Man Environ Notes

MAN AND ENVIRONMENT CONTENT NOTES

Gontent Page l. Core notes on Man & Environment 2, P1 and P2 Questions on Man & Environment 3. An in-depth look at the Environment 4- Food and Watel 5. Energy 6. Health 7. Population 8. Topic Guide on Glimate Ghange 9. Topic Guide on Environmental Activism 1O, Topac Guide on Food Security 11. Topic Guide on Water & Sanitation 12. Topic Guide on AIDS/HIV 13. Preparing for the Next Pandemic 14, Act of Man 15. Global generosity after crises must reach people in need 16. No end in sight for flood stricken Somalia 17. Melinda Gatesr The Virus and Women 18, Was 2OO5 the year of natural disasters? 19. The Paradoxical Politics of Energy 2O. Sustainable Maths 21. Yeas in Review: Environment

p.2 p.36 p.38 p.43 P.4A

p.53 p,58 p.62 p.66 p.70 p.74 p.78 p.83 p,91 P.93

p.96 p.99

p.102 p.1O5 p.1OG

p.1O7

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a. what is ClImaf,e Cnangea lo o chonge in the long lerm weolher pollerns of o region They con become wormer or colder ond onnuol roinfoll or snowfoll con increose or

This refers !.

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decreose. An increose in world's overoge lemperolure over lhe posl cenlury hos coused: Arctic seas to thin by 40%; '. the ice of the sea levets to rise by 1ocm to 20cm, causing more ftooding and erosion of many coastal lands, such as those along the 6utf Coast of the United States; . increased warming that cotltd spread desert'Uke conditions in Africa, destroying the ljvetihoods of hundreds of thousands of Peopte before the end of the century. Mony scieniisls believe ihol people, oncl nol nolurolcouses. crre responsible Jor globcrlworming. The biggesl culpril is Jhe emission of greenhouse goses.

b. how does global wat.ming work?. {

.

Wilh increosed inclustriol oclivilies oround the world, vosi foresls hove been cleorecl, hozordous chemicols dumped inio lhe seos ond high levels of unnolurol chemicols purnped inio the skies.

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ccrrbon dioxide in the olmosphere hos increosed by neorly olher greenhouse goses hove more thon doubled.

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o resull, more heol from lhe sun

effects

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rgoching ihe Eorth's surloce

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on Planet Earth

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iemperolures ore melling lhe ice cops. This is expecled io moke seo levels swellobove 40cm by 2080. Three billion people in Norlh Africq, the Midclle Eosi ond lhe lndion sutconlinenl ore ol risk.

.

Al lecrsl 80 million people will be ot risk from ftooding olone, 60% of them in Soirlh Asio ond 20% in South -Eosl Asio. Singopore could be hil; its smoll sze ond low ground levelmoke it susceplible lo flooding crnd erosion.

Rising

Ihe omounl ot woler for drinking ond irrigolion could foll drosiicolly os roiny seosons lurn clry ond rising seo levels coL,se soll io enler lhe Ctrounclwoler of Cooslol oreos.

Projected Scenarios . Plonei eorlh willrun oui of room ond resources by 2050. Populolion will be forced lo colonise oiher ploneis if nolurql resources . . .

continue lo be exploiied os lhey ore ol lhe momenl. ln 50 yeors seos wouJd be empiied of fish. Foresis woulcl be complelely desiroyed. Freshwoier supplies would be scorce ond polluled.

The impocl of globolworming is bolh positive ond negolivei l) Posilive

lncreosed crop growlh ond more mocJerole winlers: lncrecrse in minimum iemperoiures longer frosl kee seoson in mony pcrris of USA: beneficiol tor mony crops ond olso offecls growih ond developmenl of perenniol plonls ond pesls. The use of insecls ond olher onimols lhol compele wilh or prey on cerio;n crop pesls, such os using plonis conioining nolurol loxin cornpounds thol repelhormful insecis "biologicol conlrols" is o sofer, effeclive crncj less expensive oliernol;ve 1o synihelic chemicols.) lncreosed roinfoll cruciol for orid reqions ll) Negolive:

.

Serious environmenlol, sociol ond economic problems more vololile ond exlreme weoiher / sudden unpred;cloble or irregulor climole poiierns record lemperoiures, heoi woves, very heovy roinfoll, or droughl, iropicol slorms, eleciric storms, hurricones, biller cold, elc, oll of which hqve sloggering effecls on socielies, ogricullure ond ecosyslems.

llL,mon ocilvilies lhol impocis on lhe climqie ond the environmenl:

.

Burning of fossil fuels, occelerolion of decoy of orgonic motier, ogriculture ond ogriculiurol proclices, deforesiolion ond u.bonizotion, deslruclive fishing lechniques, dumping of corbon dioxicle in the oceons, pollulion

Question: Are humon oclivilies, rolher lhon elemenh otlhe climole syslem oulside of monkind's intluence, couslng climole tlucluollons?

d. what has

been doneu

ln I992, governmgnts odopled the Uniled Nolions Fromework Convenlion on Climole Chonge. ll hos been roiified by 189 counlries, including oll lhose in the G B.

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The Kyoio Prolocol followed in 199/ ond come into effeci on Februory 2005 wilh supporl f rom l28 nolions. ll seis oui more specific, legolly binding commilmenJs 1o levels of greenhouse gos em;ssions. This together wiih lhe recenlly concluded BoliTcllk in December 2007 is hoped lo bJ ng oboul greoler cooperolion omong noiions lo reduce ihe domoCre done io the environmenl.

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The problem is ihol the world's biggesl producer of such ernissions - ihe US hos refused lo rotjfy ihe ogreemenl, lls crbsence could jeoporciize lhe effecliveness of lhe prolocol.

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e, what

More concerled efforl beiween lhe developed nolions ond poorer sloles on lFdu :r g g oe.hou'e go, -n'.5:on\.

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Shoring of lechnology ]h{rl is env;ronmenlolly friendly belween counhies.

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Reolislic oplion of curbing exlrovcrgonl lifeslyles

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More environmenlolly friendiy lifeslyle lo be inlroducecl ond promoled e-9. personol corbon roiion, hybrid cors, bio fuels.

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A susloinoble developmenl bosed economy lhol mokes Lrse of lhe resources ovoilob e wiihoul eoiing inlo tuiure consumpiion of the comlng

g-nerojion,.

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Limii populotion growih oncl.reslricling unplonned economic growih

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ConJrol fossil fLreluse by ' ' or lrolr:ng .olos oI de'ore,'olion gozelting foresl os "fores] Teserves" bonning exporl of wood

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Reduce emission oi ioxic goses Jhrough use of iechnology run on pelrol ond eleclricily lechnology ronging kom use of more efficienl devices (low-volloqe lomps, e.g.) lo developing co generolion (ihe combined produciion of heot ond eleclricily) - conlrol occelerolion oi decoy which releose nilrous oxide ond melhone - need 1o look closely ol lhe irovelond lourism incluslry's own conlribuiion io qre-nhou\a qose,.

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- eleclric ond hybrid cors thol

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needs to be done?

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Environmenlol conservotion is seldom moiivoled only by environmenlol concerns olone. Polilicol ond business inleresls, economic ond sociol concerns ore conlending forces.

.

ln generol, much clepends on ihe polilicol wil, of governmenis. However, lhe communily's righls over its noiuroi resources ond lhe role of every individuol connol be over emphos;zed_

.

ln focl, lhere is o need lo recognize lhol indigenous knowledge ond technology evolved over generolions hod enobled communilies lo coexisl wilh lheir environmenl. Much con be leorned from lhe indioenous peoples.

f. environmental activism

/ lobby groups:

These groups ore formed io oddress environmenlol issues, lo drow otieni;on io the need for proleclion of noluae oncJ chonge in volues.

Greenpeoce lniernolionol - World Conservolion Monilorinq Cenlre

Friends of the Eorlh The Nolure Sociely

g. global action - government pOliCieS and international

agreements Governmenl policies: Economlc developmenf versui environmenlol preservolion: - Pollulion siondords ond legisloiion 'oLrrsm (^. o ond ogro lor./rism) lnfrosiruclure {lroins over oulomobiles) Nolure reseryes {or reclomoljon - e.9.. pulou Ubin) BuiJding of golf courses in nolure oreos Some inlernqlionol orgonizolions formed lo look inlo environmenlol issues: Eorlh Summil in Rio De Joneiro, Bto7il.1992 Kyolo Prolocol, I997 -GB + 5 Climole Chonge Diologue {Woshinglon Declorotion, 2007)

"Vienno Climole Chonge Tolks, 2007)

- *UN Boli Conference, 2007 - *Poznan Polond Conference, 2008

'Copenhogcn, Danmotl

2009

rPosl-Kyolo Prolocol

h. economic

negotiolions oim

is

la reoch on ogreemenl by 2009

exPloitation

Boih developed ond developing counlrje6 point fingers ot oncl blome eoch olher for lhe slole of lhe environmenl.

