Recovery from Natural Disasters
by C:F Team on 25th January, 2010 at 10:36 AM CEST
Last week, the Weekly Hot Topic was the most promising green technology. Solar power gained most votes during the discussion by far. Aside from the focus of advanced green science, Adnan Husain also reminded us that planting more trees is also a "green" technology. Thank you everyone for your participation!
This week, the Weekly Hot Topic wants to highlight a story by our member Johanny regarding the Haiti earthquake. If you haven't read it yet, head over there now: Hait needs your help! Challenge:Future will donate 20cents USD for your thoughts and comments on the story.
We would also like to ask everyone, what do you think is the best way to help people recover from natural disasters? If you or anyone you know have experienced a natural disaster, please also comment on the recovery process. How did everything start over again? What was the key aid?
Have a suggestion for an upcoming Weekly Hot Topic? Let us know at info@challengefuture.org. If your topic gets featured you'll earn extra sparks!
I think the best way to deal with it is to have a mechanism in place that can be put to action as soon as disaster strikes. Instead of panicking and offering hollow condolences the international community must be swift in action. Such bodies do exist but there is no coordination between such bodies and the governments of various regions.This should be used especially in areas prone to natural disaster.
25th January, 2010 @ 6:49 PM CEST
Kayode Nubi | Action team | CF Chapters
They say to be forewarn is to be forearm. I got to know that this isn't Haiti's first natural disaster - not even her second nor third in the past few years. Well I am not trying to be callous in the least, but I do agree with Vallabha. There's need for a foreplan of executing aid plans prior to calamities such as this. So the best way to about it would be to having such organization equipped with active networking - environmental monitoring agencies, security and goverments.
26th January, 2010 @ 9:05 AM CEST
I'm a bit skeptical here, because I don't think there is any best way to recover from natural disaster. There are numerous amount of help being channeled to my country, Indonesia, after the tsunami back in 2004, but the government didn't start any redevelopment until years later. Similar situations could also be seen in Sri Lanka, and more recently in Myanmar after the cyclone in 2008. So, aside from all initiatives, there are still huge obstacles from the national government itself.
This, of course, doesn't apply to all countries. After being hit by cyclone last year, Taiwan rejuvenated itself swiftly, with help from other countries. So, I think there is still huge cultural barriers in the world that doesn't quite make helping each other that easy.
1st February, 2010 @ 2:53 PM CEST
Chinmay Pendharkar
This is a great topic.. Many times, we feel that we want to help, but we don't know what the best way.
Donating money is easiest, but it's hard to be sure if it's the best way to help and that the money is actually helping the needy. Also, many times it's not practical for us to donate money.
What about help in kind? But something that can be done remotely. I am sure there are many people in the online communities who have many useful skills, and they are willing to use them for such cause
25th January, 2010 @ 12:18 PM CEST