Stories about Disaster from October, 2011
Macedonia: Lead Smelting Factory Problem in Veles
Jovan Petrov provides an overview of the problem with the lead and zync smelting factory in Veles, after the court rejected a suit against the state from the municipality and local NGOs, demanding cleaning of pollution which will affect “10 generations to come” in this impoverished community.
Thailand: Floods and Social Media
Many parts of Thailand are still flooded as the country continues to face the worst flooding disaster in the past half century. But some bloggers believe the flooding disaster has been exaggerated by the media - social media in particular.
Peru: Ica Hit by 6.7-Magnitude Earthquake
A 6.7-magnitude earthquake hit the coastal city of Ica, Peru on October 28, 2011. Juan Arellano gathers information and citizen reactions through Storify [es].
Armenia: Earthquake in Turkey felt in Yerevan
On Sunday, the earthquake that struck Van, a city in South Eastern Turkey, was felt in Yerevan, the Armenian capital, and other parts of the small South Caucasus country. Onnik Krikorian reports.
Thailand: Video Animation About Flood Crisis
roosuflood uploads a short video animation on YouTube which explains the flood crisis in Thailand.
Thailand: Burmese Workers Arrested Outside Flood Zones
Mahn Saimon reports that Burmese workers who are escaping the floods of Thailand are being arrested by Thai police forces for travelling outside of their permitted zones. There are three million Burmese migrants in Thailand which is currently experiencing the worst floods in half a century.
El Salvador: A Look at Relief Efforts as Water Recedes
The rain has stopped and water is starting to recede in El Salvador; Tim's El Salvador Blog now looks at relief efforts after torrential rains hit El Salvador and other parts of Central America.
Cambodia: Worst Flooding in a Decade
Cambodia is experiencing the worst flooding in a decade. The government reports that almost a half a million hectares of rice paddies were destroyed by the floods, which could affect food security in the region. Here are more reports about the disaster.
Turkey: Online Relief Efforts for Van's Earthquake Victims
Eastern Turkey was hit by a large earthquake of magnitude 7.2 yesterday. Kubra sums up some of relief efforts that were spearheaded online, pushing for humanitarian and rescue efforts on the ground.
Central America: Bloggers Attempt to Raise Awareness as Heavy Rains Continue
Mike from Central American Politics links to English language blogs covering the damage caused by the heavy rains that have been falling on Central America for over one week.
Videos: Central America Under Water
The tropical depression 12-E over Central America has brought torrential downpours and rains for days on end, causing flooding, closing roads and highways and displacing people. This post shows the effects of the rainfall through several Central American countries.
Thailand: Flood Maps and Disaster Monitoring Tools
In an earlier post, Global Voices featured some of the online maps which were created to monitor the floods in Thailand. The flood disaster is already the worst that ever hit the country. Here are other useful online maps, twitter reports, and disaster monitoring tools that provide information about the floods
Russia: Networked Volunteers Save Lives of Missing Children
In September 2010, 4-year-old Liza and her aunt went missing in the forest and were found dead. Liza's volunteer rescuers decided to establish a network called "Liza Alert" whose members would engage immediately once a child was lost.
Pakistan: A Daughter's Plea To Free Her Father From Pirates
On 26 November 2010 MV Albedo, a Malaysian commercial ship was hijacked by the Somali pirates and its 23 crews including 7 Pakistanis have been held hostage ever since. Nareman Jawaid, the daughter of the Pakistani captain of the ship is trying her best via blog and Facebook to raise...
Chile: Calls for Government Action One Year Since Rescue of ‘the 33′
Chileans today remembered the incredible rescue one year ago of 33 miners trapped underground for 69 days. Twitter users are calling upon the government to reignite the spirit of that coordination effort. They say politicians need to unite once again to fix problems plaguing Chile.
El Salvador: Communities Severely Affected by Flooding
Voices from El Salvador is reporting on the consequences of severe weather in El Salvador: “Over 4000 people have been evacuated from their homes in San Salvador, La Paz, San Vicente, Sonsonate, and Usulután, and the risk of more flooding and landslides remains high.” They are also posting pictures on...
Thailand: Flood Situation on Twitter
Thais use the hashtag #ThaiFlood to monitor the flood situation in Thailand while English updates are available through the hashtag #ThaiFloodEng
El Salvador Hit by Heavy Rains, Flooding and Landslides
Tim's El Salvador Blog reports that “Heavy rains, caused by a tropical depression off the Pacific coast have caused flooding and landslides in various parts of El Salvador. School has been suspended in 8 of the country's 14 departments. The weather system has left 18 people dead across Central America,...
India: Waterlogging In Delhi
Anjora Sarangi at Youth Ki Awaaz writes about the growing problem of waterlogging in several parts of Delhi.
Mapping the Thailand Flooding Disaster
252 people have already died in Thailand due to more than two months of heavy rains. Many parts of Bangkok, the country’s capital, are already submerged in floodwaters. Online maps have been created to monitor the floods and inform the public on the extent of the flooding disaster.
Colombia: First National Evacuation Simulation
Fourteen Colombian cities participated in an exercise of simulating a national evacuation on October 5. The idea was to simulate an emergency (an earthquake) and build awareness of the steps people should assume in the event of an actual emergency.