.

The industrjolized counlries consider lhe ropidly exponding populolion of lhe developing counJries lo be lhe rnoin conlribuior of environmenlol problems.

t i They olso insisi on ihe developing couniries conserving their resources in iheir drive for economic developmeni.

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Developing counlries however, poinl lo lhe consumplion levels in ihe developed nolions os ihe moin culpril of environmenlol problems. Ihus lhey coll on ihe indusir;olizecl counlries lo poy mosl of ihe cosls of environmenlol progrommes.

.

Ihe US however hos nol rolified ihe Kyoio Prolocol. ll is unwilling io do so os ii would meon cuilinq down on induslries olreody offecled by downsizing ond oulsourcing. ln oddilion, ii does nol wish 1o lose oul lo Chino ;ls compelilor, which cloes nol need 1o rolify lhe Prolocol ond yet is ihe second greolesl pollulonl on Eorlh.

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the solution:

sustainable development

"Suslni nble deaeloptnent menns meeting lhe nrctls ofthe present u)ilhoul jeopnrdizing lfu abilify off tule generaLions to fttael lheir oun nee tls."

-

Worlcl Commission on [nvironmenl ond Developmeni

"lllere is a huge chasm of mistrust

corntries about how to do this.. dcveloping countries won't take on any carbon reduchon targets until they bclieve the countdes that have caused thc problem do so."

,

bet1\,een

lhe

Stitish Environmenl Secretory Dovid Milibond

lnlernolionol co-operolion ond effort is needed: . No counlry or smoll group of coLrnlries ocling olone con slobilize lhe climole, or proleci the diversily of life on Eorth

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Gools con only be ochieved lhrough globol co-operolion ihol recognizes the in inierdependence of counlries

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The lerm hos been widely usecl in scienlitic, business, ond public institutions. lt refers 1o "developmenl lhoi meels lhe needs of lhe presenl wilhoul

compromising lhe obitit of furiher generolions lo meel lheir own needg' (Our Common F.rlure, lqBT)

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Since 1987, vorious orgonizolions. ond counlries hove odopleci the concepi. E.9. ln I993, Presidenl Clinion creoied lhe Presidenl's Council on Susloinoble Development io promole lhe ideo of susloinoble developmenl. Some slrolegies implemenled in the Uniled Sloles lo prolecl lhe environment in lhe losl 26 yeors include o voriely of regulolory meosures, seiling siondo.ds ond issuing permils for pollulont dischorges, ond then inspecling. moniloring, ond enforcing lhe slondords sei for eoch environmeniol siolule-

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The difficuliy wiih odopling the concepl of susloinoble developmenl lies in lhe focl lhoi mony developed counfrids, such os ihe Uniled Sloles, meosure

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economic growlh using gross nolionolproducl (GNPJ os on incJicoior of progress Ihe long lerm need for environmeniol proleclion ond sociol equiiy i nol oddad i.lo'he equorio. lo goJgo e.onomiL progr6 s more occuroiely. l-lence some negolive environmenlol impocls of produclion ond. consumplion, loxic woste, for exomple, ore considered o credil rolher lhon o debil when colculollnq cNP. olso o d;sporily omong professiongls os lo the definilion of developmenl. Business represenlolive5 oflen view developmenl os growlh ond induslriolizoiion, while environmenlolisls ofien define developmenl in lerms of whol is susioinoble. When o counlry exploits its noturol resources beyoncl their renewoble limit it will experience growlh, bul nol developmenj, The currenl economic indicoiors of success ore bosed on consumerism ond moieriolism which do nol loke inio occounl ihe finile limiis of resources ond There

is

people.

To ochieve suslcrinoble developmenl requires o new mullifoceled opprooch 1o monoging our environmentol, economic, ond sociol resources for lhe long ierm. l1 meonr moking beller decis;ons ond encouroging individuols, insllluiions, ond corporolions lo loke responsibilily for lhe economic, environrnenlol, ond sociol consequences of lheir oclions.

(rlso meons using resources more efficienlly wilh lechnologicol odvoncemenis, ond ioking o leodership role in lhe clevelopmenl ctncl implemenlolion of 6lobcrl susloinoble developmenl policies lhol will ensure o vilol economy, sociolwell-being ond o beollhy environmenl for iodoy os well os lomofiow. 11

i(i).

The burden of reaching sustainable development musl tall on developed, industlialized nations

Provide money ond ollernoiive iechnologies lo help developing nofions ochieve susloinoble economic developmeni. Why?

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They hove fhe weollh ond lhe lechnology > The Third World need monelory ossislonce in order to conseNe lheir biologicol diversity, promole susioinoble use of foresls oncl rongelonds, ond experience posilive lrends in economic ond socioi conditions lhqt will fovour populotion slobilily > The Third World would be unoble ond unwilling to poy for ihe esseniiol new lechnology, given lheir economic situoiion.

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As lhe greolesi consumers of ihe common resources, they conlribuie

disproporlionolely lo ihe globol environmenlol problems, espec;olly io ozone deplelion ond greenhouse effect. lMorol Obligotion)

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Need io prove Jheir sedousness ond sincerily in order lo persuode lhe Third World lo lreol lhe issrres of populoiion growlh, deforeslolion, ond loss of biologjcol diversily wiih equol seriousness. lMorol Authority)

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Unless lhe poorer

nolions' need for food, sonilolion, cooking fueloncl olher bosic requiremenls ore being mei, lhey con horclly be expecJed lo conlribule lo solving long-lerm globol problems.

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Govemments of rich counlries must fulfill commitments made and implement fiscal policies to regulate unsuslainabte activities Eliminole subsidies lor unsusloinoble octivities o Currenlly, governmenls subsidized mony of the very crciiviiies ihot lhreolen ihe susloinobiliiy of lhe economy

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lnsiilule o corbon fox o Such o lcrx woulcl reflecl lhe cosl Jo sociely of burning Jossil fuels- lhe cosls, of oir pollulion, ocicl roin, ond globol 1 i^g

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laslilule o Personol Corbon Rolion Cord o Everyone willgel lhe scrme ollowonce for how much corbon dioxide lhey em;l eoch yeor o Every ijme they buy some product lhol involves corbon dioxide emjssions ciorbon poinls ore deducied from lheir cred;l or clebil cords.

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ihey suppori fishing tleeis io the exlenl of some 954 billion cr yeor, even though exisiing fishing copocily olreocly greolly exceeds the susloinoble yielcl ot oceonic fisheries. E.g.:

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Reploce income loxes wilh environmenlol loxes Tox environmeniolly deslruclive ociivilies - use of peslicides, generoiion of loxic wosles, use of virgin row moieriols, , conversion of croplond lo non form uses, corbon emission

Queslions: Refer lo lhe lwo orlicles (in lhe Addif,'onol Reodings ol the bock) - . The Parodoxicol PolilicJ ofEnergy A Susldinoble Malhs (Pgl05 & 106) . V,lhy qnd how ore componi.es odopling lhe "green cilizenship" shategy? . Do you know of ony "green incenlives" or compoigns ir Singapote? . How efleclive do you lhink svch iniliotives qre oDd holy could lheyfu',het be imprcved upon?

i(iii), .

Developing countries need to play their part Ensure lronsporency ond occountobility crs they build lhe inslilulions needed lo monoge iheir resources.

..

Slobilize lheir populolion o Adopj sociol policies lhol will encourcrge sr.oller fomilies o lron. focing bolh lond hunger ond woier scorciiy, now limiis public subsidies tor housing, heollh core, ond insuronce io lhree children per fomily

.

Conserye resources even while ihey embork on developmenl progrommes o Economic developmenl rnusi be poced lo ollow for resource conservolion

i(iv). Private seclors and industries

need to advance environmental objectives while pursuing their interests, . lhe, n .,' 'o-op^Joie. Lomp./ or forc^d lo worr wrll" environmenlol objecJives.

i(v). .

The backing of a well-intormed, committed public is crilical. The power of the governmeni depencls on ils obilily lo oller the behovior of inclividucrls through educoiion, lroining, incentives, help, ond deierrence of individuols who nonelheless insisl on seeking lheir own ends,

'egoro'e\r of rrcler inrFra

.

ls.

