A colossal earthquake may hit Indonesia's Sumatra island within 30 years, triggering a tsunami and making last month's deadly quake look tiny by comparison, a geologist has warned.
Kerry Sieh, director of the Earth Observatory of Singapore, said the next big quake would last more than six times as long as the 7.6 magnitude quake which struck western Sumatra on Sept 30,levelling the city of Padang.
"We expect it will be about a magnitude 8.8, plus or minus 0.1," Mr Sieh, an American professor, said at a presentation on Wednesday at the Nanyang Technological University, where the observatory is located. He said last month's Sumatra quake lasted about 45 seconds.
"This one will last about five minutes,"Mr Sieh said."The 7.6 is very, very small,minuscule compared to the great earthquakes."
The official death toll reached 1,115 on Wednesday but many more are feared dead after villages were turned into mass graves. Around 100,000 houses are estimated to have been destroyed, leaving around 500,000 people homeless.
Based on historical earthquake trends from analysis of coral specimens from the region, last month's quake was just a precursor, Mr Sieh said.
Likening the pressures under the affected fault to a coiled spring, Mr Sieh said the recent quake "had really very little effect in terms of relieving the spring" which will unleash pent-up energy maybe within the next 30 years.
"If you're a parent who has a child,you have to expect that child's going to experience that earthquake and the tsunami," he added. A massive tsunami hit Indonesia and other countries in the Indian Ocean rim in 2004, killing about 220,000 people.
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Staying afloat
Cars sink and pedestrians are marooned as the heaviest rains in two decades hit Bangkok
The misery of traffic jams left Bangkok drivers wishing they could swap their cars for boats yesterday, as the capital's roads disappeared under water. The long and heavy downpour brought the biggest spike in rainwater levels for more than two decades.
Bailing out
After driving her husband to work along Srinakarin Road at 1.30pm, housewife Naphaphorn Chuenprasaeng witnessed one driver baling water from his brokendown car with a cup. "It was shocking to see the floodwaters so high. I saw dozens of breakdowns."
"The journey from Bang Na to my home on Patthanakan 65 took two hours. Normally, it's only 30 minutes."
Fon, a resident of the Thippawan community on Thepharak Road, said the flood level rose to 30 centimetres, forcing her to stay at home. The community was inundated from 7am until well into the afternoon.
"The whole area looks like a canal. I had no customers at my restaurant as a result. In the past, floodwaters have subsided after a few hours - never before has the community been flooded for so long," Fon said.
Never-ending journey
Noon, a company employee in Bang Na district, said she left home in Lad Prao district for her office at 11.30am. "Usually, my commute by bus takes an hour and a half but it took almost four hours today. I've never seen floods as high in the three years of travelling to this office. In places the water was waist deep."
She added that she witnessed pedestrians literally marooned on islands created by the rising waters.
Students at Ramkhamhaeng University 2 had to hitch up skirts and trousers and paddle through kneedeep water to get to exam halls. At 1.30pm, the traffic around the university was gridlocked.
Narong Airasubkunakorn, director of the city's Information Drainage Technology Department confirmed the rain had been the heaviest in 25 years. Other roads that suffered jams as a result were Sukhumvit, Rama 3, Rama 4, Rama 9, Phitsanulok, Lat Phrao, Ratchadaphisek, Ngarmwong wan and Vibhavadi and Rajdamnoen Avenue.
The misery of traffic jams left Bangkok drivers wishing they could swap their cars for boats yesterday, as the capital's roads disappeared under water. The long and heavy downpour brought the biggest spike in rainwater levels for more than two decades.
Bailing out
After driving her husband to work along Srinakarin Road at 1.30pm, housewife Naphaphorn Chuenprasaeng witnessed one driver baling water from his brokendown car with a cup. "It was shocking to see the floodwaters so high. I saw dozens of breakdowns."
"The journey from Bang Na to my home on Patthanakan 65 took two hours. Normally, it's only 30 minutes."
Fon, a resident of the Thippawan community on Thepharak Road, said the flood level rose to 30 centimetres, forcing her to stay at home. The community was inundated from 7am until well into the afternoon.
"The whole area looks like a canal. I had no customers at my restaurant as a result. In the past, floodwaters have subsided after a few hours - never before has the community been flooded for so long," Fon said.
Never-ending journey
Noon, a company employee in Bang Na district, said she left home in Lad Prao district for her office at 11.30am. "Usually, my commute by bus takes an hour and a half but it took almost four hours today. I've never seen floods as high in the three years of travelling to this office. In places the water was waist deep."
She added that she witnessed pedestrians literally marooned on islands created by the rising waters.
Students at Ramkhamhaeng University 2 had to hitch up skirts and trousers and paddle through kneedeep water to get to exam halls. At 1.30pm, the traffic around the university was gridlocked.
Narong Airasubkunakorn, director of the city's Information Drainage Technology Department confirmed the rain had been the heaviest in 25 years. Other roads that suffered jams as a result were Sukhumvit, Rama 3, Rama 4, Rama 9, Phitsanulok, Lat Phrao, Ratchadaphisek, Ngarmwong wan and Vibhavadi and Rajdamnoen Avenue.
