Mr. Nguyen Dai Vui, Chairman of Phong Dien district, said that on May 28-29, 15 buffaloes of 8 families were struck by lightning during rainstorms.
On the afternoon of May 28, nine buffaloes of four families were killed by lighting on the field. The next afternoon, six buffaloes of four families were struck to dead by lightning on the road. Of the killed buffaloes, there were eight pregnant ones.
“This is the first time that such a large number of buffaloes have been struck by lightning in our district. We will give financial assistance to families that have dead buffaloes,” Mr. Vui said.
Natural disasters continue to claim lives and devastate families, particularly the global South. The poor are most vulnerable as they typically live in the most hazardous locations. However, this social and geographical reality also compounds the problems, because of the gaps that exists between planners and the poor. The two groups speak different languages, have different understandings about the problems and what to do. Bridging such gaps could be a way to build greater resilience to extreme environmental events. Participatory 3 dimensional mapping is a technique that promises to do this.
HAVANA, May 22, 2012 (IPS) - A well-oiled prevention system that involves the entire country, from the highest spheres of government to the most isolated rural community, makes Cuba one of the best-prepared countries in the world when it comes to preventing deaths and mitigating risks in case of disasters.
Two-day community drills begin to be carried out a few weeks before the start of the Jun. 1-Nov. 30 Atlantic hurricane season, under the name Meteoro.
In the simulations run by the Civil Defence System, the authorities and ordinary Cubans rehearse their roles in prevention and evacuation
HANOI, May 7, 2012 (IPS) - Hailed as a development success story for lifting millions out of poverty and staying on track to meet all its Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015, Vietnam's future progress is severely threatened by the impact of global climate change.
This nation of 86 million people – stretching down the eastern seaboard of the Indochina peninsula, its mountainous inland fringed by a broad coastal plain – shares the vast Mekong river system with Laos, Thailand, Burma, China and Cambodia.
Unprecedented climate-related catastrophes in recent years have turned government
The July 2010 flooding of the Indus River Basin was one of the most devastating natural disasters in recorded history. Researchers are working with communities to help reduce their vulnerability to future extreme weather events.
Research focus
To understand the underlying causes of Pakistan’s 2010 flooding and its impact on marginalized communities in the Indus Basin, and to identify strategies to reduce their vulnerability.
The challenge
In July 2010, unusually heavy monsoon rains in Pakistan's Indus River Basin swelled waterways, swamping adjacent communities.