For instonce, lhe lhreol of consumer boycoll in lhe conning compon;es lo imporl dolphin,sofe iuno.

US

forced iLrno,

Quesfions: Reter lo lhe orlicle - Ilme is right for ASEAN lo tockle climofe chonge. Whol rore does ASEAN play in helping to tock e lhis isiue? Differenl counhies in ASEAN ore offecled in diflerenl w(Jys. Descibe ond qnalyze thei molives fot being potl of lhe iniliotive. , Time ls rlqht tor ASEAN to tackl€ .limate .hanqe AMID5_I in.reasing.ttention on.rimate chanqe and otobat warmrng, the Association ofSo (AseaD) has vowed in thejoint coFmunique ofirs 40th MiDtst.riatMoell.g, to make con.ert.d efforts to tnckte thts

problem.

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The Asean tnitraule @mes atlhe riqht time, Reoronalstates need to act now to coordinate their positions for up.ominq internatlonal neqotiations for a post-Kyoro reqime, althouqh qrobalwarminq poses a threat ro arlcountries,

som

lly vulnerable

dle to their

f4.ny south east Asian countries are ro.ated in iropicalarers and soDe of them are littorat, archipelaqic orisland states witD rong coasdhes, one ofthe pmjecte.r manifestations of climate chanqe is a rise in sea level, which means saltwater int.udinq lnto tfe surrace and groundwaterof co.srar areas. Tbis witl aftecr fisheries and desrroy mano'o,e. Jno the hdbldr\ due lo , h"nq", in *inrry.

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the Kyoto

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^siar or cimate chanqe, Ch,na, the wond t se..id laroesi oreenhouse q.s emjtter, is racil'q in.reasina irtern.tional presslre lor mo,e emEs on.uts. S!ffeinq rrorn nrcurtrto rlomeshc pollution problems, China is seekinq rnternationalaid, espe.i.lry through biatersrcooperaiion, ro baldn.e rts economi. developmenl and. environmeni.l Drotedion. lt nceds ,tern.tionarsupport .n(l underetandrnq lrom other blocs io rorest.ll .ny cqally South

b'nd-o.m

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rap.n, the bfih pac€ orthe Kyoto Protocol, has a sDe.ial Lnt€rest in.lmat. cha.9€ talks be..ut€ it re9.rds envfonmental protection .auses as.n efnoe.t m€ans to promote lts inre.nat onal tnaoe. M€aivJhile, iapan also finds t.rfi.ult to fulfil ts oblioation3 un.r€r the Kyoto Protocolto cut emi5son5 by 6 p.r.ent lretore 2o12. Expa'son of q obalc-rbon tradrq 3rd nio.c envronmentdln,v.stment inio develoDinq.ounties serve tlre int€rest5 ol rapatr, whr.t' urqently.eeds policy.oordrnatioi and sLpporl tom Ase.n. South Korer, which has been exempt€d kom mandatory emission cuts under the Kyoto Protocol, may also be pressured ro shoulder more strinoent oblioations in the n€xt climate treaty bc.ause.l ilsnlgher l€velol industrralisanon. seoul isan acnve psrtiopant rn the Asia Pa.ific Panne6hip on clea. Development and climote. Equrpp.d with hioh end t€chnolooy, it certat.ly wants to expand reqional.oorerbti.n r .neroy .onseruation and fucl

It is tr'n.ry and ol strate!li. importan.e, ther€Iore, forAs.a. to not only devoie more altennon to th. issue, but .lso to exp.nd ils broc noqoti.tions to incrllde China, l.pbn and solth Kor€a.

c

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are we headed for

an environmental disaster?

There ore lwo schools of lhoughl. YES

NO

. . . . . .

Dwindling rqw/nolurol resources Shrinking biodiversily/ norrower ecosysiems Runowoy populolion orowih Globolworming cousing climoiic chonges wiih devosloling effecis lncreos;ng pollulion problems Exploilolivelechnology

. . .

New le( hr o og o. \ rl ollow ^c onon^.. o(ponsion New resources will be found when presenl resources ore spenl Recycling ond more effic'enl use of row moieriols willnol couse resources lo ciwindie so quickly "cene Revolulion" will erodicoie food shorloctes World's people ore increosingly owore of ihe environmenlol crisis ond ore concerned

. .

Iopping new source!

. . . . . . .

Sectian

of energy: energy Wind power Oceon iialesrnd rivers/ hyciro-eleclric energy Geolhermol energy {heol from lhe eorlh's inner core} Nucleot enatg/ Cieon-fuel : Lrse of nolurol gos cors which give off foa less cancer cousing chemicols Hydrogen (in oulomobiles) Solcrr

II.

Water Isnes

.

Only 2.5% of the lolol omounl of wqler on Eorlh is treshwoler {lhe resl moinly soll woler in oceons). Of this 2.5% only 0.4% of il is occessible woler found in lokes, rjvers, ond oquifers

.

The wodd hos enough freshwoter resources lo cover most woler_ needs, but ihe dislribuiion of woler resources is uneven ond shows greol disporilies, bolh sociol ond geog.ophicol.

.

There ore more lhon I billion people who lock occess lo drinking woler ond 2.4 billion ore deprived of woler purificolion services.

.

estimoted thol 3.4million people die eoch yeor from diseoses linked lo o lock of cleon woler ond proper sonilolion. It is

is

r'

i, t

.

Woler polluiion is henceforlh regorded os o mojor public heollh concern. ll we foil 1o reocl, lhis could jeopqrdize the fulure ol lhese resources ond wiih il. lhe quolliy of life oncl even jhe survivol of fuiLJre gpn-l olio^

.

UN eslimoles lhot by 2025. up foce woier shorloges.

.

The urgeni need lo deol with lhe woier crisis hos prompled the UN to declore 22 Morch os ihe World Doy for Woler-

{. f {.

r r 7

t,

a.

aspect of Water . clobolwoler wiihdrowols hove increosed sevenfold, ond

.

lncluslry require5 woler lor cooling, woshing oncl processing, wilh mojor uses lncluding power generolion, sJeel, chernicols, poper ond pekoleum refining.

.

People oJso require woler for cirinkinq, food preporolion, sonilarlion oncl oiher purposes. Allempls by governmenls 1o privolize wcrler supply musl nol deprive ihe poor occess io il. > E.g. Manjla's experience of water privatjzation in which the poor pays more for water than the rich tiving in the city is an example ot prjvatization gone wrong_

.

Proponenls of wcrler privoiizctiion soy woler pricing ihe globol problem ol woler shodoge.

.

Bul crilics counler thot woler like oir, is life ond everyone should hove occess lo ii. The morkej should nol diciole who gels lo drink. Wilh privolizoiion, protil driven componies will provide woJer orily lo ihose who con offord lo pcty ond ihe poor will end up high ond dry.

l .3

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.

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I

induslry-

reloied woler conrumpiion hos mLrlliplied 301imes in one century.

:l

L

iwo lhirds of lhe world's people will

economic

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L

10

ihe solulion lo

-

oddiiion, couniries in neecj of woler ore oflen omonq the poorest couniries. The Midd,e Eosl, Norlh Africo (MENA) region in porticulor is omong lhe driesl in lhe world. As such, lhey con ill offord lo poy high pricer for woler. ln

b. water as a

.

is

money spinner

Singopore is going big on woler indusl4/. The Woler Technology tnduslry hos been given o boosl when lhe Environmeni Minislry onnounced in Aprjl 2005, the setting up of W.olerhub, o S$32 mi'lion cenlre lo bring locol ond foreign induslry experls lo troin people here to develop the technotogy, pick up know how ond moke woler lechnology o money spinner.

L,

t, {

t.

t2

.