Monday, October 12, 2009
STRUGGLE TO REACH LANDSLIDE SURVIVORS
Search and rescue teams yesterday struggled to reach areas of the northern Philippines cut off by storm-triggered landslides and flooding that have left more than 600 people dead, officials said.
In the heavily-damaged northern province of Pangasinan, manty towns remained under water while landslides had virtually cut off mountainous communities from rescuers, disaster relief officials said.
Social Welfare Secretary Esperanza Cabral said the government had sent tonnes of food, medicines and clothes to a military base in the north but delivery to affected communities was slow.
"There is a significant number of people affected," she said. "Our problem is getting to them."
She said helicopters have been dropping food packs in Pangasinan, a province of 2.5 million that has been submerged in deep waters for the past three days.
Four US military helicopters were due to airlift 10 tonnes of food to Baguio, a popular mountain resort that has been isolated after deadly landslides triggered by tropical storm Parma, spokesman Captain Jorge Escatell said. "It's going to be an allday mission... we are trying to get some help out there," he said.
There have given varying reports of casualties, but the police in the Cordillera Administrative Region, which includes Baguio and several provinces hit with deadly landslides, said the death toll there alone climbed to 275 as more bodies were dug up from landslides yesterday.
The National Disaster Coordinating Council in Manila however placed the official toll at 193 from Parma, which finally blew out into the South China Sea late on Friday after pummelling northern Luzon for a week. Altogether the death toll from Parma and tropical storm Ketsana, which killed 337 in Manila and surrounding areas, now stands at over 636, with fears the toll could rise, officials said.
Ketsana triggered the worst follding in Manila and nearby areas in four decades on September 26, and many areas still remain follded two weeks later. Both storms affected over six million people, with over 300,000 people remaining in evacuation camps.
In the heavily-damaged northern province of Pangasinan, manty towns remained under water while landslides had virtually cut off mountainous communities from rescuers, disaster relief officials said.
Social Welfare Secretary Esperanza Cabral said the government had sent tonnes of food, medicines and clothes to a military base in the north but delivery to affected communities was slow.
"There is a significant number of people affected," she said. "Our problem is getting to them."
She said helicopters have been dropping food packs in Pangasinan, a province of 2.5 million that has been submerged in deep waters for the past three days.
Four US military helicopters were due to airlift 10 tonnes of food to Baguio, a popular mountain resort that has been isolated after deadly landslides triggered by tropical storm Parma, spokesman Captain Jorge Escatell said. "It's going to be an allday mission... we are trying to get some help out there," he said.
There have given varying reports of casualties, but the police in the Cordillera Administrative Region, which includes Baguio and several provinces hit with deadly landslides, said the death toll there alone climbed to 275 as more bodies were dug up from landslides yesterday.
The National Disaster Coordinating Council in Manila however placed the official toll at 193 from Parma, which finally blew out into the South China Sea late on Friday after pummelling northern Luzon for a week. Altogether the death toll from Parma and tropical storm Ketsana, which killed 337 in Manila and surrounding areas, now stands at over 636, with fears the toll could rise, officials said.
Ketsana triggered the worst follding in Manila and nearby areas in four decades on September 26, and many areas still remain follded two weeks later. Both storms affected over six million people, with over 300,000 people remaining in evacuation camps.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Philippine workers rush to clear mountain roads
Rescuers dug out six survivors and more bodies buried under landslides that killed at least 225 people in the storm-soaked northern Philippines, as workers rushed yesterday to clear mountain roads to aid relief efforts.
US military helicopters were on standby to help the Philippine air force deliver aid to areas cut off by road as flooded highways hampered the search for people trapped in houses buried by mud. Several choppers flew over areas yesterday where US troops planned to conduct medical missions and deliver supplies.
The rain-triggered landslides late on Thursday and early Friday were the latest natural disaster to hit the Philippines,bringing to more than 600 the total death toll of back-to-back storms that began pummelling the main island of Luzon on Sept 26, causing the worst flooding in more than 40 years.
Rescue operations were centred on two vast areas - the severely flooded Pangasinan province northwest of Manila, and a swath covering the worst landslide-hit provinces of Benguet,Mountain Province and the resort city of Baguio, where most deaths occurred.
A 17-year-old boy was rescued from the rubble in his home in Baguio late on Friday, and five others were pulled out alive in Mountain Province, said regional civil defence official Olive Luces.
Yesterday, only more bodies were pulled from under tons of mud and rocks,but Ms Luces said,"We are hopeful that we will get more people alive."
She said local officials reported 152 bodies have so far been recovered in Benguet and 23 in Mountain Province in the country's Cordillera region on the main Philippine island of Luzon after landslides. She corrected an earlier figure of 60 bodies recovered in Baguio city,saying officials reported only 50 had been found.
Aside from the 197 who died in the landslides late on Thursday and early Friday, the National Disaster Coordinating Council said 51 people from eight other provinces also were killed after Typhoon Parma made landfall on Oct 3,weakened into a tropical depression and dumped more rain as it lingered over the northern region for about 10 days.
A week earlier, Tropical Storm Ketsana left 337 people dead in the worst floods to hit Manila and nearby provinces in four decades.
