks. Consequently, people in these areas often lack adequate insurance and social protection, meaning their limited assets are usually spent trying to recover from the last natural disaster.

Global Impact of Natural Disasters on Poverty

Preventionweb reports that of the approximately 1.5 billion people worldwide at risk of or exposed to flooding, 89% reside in low to middle-income countries. Drought is one of the most severe causes of poverty globally, particularly in small island nations. Other significant risks include the previously mentioned flooding and tropical storms. These are among the deadliest and most severe natural disasters, posing the greatest threat and highest risk of poverty.

Loss of life is the primary consequence of these  ongoing issues, but other risks include injuries, home damage, loss of livelihood, displacement, health implications and food insecurity, among others. The Small Island States Resilience Initiative addresses these challenges. This initiative responds to calls from small islands for more support in mitigating climate change and natural disaster risks that significantly affect their populations, assets, ecosystems and economies.

Goals and Strategies of SISRI

The primary goal of the SISRI is to alleviate the risks and reduce the burdens that natural disasters often impose. The project focuses on protecting coastal areas, establishing safety nets for citizens and providing expert assistance in assessing flood and landslide risks. SISRI also supports these nations in constructing safer infrastructure. Additionally, it fosters a global community where island practitioners can share and access worldwide knowledge on risk management.

Small island states are particularly vulnerable to natural disasters. For instance, countries experiencing the highest losses from these disasters include small island nations, which account for more than 60% of such cases. These losses can represent up to 9% of a small island nation’s GDP. Moreover, in the last 50 years, Pacific island nations have incurred more than $3 billion in damages from natural disasters. Despite these ongoing challenges, initiatives like the Small Island States Resilience Initiative, coupled with external support, can significantly impact these regions.

Implementation and Achievements of SISRI

SISRI is enhancing the resilience of small island nations by building larger pipelines for investments that can withstand climate change impacts. This initiative focuses on increasing these areas’ capacity to adapt to extreme weather events. There are three main goals SISRI aims to achieve: helping small island nations document climate finance assistance, increasing the scale and efficiency of investments and upscaling and consolidating support to shift from fragmented smaller projects to broader national initiatives that deliver more significant results.

SISRI leverages the expertise of a broader team from GFDRR and the World Bank to provide technical and operational advice. These experts address project bottlenecks and launch new investments that enhance flood and landslide risk assessments, develop safer infrastructure and strengthen social and financial safety nets. For example, in Jamaica, SISRI is protecting vulnerable coastal zones by integrating existing coastal defenses, such as seawalls and mangroves.

Using a practitioner network, SISRI connects practitioners to share knowledge and experience, enhancing resilience on small islands. Several meetings with support groups have already occurred, including the 2018 Understanding Risk Forum in Mexico City and the 2017 Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction in Cancun. These gatherings aim to better educate small island nations on optimal risk management strategies for natural disasters.

Through SISRI, the World Bank aims to enhance enabling environments and stakeholder capacity and to prepare proposals, projects and pipelines. While this initiative significantly supports small island nations in combating poverty and recovering from natural disasters, which often devastate economies and lives, more efforts are necessary to ensure these communities can recover and thrive after such events.

Looking Ahead

Currently, SISRI operates in East Asia, the Pacific and Sub-Saharan Africa, assisting about 37 countries. The Initiative plays a vital role in enhancing the resilience of vulnerable island nations against natural disasters. By focusing on protecting coastal areas, improving infrastructure and providing technical assistance, SISRI aims to mitigate the severe impacts of these events. Continued support and investment in these ongoing initiatives could safeguard communities and promote sustainable recovery and development.

– Lachlan Wellington

Lachlan is based in Fareham, Hampshire, UK and focuses on Technology and Global Health for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Unsplash