Weather calamities seem to have an eye for Asia this summer although several other parts from the world are far from immune to Mother’s growing chaos. In case you do not follow the weather news, here are some on the latest headlines:
“Romania on Flood Alert”
“South Asia monsoon toll passes 2,000.”
“At minimum 13 dead in Pakistan rains.”
“Rivers above alert levels as rain subsides around central Europe.”
“Storms batter Ohio.”
“Extreme floods hit 500 million people a year.”
“Floods, landslides destroy 35 in China.”
“Floods show need for disaster risk reduction: UN.”
“Hong Kong issues cyclone warning.”
“Did global warming cause NYC tornado?”
You’ll find a lot extra headlines dealing with the tornado in Brooklyn, rising death toll in Asia due to flooding, sweltering heat that is definitely still rampant in parts from the U.S., deaths from flooding and starvation in Vietnam, deaths from storms from the Philippines, a ‘mini-tsunami’ in Algeria and an announcement by the UN that quite a few parts in the world have confronted record breaking heat waves, floods, storms and cold snaps which includes snowfall in Africa.
What is evident from quite a few of these stories is that governments are not ready to deal with repeated organic disasters. In 2005 an agreement, the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction, was signed by 168 countries in Kobe, Japan. Between 2001 and 2005 84% of deaths due to organic disasters have been caused by flooding. It really is clear that, like quite a few well meaning agreements, that a lot of governments have not taken their commitments to heart. Provided that additional and increased flooding is inevitable, what will governments do to avoid further loss of lifestyle and property? When will governments get their heads out in the sand and realize that climate change is a much bigger threat than terrorism?
The ISDR says that modest investments in early warning systems, evacuation plans, public education and better building standards can greatly reduce the loss of lifestyle and property. Unfortunately, lots of nations are too poor for even these modest efforts and if disaster strikes, limited funds need to go to relief. The richer nations have tended to take an “It won’t happen here attitude” plus the results of that line of thing have been clear within the U.S., England and central Europe.
One will need to keep in mind that much of this flooding is due to heavy and long rains and does not contain what could happen in terms of hurricanes and monsoons. Add to these equation problems from heat waves, earthquakes, droughts, freak snows and tornadoes hitting the downtown areas of cities and it will be evident that we could be facing some real problems. All of these pure disasters are costing billions of dollars in property loss, disrupting economies, creating social chaos and costing lives. How deep are the pockets of relief agencies and charitable organizations?
We are standing while in the middle from the environmental highway and Mother Nature is driving right at us. There is certainly a lot of talk and very little motion. Policy makers are still acting like we have scores of many years to “begin” to solve these problems. Perhaps it’s so out of hand that governments fear telling people how bad things may well get. Panic is not a pretty sight. It has been said that disasters can bring out the best in people but events in Pakistan and India have put that notion to a severe test; the grade is not encouraging.
It’s a little easier to offer assistance when only a comparatively small or remote population is affected by disaster. When disaster is widespread, even so, disaster brings out the worst and not the best of human nature. Because the American economy begins to falter under the pressures home foreclosures and increasing debt, will the U.S. be so generous to foreign lands drowning under monsoons and other environmental disasters? When we face another Katrina, how much will be left for others notably when we do know how to effectively and efficiently deal with these issues? As it will be said while in the “11th Hour,” the clock is ticking. What is in your weather forecast?
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