The sun was peeking through the clouds over Baguio and volunteers, mostly miners, were taking advantage of the relatively good weather to step up the search for survivors, Ms Luces said. She also called on local communities to help clear debris blocking the roads.
Army engineers were trying to remove mounds of mud and boulders on one road to Baguio. The regional centre has been isolated since Thursday's landslides.The Public Works Department was clearing debris on another highway to the city, but a 25-metre section of that mountain road had been washed away, cutting off all traffic, she said.
Mayor Artemio Galwan of La Trinidad township in Benguet province said 78 bodies have been recovered there. He appealed for shovels and other tools as well as portable spotlights to allow volunteers to continue digging at night.
US military helicopters were on standby to help the Philippine air force deliver aid to areas cut off by road as flooded highways hampered the search for people trapped in houses buried by mud. Several choppers flew over areas yesterday where US troops planned to conduct medical missions and deliver supplies.
The rain-triggered landslides late on Thursday and early Friday were the latest natural disaster to hit the Philippines,bringing to more than 600 the total death toll of back-to-back storms that began pummelling the main island of Luzon on Sept 26, causing the worst flooding in more than 40 years.
Rescue operations were centred on two vast areas - the severely flooded Pangasinan province northwest of Manila, and a swath covering the worst landslide-hit provinces of Benguet,Mountain Province and the resort city of Baguio, where most deaths occurred.
A 17-year-old boy was rescued from the rubble in his home in Baguio late on Friday, and five others were pulled out alive in Mountain Province, said regional civil defence official Olive Luces.
Yesterday, only more bodies were pulled from under tons of mud and rocks,but Ms Luces said,"We are hopeful that we will get more people alive."
She said local officials reported 152 bodies have so far been recovered in Benguet and 23 in Mountain Province in the country's Cordillera region on the main Philippine island of Luzon after landslides. She corrected an earlier figure of 60 bodies recovered in Baguio city,saying officials reported only 50 had been found.
Aside from the 197 who died in the landslides late on Thursday and early Friday, the National Disaster Coordinating Council said 51 people from eight other provinces also were killed after Typhoon Parma made landfall on Oct 3,weakened into a tropical depression and dumped more rain as it lingered over the northern region for about 10 days.
A week earlier, Tropical Storm Ketsana left 337 people dead in the worst floods to hit Manila and nearby provinces in four decades.
The sun was peeking through the clouds over Baguio and volunteers, mostly miners, were taking advantage of the relatively good weather to step up the search for survivors, Ms Luces said. She also called on local communities to help clear debris blocking the roads.
Army engineers were trying to remove mounds of mud and boulders on one road to Baguio. The regional centre has been isolated since Thursday's landslides.The Public Works Department was clearing debris on another highway to the city, but a 25-metre section of that mountain road had been washed away, cutting off all traffic, she said.
Mayor Artemio Galwan of La Trinidad township in Benguet province said 78 bodies have been recovered there. He appealed for shovels and other tools as well as portable spotlights to allow volunteers to continue digging at night.
Friday, October 9, 2009
RUN-OFF AND HIGH SEAS THREATEN CHAO PHYA LEVELS
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) is keeping watch on twin flood threats to the Chao Phya River - approaching run-off from flooding in the North and, on October 18-20, heavy inflows of sea water, which could lift river levels by up to 2.20 metres.
BMA governor MR Sukhumbhand Paribatra led city executives yesterday on an inspection of the Chao Phya at Ratchawong pier and Klong Bangkok Noi.
They found the city's water level had already risen by 20cm-30cm, following the release of 2,500 cubic metres of water from the Chao Phya dam. Records showed the river had risen by 1.8 metres at Memorial Bridge.
Sukhumbhand warned that from October 18 to 20 there would be massive inflows of sea water to the river, especially on Tuesday October 20, which will see the highest inflows. However the river's flood level should not exceed 2.2m.
The BMA has piled up 4.2 million sandbags to form seven-kilometre-long flood barriers on both sides of the river where permanent flood barriers are not yet built - but should be in place by late next year.
Local officials have been ordered to be ready to help the 28 communities in nine districts that are most at risk. The public can call for flood information on the BMA hotline 1555 around the clock, he said.
In Angthong, where floods affected 300 families and 2,000 rai of farmlands in Muang and Pa Moke districts, residents of Muang district's tambon Ban Id have gone fishing, following news that some Pho Thong district residents caught two giant 100-kilogram catfish on Wednesday night.
In Pa Moke district, flood water had risen 11cm since Wednesday and the Chao Phya River there was 50cm above its banks. In Muang district it was 7.20m deep and 30cm below the river banks.
The Chao Phya dam released 2,092 cubic metres of water per second yesterday, slightly less than the day before. The local irrigation authority has opened the sludge gate to Klong Bang Kaew, causing the canal to overflow and cover the Asia Highway in 80cm-deep water.
Up north, the weather on top of Ang Khang and Inthanon mountain in Chiang Mai is getting cooler. The lowest temperature was between 12 and 15 degrees Celsius.
BMA governor MR Sukhumbhand Paribatra led city executives yesterday on an inspection of the Chao Phya at Ratchawong pier and Klong Bangkok Noi.
They found the city's water level had already risen by 20cm-30cm, following the release of 2,500 cubic metres of water from the Chao Phya dam. Records showed the river had risen by 1.8 metres at Memorial Bridge.