Hyflux, o Singapore-bosed woler lreolmeni speciolisl, hos cutlom mocle 2

seowoier desolinolion plonls ond 4 woier generolion plonls which purify river wcrler ond use less eleck;cily. Quesiions: Refer lo ihe orlicle - singopore sels up two new institules to boost wolet teseotch ond livob,e cities. . It il only lor economic reosons lhot Singopore is invesling in ils "wolet indushy" inhoslrvclute? Exploin lhrovgh lhe concepts of urbonizolion ond sustoiroble deveropmenl in relolion lo Singoporc's iniliolives. Singapore sers

uptwonry inslitules

to boost water .esearch and llvable citics

STNGAPORE S'nslpore rs booslinq ris capabili cs in €ter manaoemeniand susl?in.bre u.ban deverophenl ttwitlbe setring uplwo expen bodies lhe lnsrilule orw.ter Poucy dnder the Lee Kuan Yew sch@l of Pubric Polry, a.d lhe cenke

oponr.q lh. wD d orlies s!m,n,r 3nd rhe inrernalionar waler week, Prime l"l riner Le. Hsien l-@ns sajd every a good lrvnO erynonment and efli.iert use or resources ca.iolbe a.hieved in iso ation

cLry s

goaloJ

Th.re's nodoubl colnlries pacehigh mpo aice on issu€s I ke waler managemenl € nersy erhclency, atr qu.l{y and lrban plann.q Th.rs ev'deil from the ovetuhem'no resFonse tom d"^ieqares Io tha Wo d C r.s Summir aid rhe r.lernatron.r PMLee.oledlhallrbansrl,o.'sriapp--nirs!ranunpre.ed€nledscareSotoens!,ecries.em.rndyr.m'ce.qn.sof q'ornh solr'l !rb.t m3n3qemenl DolcLes aren.edcd And lopp nq rhal lis( ls enerqy co.serval o.

MrLee$id "lo aclr eve rlsuns renllgy€tnclency.nd.onsetuaron.rr s lvherh€r erecl,icily or Delrol 3hould be pric.dprope ya.{J.d lbsidhed J't lee nored rh.r R&Doncrednere.cylechnorolis nrporlanl component ol,n.nkLnd str.sponse lo slobal warmrng

mpodanr.gelrheeco.otricsrqrrl

Er.rsy,

inctudnqs.le.uc.arpowq ne€dsrobean

Anorher .nli€r eieme.t ot sLsrainabre lilinq iswaler manaOem..l Ttiepime MifisterJeets thar, onlhewhote, rhewond e nol shod olwalerbl( whal is .ckrno.ra sou.d w.ler m.nagem€nl practices

llesaid

Li snotenolqhlobuldlheb.slEterlreatnenlplants and lhen neglst io prolect lhewater catchrnents iom sqlallds or polulion Enslingacl*nandreriatresupplyotpotableMrerrequnescilreslorrkea.inle!€redapproach

lrcm lhe reseNoi.s, calchmenl areas and saler trea|fient planIs.lolhe relcular'on, sanilahon and sewerage sysrem ln Singapore s

case lhe Naliona Rese.rch Foundat on has a 55500

m trion

pogranme to rinance res€arcrr in env-onmedat

Dr Tony Tan, Chairma., NalionaiResearch Foundalion, said: These inveshenrs have yi€lded dramalic eductions rr rhe cosl or w.le. rrom r€cycino of used waler rnd desalinalrcn lhrough the use ot adva.ced memb.ane lechnology."

some.tsi.lapores sotulions may be relevanl lo olher eneroing o es,lhe counl,ys bro new insr lules on water poticy and urba. pla.ning can play a ro e in collabo6livereseaEh prcjecls and infomalion shaing. CNAtm

As

sou-o: hg!i//r!.aet:.v!!!oo.!on/cna/z00s062r,,ra0-356oor-z"r

c.

political .

foo-trrt

aspect of water

Water has also become a strategic issue- Around the world, a total of 261 river basins are divided between different states, generating a risk of "water wars"There have been 37 yiotent conflicts invotving water between nations 'in the past 50 years e.g- lsraet's 1982 invasion of Lebanon was ptanned in part as a way of gaining control over Lebanon's Litani River.

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Closer to home there is the Singapore-Malaysia water dispute, whjch hds been a thornv brldteral iscua for vedrs.

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On the other side of the world too, a water row features at the United Slates Mexico border over the shared Rio Grande river basin. They have an agreement to provide each other wjth water, but Mexrco has failed to fulfjlt jt and owes the US a massive water debt. fhe livelihood of farmers on both sides is at stake.

the inlernotionol communily musl prevenl contlicl over woler ollocolion by providing solid legol inslrumenls, especiolly in oreos where woler shorioge is combined wilh polilicol lensions.

I

i !

f i t"

d. how some

water shortages

colled Ne,voJer.

chil" horvesled from c ouds by pulling huge neh on firounloins 1o The colleclecl woier con beused forsmoil scole iqolor ocd boihing. is

oich lhe vopour

f iI

are dealing with

singopore Treoled wosJe woler is mixecl crnd blended wilh reservoir woler ond lhen undergoe! convenlionol woier lreolmenl io procluce drinking woler

Waier

1

countries

Chino

.

tt.

-,. Chino i5 Lrrrderlollng cr huge projeci io chonnelwoler from ihe flooding oLr'h 'o ory'nq 1 r ll'. li hos bequn work on o mossive scheme io chonnelbillions of cubic melres of wqler from lhe Yonglze River 1o the clwindling Yellow River.

lsroel

I [-

Formers ore ploniing ]ess woler-iniensive crops ond replocing them wiih cropt lil-e crpple cocius thol require lillle woler ond con proc]uce fruit for I I monlhs of lhe yeor.

i.

e. conservation of

[-

otr. woler recycling

. Ir, E L

Woler recycling or reusrng lreoled woslewoler is for purposes such os ogricr.jllurol ond londscope irflgolion, industriol processes, ioilel flushing, ond replenishing o ground woier bosln. woler k someiimes recycled ond reused onsile;for ercrrnple, when on incluslriol focilily recycles woler used for cooling processes. A common lype of recvcled woler is woler lhoi hos been recloimed from muni(ipol vrosiewoler, or sewoge.

Water

I t4

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t,

e(ii)- Efficienl wolet use Efficieni woler Lise enlo s the moinienonce of oquolic ecosydems, ond proieciion of drinking woler resources. ll is one woy of qddressing woler quolily ond quonlily, onci con olso prevenl polluiion by reducing woslewoler flows, recycling induslriol process woler, recloiming wosjewoler, ond using less energy.

e{iii).

Sound woler resource monogemenl

ln order lo meel lhe needs of exisling ond fulure populoiions ond ensure lhoi hobilqls ond ecosyslems ore proiecied , sound woler resource monogemenl, which emphosizes coreful, efficieni use of woier, is implemenied in order lo

ochieve ihese objeclives, e.9The US Envircnmenldl Ptoleclion A,gency Ggulores mdny ospecls of woslelvolet heolmenl ond drinking water quolily, ond lhe mojotily of sloles in the US Itove eslobfished cilerio ot guidelines fot lhe beneficio, use ofrecycled woler, It h(,s prcvided o f,omework lo ensure lhe sofely of lhe mdny v!dlet rccycling prcjecls lhol hove beer developed ir lhe Untled Stoles.

While woler recycling is o susloinobJe opprooch ond con be cosl effeclive in lhe long lerm, lhe lreolment of woslewoler for reuse ond lhe inslollolion ol disiribulion syslems coLl be iniliolly expensive compored lo such woler supply crllernolives os imporleg woler or ground woler. lnsliiulionol boriers, crs well os vorying ogency priorilies, con moke ii difficulJ io implemeni woler recycling projecls.

Section

IIL

AiTQlafrtJ

.

Foresl fires oncl hoze hove coused mojor problems in lndonesio ond il! Aseon neighbours in the posl l0yeors.

.

200l, ihe hot spols were colculoled lo hove numbered 26,.561,1he highesl since Augusl 1997 when 37,938 spols were counled.

.

Mosl ol lhese come lrom lhe loncl ond foresl fires in Riou, Jombi ond-Soulh

ln

Sumo

.

lr

o.

Mojorily of lhese londs ore peollonds, lhol when droined for logging or ogricullure purposes, become highly susceplible lo combuslion ond foresl fires.

.

Slorting o fire is q cheop ond mosi convenieni woy lo cieor bul wilh dire consequences.

.

Siluolion is furlher inlensified when Soulh Wesledy winds corry lhe bulk of lhe hoze over lo lhe region-

15

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l

a. tackling the

.

t

i

Convenlionol suppression opprooches - puiling oui iire5 ofier ihey occur ore nol odequole in deoling wiih ihis issue. The frequency of occurrence is increosing, os oie lhe cosls of firefighling. Thereislhuso pressinq need tor more comprehensive 50luiions.

