Stories about Disaster from November, 2011
Bangladesh: Climate Change to Increase Hunger and Malnutrition
As governments gear up for COP17, which starts today, experts are warning that among climate change's greatest consequences in developing countries are the risks to the agriculture sector, including an increased risk of food insecurity. Bangladesh is among the top five most vulnerable countries.
Togo: Another Tragedy Strikes the Togolese Football World
Nadege Mambe mourns the third tragic loss [fr] for the Togolese football world in 5 years. After the plane crash in Sierra Leone that took the live of the Minister of Sports 5 years ago and the attack of the team bus in Cabinda by Angolese separatist guerillas in 2010,...
Thailand: Survival and Creativity During Floods
The situation in Thailand is improving as floodwaters are receding but the death toll is now more than 600. The flood disaster is the worst in the past five decades but it also showed the creative and inventive ways of the people as they coped with the floods.
Map of Cambodian Flooding
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has uploaded a map showing the extent of flooding in Cambodia this year. 18 of the country's 24 provinces are affected by the worst flooding in a decade.
Trinidad & Tobago: Water Not the Only Problem
Jumbie's Watch comments on the recent flooding in Trinidad: “This is a country with 3 desalination plants…flashy skyscrapers, newly built motorways – and they can't solve a ‘water problem’.”
Brazil: Maximum Fine After Silence on Chevron's Oil Spill
On 7 November, an oil platform operated by Chevron-Texaco and located 350km off coast from Rio de Janeiro, began spilling crude oil. Two weeks after, the spill is believed to be under control and Chevron has been fined the maximum amount allowed by Brazilian environmental authorities. But not all is clear concerning the intricacies and coverage of the environmental disaster.
Bulgaria: New Protest Against Shale Gas Planned
A new protest is being planned for Nov. 26 in Sofia, part of a series of protests against Chevron's shale gas extraction in northeast Bulgaria. On Nov. 20, nearly 500 people attended a rally in the coastal city of Varna, which didn't receive adequate media coverage. Several Facebook groups have...
Trinidad & Tobago: Flood Damage
B.C. Pires comments on the flood damage in northern Trinidad over the weekend: “Somewhere between asking God for strength and not throwing rubbish in the river, there is a lesson to be learned.”
Kenya: Life in Dadaab, the World's Largest Refugee Camp
Around 75 percent of all refugees are believed to reside in countries neighboring their own, and this is particularly true in Kenya, where approximately 450,000 people inhabit the world's largest refugee camp.
Peru: Rain Causes Flooding in Iquitos
Rains have once again caused flooding in the city of Iquitos in the Amazon Rainforest. The blogger behind De la Selva [es] attributes the flooding to sewage works and posts Facebook pictures of the flood.
Thailand: Impact of Flooding on Colleges
Suluck Lamubol writes about the impact of the Thailand flooding disaster to the country's higher education system. Aside from damages in facilities, many schools are postponing the start of the new school semester.
Crisis Camp Italy: Using Web 2.0 to Manage Emergencies
Mapping, geolocalization, citizen journalism, data management: just some of the topics to be discussed in Bologna on 19 November at Crisis Camp. The first Italian meeting about collaborative tools for emergencies.
Macedonia: Veles Says “No” to Lead Poisoning, Government Remains Ambiguous
After the massive protest against restarting of the lead smelting factory in the city of Veles, the citizens feel cheated by the declarative support shown by the politicians from the ruling parties, and demand clear answers from PM Nikola Gruevski on whether the poisoning will continue. Filip Stojanovski reports.
El Salvador: Lower Lempa Citizens Protest Dam Management During Tropical Storm
“Three weeks after floods devastated the [Lower Lempa] region, communities have organized the first demonstration against the CEL (the corporation that manages the hydroelectric dam upstream from the communities). While the demonstration is going on, the CEL and Salvadoran Military have set up a health brigade in the community of...
Brazil: Suspicious Fires in Slums of São Paulo
Brazilian teacher and urban planner Raquel Rolnik writes [pt] about a wave of suspicious fires in slums of the city of São Paulo. Allegedly, a few days after the last fire, a construction company had already turned the aftermath into a building site for new developments.
Photos of Thailand Flooding
A Flickr group has been created, Thailand's Great Flood 2011, to gather photos of the flooding in Thailand. The flood disaster is the worst in the country in the past half century.
Central African Republic: Alleged Fire next to the Residence of President Bozizé
Hippolyte Donossio wrote on Twitter at 8:20 am local time that the residence of François Bozizé, president of the Central African Republic, was allegedly set on fire [fr]. The cause of the fire is still unknown.
Macedonia: Mobilizing Against Veles Lead Smelting Factory
The city of Veles' residents of all political persuasions are united in protest against the restarting of the lead and zinc smelting factory located within city limits, whose operation has had devastating effects on people's health. On November 9, they are organizing a massive rally.
Thailand Flooding Disaster
The death toll in Thailand’s worst flooding disaster in 50 years has reached more than 500. Government authorities said 25 provinces are still suffering from the flooding. More than one million families have been affected and the flooding has damaged 4.4 million acres of agricultural land in the country.
Japan: Using videos to explain basics of nuclear power
MOJO [ja] creates 2-3 minute videos that explain the basics of radioactivity monitoring and decontamination, via conversations between illustrated characters and interviews with officials and experts. Their most recent video [ja] answers the question, “What is decontamination?”.
Russia: Pavlovo Environmental Catastrophe
At OpenDemocracy.net, Roman Yushkov writes about the 1997 ecological disaster in Pavlovo, a village in the oil-rich Perm region, and the local residents’ long fight to get LUKOIL and the local authorities to resettle the village.