Sukhumbhand warned that from October 18 to 20 there would be massive inflows of sea water to the river, especially on Tuesday October 20, which will see the highest inflows. However the river's flood level should not exceed 2.2m.
The BMA has piled up 4.2 million sandbags to form seven-kilometre-long flood barriers on both sides of the river where permanent flood barriers are not yet built - but should be in place by late next year.
Local officials have been ordered to be ready to help the 28 communities in nine districts that are most at risk. The public can call for flood information on the BMA hotline 1555 around the clock, he said.
In Angthong, where floods affected 300 families and 2,000 rai of farmlands in Muang and Pa Moke districts, residents of Muang district's tambon Ban Id have gone fishing, following news that some Pho Thong district residents caught two giant 100-kilogram catfish on Wednesday night.
In Pa Moke district, flood water had risen 11cm since Wednesday and the Chao Phya River there was 50cm above its banks. In Muang district it was 7.20m deep and 30cm below the river banks.
The Chao Phya dam released 2,092 cubic metres of water per second yesterday, slightly less than the day before. The local irrigation authority has opened the sludge gate to Klong Bang Kaew, causing the canal to overflow and cover the Asia Highway in 80cm-deep water.
Up north, the weather on top of Ang Khang and Inthanon mountain in Chiang Mai is getting cooler. The lowest temperature was between 12 and 15 degrees Celsius.
Monday, October 5, 2009
Padang calls off search for survivors
The search for survivors was called off yesterday in the earthquake-hit capital of Indonesia's West Sumatra province, as people stopped aid convoys and took supplies by force in desperation due to the scarcity of help, officials and aid workers said.
"The search has been halted in Padang, but in other areas it is continuing," said Priyadi Kardono, a spokesman for the National Agency for Disaster Management. Padang, the capital of West Sumatra, is one of six districts badly hit by the earthquake.
Hotels, schools, and government buildings were among the structures damaged by the quake.
Mr Kardono said workers in Padang had been ordered to clear the rubble of collapsed buildings, where many were believed trapped, and collect bodies.
Meanwhile, desperate survivors in Padang Pariaman, a district near the provincial capital hard hit by the quake,hijacked aid convoys and took away supplies, a doctor working in the area, Ridwan Gustiana, said.
"There's a lot of anger among survivors because they have not received any assistance," said the doctor, who worked with the Ibu Foundation aid group.
Meanwhile, health officials are racing to prevent outbreaks of disease in quakeaffected areas.
Heavy rain soaked quake-hit areas yesterday morning, wiping dust from the air but bringing more misery to those whose homes were destroyed in last week's 7.6-magnitude earthquake.
The head of the Health Ministry's crisis centre, Rustam Pakaya, estimated the death toll at more than 1,200.
"Our health officials are monitoring closely the health of the survivors and the environmental conditions," he said.
"We have sprayed disinfectants in quake-affected areas to prevent the spread of diseases."
Many victims were believed to be still trapped under collapsed buildings or buried by landslides triggered by the earthquake, Mr Pakaya said, adding the Health Ministry had sent shipments of 13 tons of baby food in the form of biscuits and 1,000 body bags.
"The search has been halted in Padang, but in other areas it is continuing," said Priyadi Kardono, a spokesman for the National Agency for Disaster Management. Padang, the capital of West Sumatra, is one of six districts badly hit by the earthquake.
Hotels, schools, and government buildings were among the structures damaged by the quake.
Mr Kardono said workers in Padang had been ordered to clear the rubble of collapsed buildings, where many were believed trapped, and collect bodies.
Meanwhile, desperate survivors in Padang Pariaman, a district near the provincial capital hard hit by the quake,hijacked aid convoys and took away supplies, a doctor working in the area, Ridwan Gustiana, said.
"There's a lot of anger among survivors because they have not received any assistance," said the doctor, who worked with the Ibu Foundation aid group.
Meanwhile, health officials are racing to prevent outbreaks of disease in quakeaffected areas.
Heavy rain soaked quake-hit areas yesterday morning, wiping dust from the air but bringing more misery to those whose homes were destroyed in last week's 7.6-magnitude earthquake.
The head of the Health Ministry's crisis centre, Rustam Pakaya, estimated the death toll at more than 1,200.
"Our health officials are monitoring closely the health of the survivors and the environmental conditions," he said.
"We have sprayed disinfectants in quake-affected areas to prevent the spread of diseases."
Many victims were believed to be still trapped under collapsed buildings or buried by landslides triggered by the earthquake, Mr Pakaya said, adding the Health Ministry had sent shipments of 13 tons of baby food in the form of biscuits and 1,000 body bags.
Govt struggles to re-open schools after deadly floods
Efforts to open schools in Manila for the first time since deadly floods descended into chaos yesterday,with some remaining under water and others occupied by homeless survivors with nowhere else to go.
The situation at schools in the worsthit parts of the Philippine capital reflected wider problems in the government's response to the disaster, nine days after the heaviest rains in more than 40 years killed nearly 300 people.
As students were turned away from schools, mountains of debris were festering around Manila, and more than 300,000 people remained in evacuation centres. One part of the city's outskirts was expected to be submerged into the new year.