I I

Queslions: Refer lo lhe orlicle on - ASEAN Agreemenl on ftonsboundoty Haze

.

f

.

x

f

why is il impo onl for singopote lo be poi of such diplomolic dnd muluol agteemenls? Moke o cosf-ben efi anolysis. wh.tl arc dilficvllies loced by o covnlry lo ocluolly provide conctele oclions, progtess ond commilmenl in cartying oul lhis ogteemenl? ASEANAgreemenlonTransboundaryHaze Pollution

t

i I

haze

The scole ond frequency of lhe iires, ond lhe hoze lhey lecld to, reqL,ire serious consolidoled efiorls by boih governmenis ond 5c)c;e1y.

The Govern{ncnts of the ten ASEAN Mcmbcr Colntrles siqned ihe ASEAN Aqreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution on L0lune 2002 in Klala Lumpur, Ilal.ysi.. The Agrcement is the fir5t regio.t I nrt nqeme |n rhc world that bnds n gronp of contiqlous states to tackle transboundary haze pollution res!ltinq lrom land and forest nres lt has also been .onside.ed as . Olob.l role R,odel for the ta.kling of t..n5bolDdary issues The Agr.-emeni requires the r€fties to the Aoreement to: rn developlnq and inrplementing m€asures to prevcnt, monitor, and mitig.te trdnsboundary haze poLlution by controlling s.!r..s of land and/or forest fires, {levelopmcni of nronitorinq, dssessment .nd eany warninq systemt, exchanqc of trform.lLon and te.hnoloqy, and the provision of muiual assistance,

(i).oopcrat.

i * {..

{-

i

(ii) respond proDpuy to . request for .elev.nt infoflnatioD souqht by a statc or States that are or may b€ the consequcnce of the afiected by su.h transboundary haze pollution, wjth a view to 'ninrmisinq transboundary haze pollution; and ('ii) take legnl, administr.tive rril/ or other measures to iniDlement their obli9atioos under the Aqreement Th. Agreem€nt establshes an ASEAN Coordinatinq Centre iorTransboundary Haze Po lution Control to tacilltate cooperation and coordin:tion in manaqing the mpact oi land and forest fires in patticula. hizc polluiion arisino from su.h fires. Pendinq tbe establish6eni ofthe centre, ASEAN secretariat and ASEAN Specialised Meteoroloqical Centre (ASl'lC) co performed the interim turctions ofthe Cenke.

The Agreement entercd into rorce on 25 November2OOl. To date, eight I4eDber coLniries, ;ahely Brtner Darussalam, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Nlblaysia, flyanmar, Sinqapore, Thailand, and Vlct Nam, have ratified the Haze Aqreement.

The First Me€ting ofConference of the Parties (COP) was held on 11 November 2004 in Hanoir Viet Nam-

COr /*dah-dontr"lolhl00/rrBdrddrsenB-Jaidn,B'unerDdtu.\rldmCOPJ'asherdonc

SepteDber 2OO7 in aangkol, Thailand. COP-4 ts scheduled ln V'et Nam tentanvely rn the lou.th qua.tdr of 200a, in conjunction with the 11th lnformal ASEAN Ministerial l4eetjng on the Environhent (IAlvllvlE).

L

I

d/misc& nh2 oho

Prevenlion Meosures lhe risks of deslruclive fires e.g. .oi;ficoiion of lhe Aseon Tronsboundory Hoze Agreemenl by the lndonesion governmeni.

oi)

To minimize

{

{,

.

Medio compoigns

f,

{

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l6

.

Promolion ond odoplion of zero burning proclices by holders of foresl concessions, limber ond oil plonlolions ond smollholders.

.

Cessolion of groni licenses lor lcrnd cleoring on peollond.

.

The consumer mcrrkeJ should respond by fovouring goods which ore proclLrced through guoronieecJ susloinoble operoiions.

qiD .

Shorl Term ond Lono Term Mqnoqemenl Prqclices Governmenl boclies enforcing fire lows- such os proseculing lhose responsible tor lhe fires- need oll ihe supporl lhey con gel.

.

Need for joinJ work by relevoni insiilulions ond NGos in Aseon counlries lo help lhe ouihoril;es in cross-border evidence golhering, ond ihen firmly proseculing lhe offenders in eoch jurisdiclion.

.

Would olso go o long woy 1o correcl ihe prevolenl "gel rich firsl ond cleon up lolei' mentolily.

oiii) .

Rehqbililotion oflhe Foresl ond Lond Good ogricullurol proclices lhoi clo nol resorl to fires lo clecrr lond

crre

key.

.

.

Giving o volue lp lhe peollonds ond other foresis in line with iheir conlribuiion lo sloring corbon ond moderoling lhe climole will creqle lhe income oncl incenlive for lhe lndonesion governmenl lo moinioin lhe peoilonds rolher lhon burn lhem. Win

Sectbn

- win siluolion for oll

I'/:

Tfre

(fireat of Natura[(Disdsters

a. natural Hazard or natural Disasterz "Noturol hozords ore o port ol life- But hozords only become disoslers when people's lives ond

Iivelihoods are swept owoy. The vulnetobility of communities is growing due to humon octivities thot leod to increased povbrty, greoter urbon density, environmentol degradation and climate ahonge-' -UN Secretary General, Kofi Arnan, October 8 2001, lnternationaL Day

tor Djsaster Reduction

According to UNESCO,

.

Natural hazards are naturalty-occurring physical phenomena inctuding earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tandstides, tsunamis, floods and drought.

17

i I Natural disasters are the consequences or effects of natural hazards. They represent a serious breakdown in sustainability and disruption of economic and social progress.

t

f'

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Many researchers and scientists betieve that the boundary between natural

and man-made catastrophe is often blurred: naturat disasters are not entirely naturat , for people are agents of disasters.

i I

b. the lmpact of today's Catastrophes Backgroundi An Era of More Natural Catastrophes?

.

Ftoods and typhoons in Asia, the lndonesian and Kashmir earthquakes, Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the lndian Ocean tsunami - the world seems to be entering an era of more frequent natural catastrophes. Natural disasters are increasing in terms of frequency, complexity, scope and destructiye capacity.

.

People are the fr'rst casualties of natural disasters. The number of people affected by these types of disasters has increased in recent years: .,"*,or r, .l(shJ\cre l,l.do) rJrurdl ..rbr.ophe. 40r l?r1,.,1 Ino io I ,/!10I L q p.", d .o b I I r IR |Flf l: lhi r .':9, !l !: L

.

Disasters have a qevastating financial impact. This resutts in not onty a loss of infrastructure and jndustry but also a loss of development

t {

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In the Uniled States. Hunicane K!1rina rook orly hours to wreak devasralion esrimared a1 USli 100 biUion. The 26 Decenrber 2006 l_aiwan qnake ruphtrcd undelsea data trinsnission cables aDd caused ohssiv€ telecomnnrnicalioDs disnrplions th.oughorl Asia, as lnlemet services slowed down or sloppcd, pbone lines Nert dead a.d financidl transactions ground lo a h!11.

L t

Disasters often damage environmental resources affecting environmental

sustainability. They exacerbate deforestation and soit erosion. Natural disasters increase the liketihood of potlution, jncluding as a reslrlt of

{.

damage lo industrial infrastruclure.

{

Disasters affect poor countries and poor people the most because of their lack of resources, infrastructlres and protective systems for disaster preparedness and prevention.

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AccordiDg

lo tbe UN D€v€lopmenl

Programme, 24 onl

of 49 of lhe world s

least

devclopcd counlries face bigh levels ofdisaster risk. Oflhese, six are hit by belween lwo to eighl largedisaste.s every year.

Even in lhe rvealthiest counrries, Ihe people most affecled by emergencies are liom the poorer sectioos ofsoci€ty. iror inslance,lhe urban poor were wont hit in the aftermath of Hunicane Katrina ;n New o.leans

t l8

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Exposure to disasters increases the vulnerability of the poor, deepening their poverty and preventing them taking advantage of economic opportunities.

r"'a*n.l"l.* [" propodion ot

the 2004 lndian Ocean tsunami is cstinraled lo t)ave inereased the l'.orl€ livirg below lbe pove.ty line fiom .10% 1o 50%.

I

ln the long term, disasters pose a significant and growing threat to development- According to UK's Department for lnternationa[ Devetopment (DFID), the inability of poorer countries to cope with disasters makes it difficutt in achievjng the Miltennium Devetopment coats (MDGS), in particular the target of halving extreme poverty by 2015. Reod more: Refer lo lhe two orlicles - Resources scorce, homeresiness persistj in New Orreors & Aceh lsvndmi viclims dwdi, oid Dead bod es

hdve be, n

Aceh tsunami vtctims await aid litter the streets oflndo.esi. s Aceh province where it i5 feared more than 25,000 pcople may

l"l

d

tom jr ,d1, ,i1q dr- a.d I r' ln

.

