Blog: Disaster Risk Reduction

Wednesday, May 24, 2017 - 00:35 by Langi Pitia

First Aid training for Guadalcanal communitties

When disaster strikes villagers in remote communities only have themselves to rely on in the early stages. Not only do communities need a disaster plan but they also need basic first aid skills to treat injuries that may occur.

For three days I took part in a first aid training for six communities in Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, who are part of the Australian Government funded, Humanitarian Partnership Agreement project.

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Humanitarian: Tennis court swimmer from Jakarta

By Mulya Disurya, as told to Shintya Kurniawan. Illustration courtesy James Dimanarig

I recall that 1996 was the first time I experienced a major flood in Jakarta, but with climate change and the growing Jakarta population, the frequency of floods has increased and is worse than ever.

Since my neighbourhood is located near the Ciliwung River, we are usually the first ones to “welcome” floodwater into our houses. We saw the flood as an annual guest,...

World Vision youths delegates at international UN conference call for greater involvement of children in decision making

15-year-old Luvsansharav “Luvsa” Altantsetseg has been putting his newly learnt Japanese banter to good use. In the couple of days he has been in Sendai, he already knows how to compliment the chef for a meal well cooked (“Sono aji yoi”), thank him (“arigatou gozaimasu”) and importantly, ask for some more (“Mō sukoshi onegaishimasu”).

To sweeten his deals, Luvsa caps all his pleasantries with a charming Japanese bow. You can’t help...

Vague financial commitments at Sendai should not affect SDG discussions

As the curtain was drawn on the 2015 Sendai Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) conference, the words of New Zealand’s former Prime Minister, Helen Clark, rang through my head.

Clark, now Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) insightfully said, “Development that is not risk informed is not sustainable”. And therein was a sum of discussions and key issues emerging from negotiations at the World Conference...

Nepal Floods - Experiencing the Power of Nature

I had seen floods in pictures, but never in person. I can still say that I haven’t seen a flood, but I have seen the devastation one caused in Bardiya district during my recent visit. For me, it proved how strong the power of nature can be.

With the very first glimpse of the Rapti river from the plane, I could easily see how much the river had cut through the land.

Once on the ground I could see the fields drying after the flood. The mud was smooth and beginning...