"We were instructed to resume classes today but look around, the situation will likely not allow it," said Eliza Servesa,assistant principal at H. Bautista Elementary School in suburban Marikina.
Only three students in mismatched uniforms and carrying books salvaged from the floods arrived for morning classes, whereas before the disaster the school bustled with 3,500 children.
Marikina was hit hard by tropical storm Ketsana, which produced flood waters that rose 6m high and washed away entire neighbourhoods along river banks.Nearly 3.9 million people were affected.In the immediate aftermath of the disaster, the government closed all schools in Manila for one week and allowed many of them to become makeshift evacuation centres for people whose homes were flooded or destroyed.
Late last week, almost 700,000 people were seeking refuge in such shelters.The government said yesterday that 319,000 people in these shelters still had nowhere else to go.
At the H. Bautista Elementary School,many of the nearly 5,000 people who initially sheltered there had already left,but between 300 and 500 remained.
"We can't force them to leave. That is against humanitarian principles," Ms Servesa said.
At the nearby Santa Elena High School,only about 20% of its 5,000 students showed up. Principal Elizalde Cena sent them home at midday as teaching was impossible in the mud-filled classrooms.
"All our records were lost. I have yet to begin doing a proper accounting of my students," Ms Cena said.
Pateros mayor Joey Medina has ordered its 10 public schools to resume classes tomorrow,"to give our school and local government officials sufficient time to clean up and ensure the safety of the returning students".
The situation at schools in the worsthit parts of the Philippine capital reflected wider problems in the government's response to the disaster, nine days after the heaviest rains in more than 40 years killed nearly 300 people.
As students were turned away from schools, mountains of debris were festering around Manila, and more than 300,000 people remained in evacuation centres. One part of the city's outskirts was expected to be submerged into the new year.
"We were instructed to resume classes today but look around, the situation will likely not allow it," said Eliza Servesa,assistant principal at H. Bautista Elementary School in suburban Marikina.
Only three students in mismatched uniforms and carrying books salvaged from the floods arrived for morning classes, whereas before the disaster the school bustled with 3,500 children.
Marikina was hit hard by tropical storm Ketsana, which produced flood waters that rose 6m high and washed away entire neighbourhoods along river banks.Nearly 3.9 million people were affected.In the immediate aftermath of the disaster, the government closed all schools in Manila for one week and allowed many of them to become makeshift evacuation centres for people whose homes were flooded or destroyed.
Late last week, almost 700,000 people were seeking refuge in such shelters.The government said yesterday that 319,000 people in these shelters still had nowhere else to go.
At the H. Bautista Elementary School,many of the nearly 5,000 people who initially sheltered there had already left,but between 300 and 500 remained.
"We can't force them to leave. That is against humanitarian principles," Ms Servesa said.
At the nearby Santa Elena High School,only about 20% of its 5,000 students showed up. Principal Elizalde Cena sent them home at midday as teaching was impossible in the mud-filled classrooms.
"All our records were lost. I have yet to begin doing a proper accounting of my students," Ms Cena said.
Pateros mayor Joey Medina has ordered its 10 public schools to resume classes tomorrow,"to give our school and local government officials sufficient time to clean up and ensure the safety of the returning students".
SLUM DWELLERS WILL BEAR THE BRUNT OF NATURE'S WRATH
YESTERDAY I met with a group of nearly 2,000 slum dwellers from Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Burma, the Philippines, the Republic of Korea and Thailand. They came to the United Nations Escap Building to present me with a petition demanding that their right to shelter be respected.
This group represents just some of the 500 million slum dwellers who live in Asia and the Pacific and comprise 40 per cent of all who live in our region's cities. If present trends continue in the next decade, another 230 million people will be forced to live in conditions that lack access to adequate shelter, sanitation services and clean water.
The poor also often have no choice but to live on marginal lands, prone to flooding and landslides, in flimsy shelters and overcrowded settlements that expose them to other hazards. Of the thousands being reported dead or missing following last week's series of disasters, it should come as no surprise that many will be the poor and vulnerable from these types of settlements.
It is almost unprecedented for any region to experience so many disasters over such a short period of time. From the Philippines - which was hit by the one-two punch of Typhoon Ketsana and Typhoon Parma - and the flooding in Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos and Thailand, to the earthquakes that rocked Indonesia and The tsunami that struck the Samoas and Tonga, the resulting loss of lives, casualties and destruction to property is heartbreaking.
These disasters are a brutal reminder that climate change will only increase the magnitude and frequency of weather-related disasters. Just this year, India has been suffering its worst drought in nearly 40 years, while in August, Taiwan lost nearly 800 people to Typhoon Morakot. Asia and the Pacific overall has experienced over 80 per cent of the global casualties related to extreme weather events over the past seven years. We can only expect these types of disasters to get worse if meaningful action on climate change is not taken.
This connection between the plight of slum dwellers and the effects of climate change was readily apparent to another group yesterday. Just prior to the slum dwellers' march, hundreds of people concerned about climate change assembled in front of the United Nations Escap Building as negotiators continued to seek consensus on sealing a deal in Copenhagen that takes into account the concerns of developing countries. These marchers exchanged flags with members of the Four Regions Slum Network in a symbolic gesture meant to highlight the link between the two issues.