Decomposing .orpses have spread a foul smell over the provincjal capital, Banda Acch, o. th!- .orthern np of Sunratra isla.d. Fresh water, food and fuetare in shori suppty. Fear has becn mixed wrrh anoer as residenrs {tucuc outsida lh!: few open shops quarded bv soldieE. Banda Aceh resident r,lirza, 2a, cnticiscd the covernment

''Wherc i5 the a5sistance?,' 14irzd said. Ihere is nothrng. 41lthe governrnent are asteep.

Another.esident Audi, 24, haqbeen standi.g in line for an hour. ''There is nothrnq a! homc,'Budisaid. Hund.eds of soldiers and volunteers have collecied corps€s for mas; bun.l rn . b'd ro prelent disease in the provinc€, where troops are stationcd !o combat a rebellion which beqan in 1976 Whole battalions of soldieG and police are among the dead and misstng and separdtist rebels have announced a cease'fne while people search for loved ones- aut foretgn aid agencies are shll waitinq for officlat pemission to enter the aea.

rn Banda Aceh,

Dn a field about four times the size ot a soccer pitch, morc than 1,O00 bodies lay where they died while watching a sports eventon Sunday.

Indonesian Vice President Jusuf Kalla s.ys the death toll frcm the tsunami that swept across the Indian ocean region could hit 1O,OOO inthis one area of the country alone-

In

a separate rcport, state-owned news aqency Antarb has quoted him as saying he feared the tott could rise as hish as 25,000. He says 100,000 people had beetr injured,

Ihe death toll given

by the Government lo. Indonesia is around 5,000. Families are fDnticatty looking ior loved ones, thousands orotheE arc traumatised, tuarinq fresh quakes and tsunam Banda Aceh resident Farzalhastold El Shinra radio he is worried.

"wete scared about the next eanhqlake a;d tsunami," Faizar said. ''It is difficult to find fuel oil. we need food and medicine. rlrlirdry o.ilc'dl L'e!tencnt Colonel Bddi \antoso sar\ rer;ur,

*r,"r. hed. "re 'riany bodies are still lyrng on the streeLs." Lt colsantoso said. Therejust arentenouqh body bags.

"'

'The eva.uation process is dimolt because there are not enough ttucks, another omcer said.

wallofrater up to 10 met€s hiqh that followed the earthquake ofi the tndonestan coast has kitt€d more than 23,2OO people acrcss Asia, Hundreds ofswotten bodies stitt tay tn a market in Bahda Aceh's oltskirts, covered with brioht oranse Dlasticsheets. The

''I m tired, Maimorl/ 22l

sid. "I'm lookinq ror my idther-

Please help me."

l9

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f

She says her father was . tlsh eciler a.d l.st spoke to her on Sunday before qotng to the market. Power .uts mea.i Banda Aceh has been viftually bla.ked o!t. Few people ventured ooio the strecls, but sonc a.tivity could be seen at the m.in mos.lue, whcre peoDlc from outtide town have come to ask .esidenls .bout mjssinq relatives

aceh police clrief inspecior General Bahrumsyah Kasman says one battalion from the police mobile brigade .re rnssi'rq as well as ai least 500 miliirry oersonnel. Aceh, whi.h is some 1,700 km nonh west of.lakarta, is under cjvilian emerqency rule as part ol efforts to quell the separatist i.su19ency The United Nations has oifered to send d saster response teams and a Government otficial says Aceh lvould be open to ald worke.s fioo Wed.csd.y. The Government ha5 also rushed ald to the rcgton

I

i.

That effort may be aided by the fa.t that Sweden based leadeB of the separ.tist Free Aceh l,lovement (GAM) have declared a unilatdar cease tire wrth sovemment forces

GAll says the disaster has displaced some 50,000 people and ii did not wlnt to add to the panr and

[,

Tbe UN has warned ofepidemi.s withjn days across Asia if hcalth systems.ould not copei saying the eftects of disease .ould be as bad as the tsunami itseli.

I

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sour.e h]re1l!q4.q!!.re!!!,1!er45l!!r4rl!!]/0!1

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Resourc€s Scarce, Homelessness P€rsists in New Orleans NEW ORLEANS

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Fayor C. R.y Naqin re.enoy luqqesled a way to redu.€ this .ity's po5t-K.t'ind homeless

populaion: 9ive thein one way bls tickcts out of town.

i

r,4r Nasin rater .srlrcd lhc orr the-.uff propos.r wasjLst a joke. But he has porkavcd the dozcns ol pcopre camped rn a tent .ity under a qreeway overFss near Ca.ar street as recalcitr.nt drla and al.ohor abusers who refuse shelt€r, oi!. p.srefr bv lhc fn,qer aFd, woEt of a l, trail from somewhere else.

f

While many ofthe homeless do have addiction problems or mental illnesr, a suney by advocacy qroups in February showed that 36 perc€nt were from the New Orleans area. Sixty per.ent snid they were honeless because ofiluricane Katrina, and aboui l0 Oercent snid they had received rental assistance at one ttme from the Fcdcral Emergc.cy t4.nagement A9€ncy.

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Not iar from the French Quarter, flanking Canal Street on Claiborne Avenue, tbey are living inside a long corridor iormed not ofwalls and a roof but ofthe thick stench olhuman w.ste and sweat tinaed with alcohol,

$ack and despcration The inhabitants are natives likc Ronald Gardner, s4, an H.LV.-positive m.n who sai., he had ;ever before slept on the streets untll Katrina. Or Ronald Berry, 57, who despite belng a paranoid schizophrenic said he had lived on his own. ii a.ented house in the Lower Ninth Ward, tora dozer yea6 before the storm, Both men receive disability checks ot $637 a month, not nearly enolqh to cover post-huricane rents.

''If I could just gct. narn room," stored,

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t4r. Gardnersa'd, slttins on the cot underwh'ch

allh's beiongings ar;

could take it from there."

Lurrene Newelr, 54, said lhe Federal Emerqbncy Manaqement Agcncy had paid her rent in Texas after the

storm, but when she moved back to New orleans, she .ould not find a place to live.

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Ay one very rough estimate, the.umber of boneless people in New Orleans has doubled since Katrina struck in 2005, Homelessness has also become a much nore visible prcblem late last year, Unity ofG.eater New Orleans, a netwo.k ofagencies that help the hoDeless, cleared an encampment of 300 people that had sprung up in Duncan Plaza, in full view ofcity Hall. about 2ao of lhose people are now in apartments, but othe6 have flocked to tilr several blocks ofclarborne Avenue at cana,, ncarenough to the French Quarter to

-

reqrlarly encounter to!rists

Unity workeE arc hopinq that Congress will lDclxde $76 millio. in the supplemental appropriation tor Iraq to pay for vouchers that would give r.nt subsidies and servlces to 1,000 disabled homeless people.

20

the senate passed a version of the bill that in.luded the vou.hers; lhe current House vers'on, not yet approved, does noi include them without the vouchers, said Nlartha l. Kegel, unity's executive diredor, even those people already jn ap.rtments will be injeopardy Thet cuirent vouchers, issued under a ''rapid rehousrng" proqram, expire at the end of 2004. OD Thursdby,

New Orleans had 2,3OO beds tor the homeless before the ttom, now Lt has 2,000, Ms heqelsard Tho5e beds are full, but even if th.y were not, ma.y oftbe people living on CanalStreet i,re not the sort who can 5tay in a qrcup sh€lter. Ac.ordinq to the turyey. whl.h was co.ducted before dawn one mornlnq so that only those who adually sleep the canp lvould be cou.ted, 80 percent have at J€ast one physical disability, 58 'n of.ddictlon, 40 percent are ment.lly ill, atrd 19 percent were'tri morbid" pe.cent have had some kind they had a disnbility, .n addiction and nenlal illness.

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siih 5!pportive seNices, like couDselinq/ has become a prefetred method. But it takes time, patience, money and one thing New Oneans is short oi: apartments. l4any .parthent develop.4 who .pplied for tax credits after Hurricane Katnna werc requned to set aside 5 per.ent oftheir units for supportive housing, but because oi high construction costs and other tactors, i:r iewer unils tha. erpected are in the pipeline And witholt the vou.hers, even those units will not bc For these diffrcult cases, permanent houeinq

Unity has akeady moved 60 Dt the nosr vulnerable people from the camp to hotel rooms, paid for with a city hcalth department grant, including a woman who is etght months pr.gnant and a paranoid schizophrenic who is diabeti. and a double.mputee. In the iilth ofthe c.r,p, the amputee's stumps had become inf€cted.

outre.ch workeB have tound cli.nts with c.n.er and colostomy bags, and one so disabled thaL he was unable to talk. On averaqe, people bave stayed in hotels forsix weeks before lJnity finds an apartment and .obbles toqether thc ncc.ssary funds. r,like r,liller, the director of supportive housinq placem€nt at Unity, said lhe camp had become a public health h.zard since ihe.tty removed some portablc toilcls in February. ''Two olireach work€rs have tested pos'tive fo. iuberculosis," I'Ir Mtller said. "There's hepatitis c, there's aIDS, there's rr.l.V. Everyonerout there's had an €ye intection of some sort r got one "

on Thursday, Herman rrroore Jr was ha.qinq out with a friend in the camp. llr Moore had lived in a Federal Emerqency Man.gement Agency trailer, then a FEIlA-financed hotel room, but had not realized that he was eliqiblc for further assistance after the 30 dny hoiel stay ended last fall. Tipped off by his brothet, I'lr. Moore h.d ofly recently rented a house under the coergency management agency's program, but had yel to pay the d€poslt or turn on the utilities because he had no money.

"lf I had

a TV and some

electriciiy, you all woutdn't even see me," he said.

clara Gomez, 45, told .n ookeach worker that she had just discovered she w.s pregnant. Like abolt 14 percenr olthe homeless people under the bndge, Ms. Gomez had come to New orleans to work as a builder, blt ack.owledqed thatshe had problems with druq and arcoholabuse. After gettinq fired from onejob, she,ound !p under the bridse, where sbe met Patr'ck Pugh, 36/ a Naw Orleanian who sa,d he had been rn dtug rehabllitaUoi, turnanq his llre around, wheD the storm hit. Their lDs had been stolen, they said, nakinq it diffcllt to qetjobs or food stamps. seated on a mattress, Ms. Gone2 shilted nervously, chnnginq pos'tions every few seronds, all the while l-epin,l l.a. drm\ dn, hor.d d'ound Mr. Puqh's np,I

'wete

ready," she

s.id. we're readytogetoutofhere-"

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2009105/23/rs/28tent-htm

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c. who

takes the Blamer The impact of today's disasters is exacerbated by a

of trends

and

are atl contrjbuting to an increase in the vulnerability of popuLations, especiatly within deyeloping countries.

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c{i). population growth

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series

dynamic processes: . globolisolion, . populolion growlh, . increosingurbonisolion, . poor plonning, . corrupfion, - envhonmenloldegrodolion ' ond climole chonge

.

Natural disasters are likely

to affect more peopLe because

Earth's

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c(ii). increasing urbanisation

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l,'r ^ "' ',1"'"" A,r -"h \,'.,l,e "nJ m.rF comrle. rhy.t.,l

ol rhc$^,ldqn,esJ.rr€.llrshcrpopLl.r,on polenrial f.r rrlrr'rrucrur( N'll ,".rlr rn g( 'rcr t.'rgc .rtcrmp.^r. Al lh( 'nn,c rmc. u,brn pot',lilion oRc,hr\eupou,unLie, r''ndr e

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c(iii). poor planning and corruption

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Poputation increase witt be made worse in developing countries with overcrowded conditions and tow quality infrastructure and services.

Poor governance reduces the abitity of a country to mittgate and nlanage disaster risk. This ranges from failure to address gaps in legistation retated to risk management (such as quality assurance in the construction industry) (such as misa ation of reUef funds to corru Lack of proper buildirrg codes in senri'rural norlb west Pakislan is lhoughl to havc

1o1l ir the 2005 Soulh Asia eanhqlake. I}le destdclion of infrastructlre, i.cludinS schools and hospilals. had a dcvaslating impact, bolh d;eclly in deaths caused by buildings collapsiog, and indirectly, due tolhe resulting absence of c.itical facililies

dire.rly conrribDred to the high dealh

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Countries that are in, or emerging from, violent conflict present speciat chaltenges, both in terms of increased yulnerability of the poor, as wetl as weak governance structures. ln such countries, tackling disa5ter risk is seen as a low priority when compared to meeting basic needs and re-

estabtishing sociat services. Yet many of these countries face high levels of disaster risk whjch are an addjtional burden to progress.

c(iv), environmental degradation

.

Disasters are also a consequence of deyelopment and industrialisation. Naturat protection is being eroded with the gradual loss of coastal protectjon, in the form of manqrove forests, and ftood protectjon, jn the form of wetlands. as these are drained and develoDed.

o

Enrope, expens believe that countries such as France and cermany are more adverscly becaDse naior .jvers, such as the Rhirc, have beeD straightcned ro ease comncrcial t.allic ID

.ffccled by floods roday

c(v). climate change

.

Climate change r's increasjngly bturring the distinction between natural and man-made disasters. Averrge lcmperatures a.e rising. This will c.use sc. lcvels ro r;se, inoeasing the .isk of coastal llooding, and El N;no wcatlei p.ltens arc prcdiclcd to b rcross oflhe Pacific. lt is estitualed thar by 2080 clirrrrc chrnge lnd curr€Dt 'nost will lcad 10 a teo-fbld incredse iD social trcnds the nlmber ol peoplc affeclcd by flooding .cross ftral areas, cities and coastlines.

d.

strategies to ieduce Vulnerabilit! of

naturat

disasters a natural

disaster occurs, the provision of disaster relief tends to capture the imagination of the public. Disaster preyention often ranks relatively low on public agendas, as governments tend to focus or} retief to the exclusion of mitigation and preparedness that coutd help communities learn from disasters and reduce their yulnerability. When

i,

applying scientific knowledge

Today, there is more scientifiq knowtedge and technologjcal know-how than eyer before to anticipate the potentiat effects of a disaster before it strikes, Ahhousl! eanhquake predictioD is still nol possible, a conside.able ability exisls loday lo make more accurate forecdls dd to issue early wamings on volcanoes dd cyclones hours or days ahead and organise proper conmuD;ly response to sucb warnings, saving many lives and preventirg s;gnificrnt property losses. Owing to progress in design dd constnction enAineering, earthquake-resislant slructures, iDcluding high-nse buildinss dd indusrrial facihies are lechnically feasible. In comties such

as

Japan,lhey have become

a

rcal;ty.

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ii. education

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lncreased pubhc awareness about natural disasters is a vital element in any strategy to reduce disaster risk, Pubtic awareness campaigns can be conducted in schools, through the media and official, pubtic, professional and commercial channets. There is a responsjbility for governments to promote pubLic awareness of natural hazards and rjsk on a continuous basis- Creating a culture of disaster preparedness at a community'level enables people to be in a better posjtion to help themselves should disaster strike again.

Section

I'/:

l[he l[frreat of Diseases

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Human activities and changing environments have brought humans in contact with organisms that are capable of causing diseases,

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Despite medical advances that have produced hundreds of drugs that are safe and effective, infectious diseases are still a major cause of death, disability and social and economic upheayal for mi[ions around the \yorld. ln fact, diseases such as tuberculosis and small pox which were once beljeved to be under controt have re'emerged as qlobal threats.

.

The above is fueted by: . poverly o Overcrowded and poor living conditions make those living in pove y especially vulnerable to coinmunicable diseases such as tuberculosis and cholera.

{. i i {. {

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the Current situation

.

lock ol occesslo heofthcore o Limited access to health care and drugs renders otherwise teatable conditions such as mala a, and fuberculosis fatal lor Lhc poor.

.

chonging envlronmenlol ond developmenlol oclivilies o These lead to intensive hurnan interaction with highly concentrated populations of animals ald birdt substantially increased intemational trade in food, increasing human movement throughout the world, and alteration of the environment and the climate.

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Afu pollution resulting from modern industdal processes has been implicated in a grol /ing number of chronic and

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24

fatal diseages such as asthma, lung cancer and resPiratory infectiors.

. ..

b. .

growing onlibiolic resislonce,

inopproprioleprescriplionotineffeclivedlUgs, ond poor odherence io medicolion,

the Rich-Poor

gap

evotving heatth crises tend to be the poor and marginalised who already suffer from numerous inequities and rtunities lack of o )ortunruesThose who are most vulnerable

to

ln 2002 75% ofall

dealhs dne 10 infeclious diseases occuned in southedl Asia and sub' Saharan Africa Sourhern Ati-ica, which is home lo l0% oflhe world's popularion, accounted for more than 40% ofdealhs due 10 infecliols diseases.ln facl, more than 60% ofall dearhs in the regjon were dne ro irfeciious diseases

Children and women are especially susceptible to the impact of infectious diseases.

o Childrrn in o

developing countries, already lacking proper

nutrition, may also lack access to affordable measles vaccinations and simple interventions for diarrheal diseases. Wornen now accotnt for more than 50% of ncw HIV infections and, among ac{ults, pregnant women are t}re most at-risk for malaria.