Watching these demonstrators only reinforced in me the urgency with which we need tackle these two inextricably linked challenges - overcoming poverty and combating climate change - facing most developing countries in Asia and the Pacific. Failure to tackle one will undermine the efforts to deal with the other. So while not all of the natural disasters of the last week can be linked to climate change, they do underscore the need for an agreement that is both environmentally friendly and development oriented.
The world is at a historical turning point and must respond appropriately. Firstly, we must not roll back the gains made in the fight against climate change and erode the progress achieved through the Kyoto Protocol and the Bali Consensus.
Secondly, the recent spate of calamities reminds us that Asia and the Pacific is the world's disaster hot spot. A person living in the region is four times more likely to be affected by natural disasters than someone living in Africa, and 25 times more likely than someone living in Europe or North America. We need to improve our region's disaster preparedness. Studies have shown that for every dollar invested in risks associated with disaster, four to seven dollars can be saved. Investing in disaster risk reduction and prevention measures is not only a moral imperative, it is financially smart.
The poor and vulnerable will always be the ones who suffer most in disasters. Only 1 in 5 people in our region have access to comprehensive healthcare coverage, posing an obstacle to recovery in the aftermath of such tragedies. But the poor are not just victims. They can also be agents of change if development is to be inclusive and sustainable. There are several wonderful examples in Asia and the Pacific that show when the poor are mobilised and given the opportunity and support, they can change not only their own destiny, but also our cities, towns, and indeed, our societies, to become more sustainable and resilient.
The climate-change talks must result in meaningful reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and a range of adaptation measures that assist the poor and vulnerable. They must include provisions for disaster risk reduction and prevention measures that help reduce, and in some cases avoid, the tragic loss of life and property we are witnessing. Officials in Indonesia were quoted as saying they lacked the necessary heavy equipment to dig through the rubble and recover buried victims. As a result, the hopes of those missing loved ones diminishes with each passing day and the death toll rises.
It is clear that developing countries do not have the capacity or resources to respond to the challenges of climate change on their own. They will need access to new technologies, funding and skill development from the international community if they are to both mitigate and adapt to the challenges of climate change. Yet Mother Nature is not waiting for a bureaucratic resolution, and she does not accept compromises. We must set aside our differences if an agreement is to be reached this December in Copenhagen that protects the ecosystems upon which all our lives depend. The march of our region's slum dwellers is a vivid reminder of who will be the first to suffer if we do not act now.
This group represents just some of the 500 million slum dwellers who live in Asia and the Pacific and comprise 40 per cent of all who live in our region's cities. If present trends continue in the next decade, another 230 million people will be forced to live in conditions that lack access to adequate shelter, sanitation services and clean water.
The poor also often have no choice but to live on marginal lands, prone to flooding and landslides, in flimsy shelters and overcrowded settlements that expose them to other hazards. Of the thousands being reported dead or missing following last week's series of disasters, it should come as no surprise that many will be the poor and vulnerable from these types of settlements.
It is almost unprecedented for any region to experience so many disasters over such a short period of time. From the Philippines - which was hit by the one-two punch of Typhoon Ketsana and Typhoon Parma - and the flooding in Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos and Thailand, to the earthquakes that rocked Indonesia and The tsunami that struck the Samoas and Tonga, the resulting loss of lives, casualties and destruction to property is heartbreaking.
These disasters are a brutal reminder that climate change will only increase the magnitude and frequency of weather-related disasters. Just this year, India has been suffering its worst drought in nearly 40 years, while in August, Taiwan lost nearly 800 people to Typhoon Morakot. Asia and the Pacific overall has experienced over 80 per cent of the global casualties related to extreme weather events over the past seven years. We can only expect these types of disasters to get worse if meaningful action on climate change is not taken.
This connection between the plight of slum dwellers and the effects of climate change was readily apparent to another group yesterday. Just prior to the slum dwellers' march, hundreds of people concerned about climate change assembled in front of the United Nations Escap Building as negotiators continued to seek consensus on sealing a deal in Copenhagen that takes into account the concerns of developing countries. These marchers exchanged flags with members of the Four Regions Slum Network in a symbolic gesture meant to highlight the link between the two issues.
Watching these demonstrators only reinforced in me the urgency with which we need tackle these two inextricably linked challenges - overcoming poverty and combating climate change - facing most developing countries in Asia and the Pacific. Failure to tackle one will undermine the efforts to deal with the other. So while not all of the natural disasters of the last week can be linked to climate change, they do underscore the need for an agreement that is both environmentally friendly and development oriented.
The world is at a historical turning point and must respond appropriately. Firstly, we must not roll back the gains made in the fight against climate change and erode the progress achieved through the Kyoto Protocol and the Bali Consensus.
Secondly, the recent spate of calamities reminds us that Asia and the Pacific is the world's disaster hot spot. A person living in the region is four times more likely to be affected by natural disasters than someone living in Africa, and 25 times more likely than someone living in Europe or North America. We need to improve our region's disaster preparedness. Studies have shown that for every dollar invested in risks associated with disaster, four to seven dollars can be saved. Investing in disaster risk reduction and prevention measures is not only a moral imperative, it is financially smart.
The poor and vulnerable will always be the ones who suffer most in disasters. Only 1 in 5 people in our region have access to comprehensive healthcare coverage, posing an obstacle to recovery in the aftermath of such tragedies. But the poor are not just victims. They can also be agents of change if development is to be inclusive and sustainable. There are several wonderful examples in Asia and the Pacific that show when the poor are mobilised and given the opportunity and support, they can change not only their own destiny, but also our cities, towns, and indeed, our societies, to become more sustainable and resilient.
The climate-change talks must result in meaningful reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and a range of adaptation measures that assist the poor and vulnerable. They must include provisions for disaster risk reduction and prevention measures that help reduce, and in some cases avoid, the tragic loss of life and property we are witnessing. Officials in Indonesia were quoted as saying they lacked the necessary heavy equipment to dig through the rubble and recover buried victims. As a result, the hopes of those missing loved ones diminishes with each passing day and the death toll rises.
It is clear that developing countries do not have the capacity or resources to respond to the challenges of climate change on their own. They will need access to new technologies, funding and skill development from the international community if they are to both mitigate and adapt to the challenges of climate change. Yet Mother Nature is not waiting for a bureaucratic resolution, and she does not accept compromises. We must set aside our differences if an agreement is to be reached this December in Copenhagen that protects the ecosystems upon which all our lives depend. The march of our region's slum dwellers is a vivid reminder of who will be the first to suffer if we do not act now.
INDONESIA CALLS OFF QUAKE RESCUE EFFORT
Indonesia called off the search for survivors in the quak-hit city of Padang yesterday as officials sought to contain the risk of disease caused by thousands of trapped bodies.
Local officials and foreign specialists who rushed to Indonesia's Sumatra isalnd after Wednesday's devastating 7.6-magnitude earth-quake said the aid effort had swithced to relief and rebuilding.
The United Nations has said that at least 1,100 people were killed in the disaster, but estimates of the final toll range up to 5,000.
"The effort to find survivors in Padang was stopped last night but they are still going on outside Padang," Indonesian disaster management agency spokesman Priyadi Kardono said.
Swiss Rescue spokesman Michel Mercier said that his 115-strongteam was packing up and preparing to go home.
"Nobody from the teams weknow found a survivor, unfortunately. We recovered six bodies," he said.
Foreign aid and emergency teams continued to pour into Padang, bringing tonnes of vital medical supplies, drinking water and food for the tens of thousands of people made homeless by the quake.
rubbe in the city of 1 million people on the west coast of Sumatra island was being scoured for the vast number of bodies interred in the wreckage.
Police helicopter pilots said that driving rain was hampering missions to ferry supplies and medical equipment to remote villages that have been obliterated by landslides.
Health officials said they were racing against time to prevent outbreaks of disease cause by decomposing bodies and a lack of clean water.
"There is a concern that dirty water supplies can spread skin disease and other kinds of diseases. Flies on dead bodies can also spred bacteria to people," Health Ministry crisis centre head Rustam Pakaya said.
Most buildings have been damaged or completely destroyed, including hospitals and schools.
There were signs yesterday that the city was taking its first tentative steps on the long path to recovery.
Restaurants were reopening and teachers said they were trying to resume classes. "I have been ordered by the governor to open the school again today, but only 60 students came out of 800," Padang teacher Karmila Suryani said.
Local officials and foreign specialists who rushed to Indonesia's Sumatra isalnd after Wednesday's devastating 7.6-magnitude earth-quake said the aid effort had swithced to relief and rebuilding.
The United Nations has said that at least 1,100 people were killed in the disaster, but estimates of the final toll range up to 5,000.
"The effort to find survivors in Padang was stopped last night but they are still going on outside Padang," Indonesian disaster management agency spokesman Priyadi Kardono said.
Swiss Rescue spokesman Michel Mercier said that his 115-strongteam was packing up and preparing to go home.
"Nobody from the teams weknow found a survivor, unfortunately. We recovered six bodies," he said.
Foreign aid and emergency teams continued to pour into Padang, bringing tonnes of vital medical supplies, drinking water and food for the tens of thousands of people made homeless by the quake.
rubbe in the city of 1 million people on the west coast of Sumatra island was being scoured for the vast number of bodies interred in the wreckage.
Police helicopter pilots said that driving rain was hampering missions to ferry supplies and medical equipment to remote villages that have been obliterated by landslides.
Health officials said they were racing against time to prevent outbreaks of disease cause by decomposing bodies and a lack of clean water.
"There is a concern that dirty water supplies can spread skin disease and other kinds of diseases. Flies on dead bodies can also spred bacteria to people," Health Ministry crisis centre head Rustam Pakaya said.
Most buildings have been damaged or completely destroyed, including hospitals and schools.
There were signs yesterday that the city was taking its first tentative steps on the long path to recovery.
Restaurants were reopening and teachers said they were trying to resume classes. "I have been ordered by the governor to open the school again today, but only 60 students came out of 800," Padang teacher Karmila Suryani said.
4m sandbags ready for Bangkok "Floods"
Four million sandbags have been prepared as temporary embankment walls to cope with coming floods in Bangkok at the peak of this month's wet season, a deputy Bangkok governor said yesterday.