The repercussions of these diseases go well beyond mortatity statistics. Poverty not only characterjses the circumstances in which infectious diseases thrive, but the cycte of poverty is exacerbated by lost productiyity, missed educational opportunities, and high health-care costs for the affected and their families. Communities and societies also bear an economic burden of caring for those who are sick. Diseases such as HIV/AIDS, mataria and tuberculosis affect those who are in the prime productive stages of tife, while pneumonia and diarrheat diseases more often cut short the tives of chitdren belore their fifth birthday.

Fear and ignorance stigmatise those who affected by diseases such as HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis, denying them much needed sociat support and other socio-economic opportunies,

c. .

what Needs to be done

Many countries have demo.nstrated that even in low-resource settings, the burden of infectious disease can be reduced if there is strong political will

25

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and the basic resources and infrastructure to support use of low-cost interventions. o But such efforts reqlrirc substantial resources, often beyond those available in thc poorest counb ies.

{

{. Progress must also be supported by firm political commitments at the international level. These commitments must be backed by resources that are sufficient to enable communities to have the basic toots needed to routinely monitor and control disease.

F.

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The scope is significant: there js a need to increase the world's supply of djagnostics, medicines, vaccjnes and other Lifesaving toots. Effective disease controt is possible, but witl only become a reatity vr'hen every nation, regardless of size, location or wealth, has the capacity to recognise, prevent and respond to the threats posed by jnfectious disease.

{.

ft. Multi-sectoral approaches, inctuding partnerships between the public and the private sector, are critical to provjding resources in the scope that js required. o Partncrships that have formecl to addrcss these issues include'fhe Clobal Fund to |ight AIDS, TB and Malaria, bringing funding and rcsources to countries battling thesc diseases,

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and the Children's Va(cine Prograrn, funded by the Bill & Nlelincla Gatcs Foundation, seeking universal irnmunisation against measles and other diseases.

learning from

SARS

The closest the wortd has come to the pandemic scenario in fiodern times was the SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) crisis of 2003.

o

over a period of live monrbs, about 8,000 people lvere infecled by a novel

o

coronavirus. Aboul ten percent ofthem died. The vinE apparently sp.ead 19 bumars when infecled animals lvere sold and daughtered in uns.nitary and crowdod markcls in China's Gllngdong Prolince.

humaD

Atthough the transmission rate of SARS pated in comparison to that of inftuenza, it demonstrated how quickly such an infectious agent can circle the globe, given the ease and frequency of international travet. o Once SARS emeiged in rural China, it spread to five countries within 24 hours and to 30 countries on six continenls within several months. 26

Even with the relatively iow number of deaths jt caused compared to other infectious diseases, SARS had a powerful negatiye psychological impact on the populations of many countries. o In a r.ccDl anrlysis ol rhc epidemic, the Naltonal Ac.demy of Scieice's lnslilule of lvledicine concluded: "th. rchn@ hish ftttliry rdtt, the intntiJication oJ ssperUr.nde6, the naeness oj the disese, thc spee.l t its global spread. afi public

tne

ainly abott the abili, to cn trol its sprea.l may have conrrib!1ed to the plblic's alam. lhis alr'm, in lurn, may have led ro rhe behaviorr thal exacerbaled lhe economic blo\rs lo lhe lralel and tDtrrisn indtrstries oflh€ countr;cs with th€ hishest ntrmber of

.

SARS

provided a taste of the impact a kitter inftuenza pandemic woutd haye obal economy o The economic impacl oflhe sir montb SARS.pidemic on th€ Asia-Pacific region is

o

cstimaled at about US$40 billion. Thc SARS outb.eak also had a subsrantiat inrpncl on the global airline induslry. Aflerlhe disease hil ir 2001, fli8bls tn lhe Asia P.cific area decreascd by 45 perceni from lhe year

The SARS epidemic also raises questjons about how PrePared governments are to address a proLonged infectious'disease crisis - particutarly governments that are atready unstable.

o

Ihe SARS ep;demic crealed the mosr severe social o. polilical crkis encountered by , 1,,n. s lc.,{e^\rp .,n.e r\ ' lo8r) lidnanmen r..ldo$n ChrnJ \ F,oblcn fl.h'bl\ r!Jrlrc'llc trom \cR\'prbli( hudlrh imrr.' r,'i1 I o,n rhe govcrnmcnt r IrileJ etlo'l to .llty pxnic by lyilhholding iDtornrtion aboll tbe dtsease froD lhe Chinese people. TIe effon backfircd. DDrnrg lhe crisis, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao pointed oul ;. a cabiDel meetinA on the epidemic that'1he Ieilth and securny oflhe people, ovemll slale ofrefonn, developmenl, and srabjl;ly, and Chi.a3 nalional inleresl and i,nage are al

Widespread infection and economic collapse can destabiUze a government; blame for faiting to deal effectively with a pandemic can crjppte a government. This holds even more for an influenza pandemic, '

Unfortunately, the pubtic is often indifferent to initial warnings-about impending infectious-disease crises - as with HlV, for example. lndifference becomes fear only after the catastrophe hits, \ryhen it is atready too late to implement preventive or contro[-measures.

e. .

Threat

of the HIV/A|DS epidemic just years, ln 25 HIV has spread retentlessly from a few widely scattered "hot spots" to virtually eyery country.in the world, infecting 65 mittion

the

people and kilting 25 million.

.

Global trends of infection emerging from the HIV/AIDS pandemic; 27

I x. a

Strb Saharxn

!

and

t

bcur the btunl oflhe global cpidemic. 6l% of!ll adulls 25 milljon people wilb tIlV globally livc in rb-Sharan

Afiica conlinucs to

childrcD .tproximaicly

Withonl prcvenlion efforts. ]5% ofchildcn bom lo ar HIV-pos'live nolhe! \ri1l become infecied wirh HIV At leasl a.luarter ofDewborns infecled wilh HtV die belirre .ge one, !nd up lo 60% rvill die belorc reaching lheir second birthdays.

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use and coDnerci,rl ser work are lirclina lhe epjdemjc across Asia .Dd F.ast€.n Erro.)e, and lerv counties are srfljcienlly reachi.g oul to lhesc harginalised

Inje.ring drug

t.

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In nrany regions oflhe wo.l(i. new HIV infections are heavjly concentraied anNng youtg

pcoplc (15 to 24 ycars of asc). Among adllls 15 years and oldcr, young people r.. ned lo, 40o" ol !'e, HIV lnte.l,ons ;r -006.

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Queslions: Reler lo lhe odicle on - AlDs drugs flood block motkef. . why do block morkels for ArDS orlrbiolics exisf? . Are lbese brock m orkels o vioble olletnolive for lhose poot ond ill-shicken wifh lhe diseose? D,scuss. 'AIDS Drugs Flood Black Market Harare Aids druqs some ottheD contaminated, diluted or faked are being sold at flea markets.nd

hairdressrng s.lons in the face ofgrowinq sholt-ges in clini.5 link€d to Trhbabwes cconomic otsis, says the

I'ealth ministry. 1

3. F,

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Stat. medLa quoted r4inister ol liealih David Parirenyatwa on llonday appealing to people livinq witli HIv/aids to buv their m.dlcines lron reqistered pharmactes, clinics .nd hospitals only. lle w.s quot€d as 5nynig: Thes. fake d.dgs rncrease chances of one becoming rcsistant to treatment and it becomes even more expensive for that person io renarn on treatment."

n wns also rcported th3t the prohibitive cost of antir€t.oviral drugs at private pharma.res had ftielled the state radio s.ld that ihe illeqal mcdications were either adultedted with olher substances oreseless fakes.

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About 50 0o0 HIV intected patients were receiving tree medication from government hospitals in a natLon, where an 6tinated f 000 people died a week lrcm Aids related condiuons. Il was reported that 3oo 0o0 more were in urg€nt need oltreatment. Since a qovernment edict in luDe to slash prices of all goods and medicrnes had bcen scarce.

s.rui.es by about halt, pharmaclcs said many

'fhe price cuts were ordered in an effort to tame the world s high.st official tnflatjon of 7 634vo. ln