The sandbags will be utilised to prevent flooding at 15 locations most prone to flash foods, said Phornthep Techapaiboon. Flood drainage operations and the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration's BEST rapid-response teams are also on standby to help with emergency flooding, he added.
Water level in canals have been kept at a low level to cope with high rainwater volume, he said. "We expect the drainage of extra water flowing to the Chao Phya River and to the Gulf of Thailand estuary will be fast enough to cope with the rainwater volume," he added.
The 15 roads and locations at greatest risk of flash floods are Chan, Sri Ayutthaya, Soi Sukhumvit 39, 49, 66 and 103, Lat Phrao, Nawamin, Ratchaphisek road at Robinson mall and at Lat Phrao intersection, Phetchaburi road from Banthad Thong to Ratchathewi roads, Nikhom Makkasan, Rama VI, Phetkasem, Yen Arkas, Sri Nakharin and Sanam Chai-Maha Raj road.
The water catchment areas are still capable of holding another 50 per cent of the current maximum capacity. If the maximum rainwater volume reaches 1,800 mm, from the current rate at 1,600, it will be a record for the past 30 years, said Phornthep.
The sandbags will be utilised to prevent flooding at 15 locations most prone to flash foods, said Phornthep Techapaiboon. Flood drainage operations and the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration's BEST rapid-response teams are also on standby to help with emergency flooding, he added.
Water level in canals have been kept at a low level to cope with high rainwater volume, he said. "We expect the drainage of extra water flowing to the Chao Phya River and to the Gulf of Thailand estuary will be fast enough to cope with the rainwater volume," he added.
The 15 roads and locations at greatest risk of flash floods are Chan, Sri Ayutthaya, Soi Sukhumvit 39, 49, 66 and 103, Lat Phrao, Nawamin, Ratchaphisek road at Robinson mall and at Lat Phrao intersection, Phetchaburi road from Banthad Thong to Ratchathewi roads, Nikhom Makkasan, Rama VI, Phetkasem, Yen Arkas, Sri Nakharin and Sanam Chai-Maha Raj road.
The water catchment areas are still capable of holding another 50 per cent of the current maximum capacity. If the maximum rainwater volume reaches 1,800 mm, from the current rate at 1,600, it will be a record for the past 30 years, said Phornthep.
400,000 HIT BY FLOODS CAUSED BY KETSANA
Almost 400,000 people in 16 provinces were affected by flooding and torrential rain caused by the storm Ketsana, according to a public safety report released yesterday.
In addition to one death reported at an unknown location, there had also been an outbreak of "pink eye" among about 50 residents out of some 300 households in Kalasin's Muang district. The disease had also spread to cattle.
But village head Praphas Phoowongkot said the 'pink eye' had been contained after an inspection by public health officials, who gave medication to those affected. Children were being kept away from adults to reduce the risk of the disease spreading.
A report released by the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation said 394,752 people in 105,155 households in 87 districts in 16 provinces had been hit by flooding. Some 103 homes, 574 roads, 22 bridges and 133,253 rai of farmland had been damaged.
The situation has returned to normal in five provinces: Ranong, Nakhon Sawan, Lop Buri, Loei and Phetchabun.
The latest province hit by Ketsana was Kalasin, with 19,462 rai of farmland and 1,032 roads inundated, provincial governor Wiroj Jiwarangsan said.
Water levels at Lam Patao Dam and 18 other reservoirs were at about 90 per cent capacity but still safe, he said, adding that flooding should subside within two weeks if there was no more heavy rain.
In Tak, survival kits were being readied for 7,000 people in 13 villages in Mae Ramat district, after a bridge that links them to the outside world was cut by a flood. People could manage on existing supplies for another two days, district chief Phoomichai Taphankaew said.
A makeshift suspension bridge was being built to give temporary access or to evacuate people if their situation got worse, he said.
In addition to one death reported at an unknown location, there had also been an outbreak of "pink eye" among about 50 residents out of some 300 households in Kalasin's Muang district. The disease had also spread to cattle.
But village head Praphas Phoowongkot said the 'pink eye' had been contained after an inspection by public health officials, who gave medication to those affected. Children were being kept away from adults to reduce the risk of the disease spreading.
A report released by the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation said 394,752 people in 105,155 households in 87 districts in 16 provinces had been hit by flooding. Some 103 homes, 574 roads, 22 bridges and 133,253 rai of farmland had been damaged.
The situation has returned to normal in five provinces: Ranong, Nakhon Sawan, Lop Buri, Loei and Phetchabun.
The latest province hit by Ketsana was Kalasin, with 19,462 rai of farmland and 1,032 roads inundated, provincial governor Wiroj Jiwarangsan said.
Water levels at Lam Patao Dam and 18 other reservoirs were at about 90 per cent capacity but still safe, he said, adding that flooding should subside within two weeks if there was no more heavy rain.
In Tak, survival kits were being readied for 7,000 people in 13 villages in Mae Ramat district, after a bridge that links them to the outside world was cut by a flood. People could manage on existing supplies for another two days, district chief Phoomichai Taphankaew said.
A makeshift suspension bridge was being built to give temporary access or to evacuate people if their situation got worse, he said.
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