Newsletter　ーNDYS-

NDYS in Action, Newsletter

Natural Disaster Youth Summit Monthly News

http://ndys.jearn.jp/news/index.html 　ndys@jearn.jp

Editor (page1)
Gento Kato, Kobe

Topics

Gather student wisdom in the world

Contents of NDYS Forum /Kobe

NDYS Youth Editors

Last time, we informed there was NDYS forum in March in Kobe. In this news letter, we want to introduce contents of each presentation. 10 schools from 6 countries and regions had presentations in forum.

ICT International Exchange through Disaster Reduction Education
/YANAGI ELEMENTARY SCHOOL―Nagoya, Japan

Yanagi elementary school itself has many programs do international exchange through disaster reduction education. They presented us about what they are doing in school. The program is started from 3^rd grade, and finished when they graduate the school. In 3^rd grade, there is “Teddy Bear Project”. Student exchange Teddy bear with students in all over the world, and learn about their culture and habits. Students also design their own “emergency bags” in 3^rd grade.

Students learn how important “life” is, and disaster reduction in 4^th grade,　and make “safety map for supply of vitamins”. The importance of “vitamin in emergency” is to be learned in 5^th grade. In　6^th grade, as last of the program, students learn about “peace and disaster reduction”. Students learn how peace is important to cope with disaster, and exchange opinions with schools in the world. “safety map for supply of vitamins”. The importance of “vitamin in emergency” is to be learned in 5^th grade. In　6^th grade, as last of the program, students learn about “peace and disaster reduction”. Students learn how peace is important to cope with disaster, and exchange opinions with schools in the world.

Making Safety Map /JIYUGAOKA JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL―Miki, Hyogo, Japan

Jiyugaoka J.H.S presented us about their safety map. Students made safety map of their living area by researching details of their home town. Presenters said they found many dangerous places in their home town which they didn’t know. Also, they say they started to be interested in Natural Disasters around world, because they found disaster is very familiar problem for them.

Global Warming and Disaster Reduction
/KAWANISHI HIGH SCHOOL TAKARAZUKA RYOGEN SCHOOL―Hyogo, Japan

In their presentation, students researched about many things to cope with disaster, especially with typhoon. Students made safety map, designed emergency bag, and researched about mechanism of Global warming. They found it is very important for people to know about the disaster, exchange and share information. Students suggested it is crucial for us to cherish resources more, to save our Earth and our lives.

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Climate Change and Flood /SECONDARY METTALURGICAL SCHOOL―KOŠICE, Slovakia

In Secondary Mettalurgical School in Slovakia, students researched many things about flood. They researched cause of flood, made safety map, and made advices about what to do, before, during, and after the flood.

According to their suggestions, before the flood, we should;

• Avoid building in a floodplain unless you elevate and reinforce your home

• Elevate the furnace, water heater, and electric panel if susceptible to flooding

• Install "check valves" in sewer traps to prevent flood water from backing up into the drains of your home

• Construct barriers (levees, beams, floodwalls) to stop floodwater from entering the building

• Seal walls in basements with waterproofing compounds to avoid seepage

Then during the flood we should;

• Fill bathtubs, sinks, and jugs with clean water in case water becomes contaminated.

• Listen to a battery-operated radio for the latest storm information.

• If local authorities instruct you to do so, turn off all utilities at the main power switch and close the main gas valve.

• If told to evacuate your home, do so immediately.

• If the waters start to rise inside your house before you have evacuated, retreat to the second floor, the attic, and if necessary, the roof.

And after the flood, we should;

• Listen for news reports to learn whether the community‘s water supply is safe to drink

• Check for structural damage

• Boil water for drinking and food preparation

• Return home only when authorities indicate it is safe

• Stay out of any building if it is surrounded by floodwaters

They also researched that the origin of word “Disaster“. They found that “disaster” is originally came from Greek word means “extinction”.

The school gave us much information about current situation of flood in Slovakia too.

Climate Change and Drought /PRIVATE TUNCSIPER SCHOOL―Bursa, Turkey

In contrast to the topic of Slovakia, topic of Turkey is drought. This topic is about the serious drought problem which is happening now in their home town, Bursa. They suggested many things to avoid drought:

・You should use a bucket instead of hose when you wash your car.

・If you are to wash your garden, you should choose a time when evaporation is at low levels.

・Wash your clothes with a energy-saving washingmachine. Use as less as possible bleacher.

・Dont waste drinkable water!!!

・Use ventilator instead of air conditioner.

・Public transportation should be prefered.

Year by year, there is less r ain in Bursa, Turkey. They say it is very important to know how serious the problem is. To gain knowledge about the drought is the first step to avioid or cope with it.

＊Sorry, we have no more space in this news letter, so rest of schools will be in the next news letter.

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Topics

Natural Disasters and Disaster Reduction

Humanitarian Help (page 3)

The recovery of Mozambique (page 4)

Psychological first aid (page 4,5)

To help the 12 million people affected by the floods, the European Commission (EC) gave 30 million euros (u$s 47.3million) in order to be used for supporting the region of Kenya.

"Humanitarian aid is mainly about emergency response and saving lives but with this regional decision, the Commission has stepped up its focus on disaster preparedness and risk reduction, with the aim of increasing people's resilience," said Louis Michel, European Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid, adding that the aid would benefit mainly nomadic and semi-nomadic pastoralists who are often the worst affected.

The money would be used on cross-border drought-mitigating initiatives in the region, where adverse weather conditions often transcend national boundaries, affecting mostly pastoralists.

Projects to benefit from the financial support include those targeting the preservation of critical water points and providing water maintenance equipment. Others include formation of community networks, support for traditional structures, such as camel trains to carry water, improved access to unused range lands and support for early warning systems and institutions responsible for disaster prevention and preparedness.

Vaccination campaigns for humans as well as livestock, delivery of primary healthcare, including mother-and-child healthcare, and improved sanitation are the other priorities.

Pastoralists often lose their livestock to frequent droughts

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The United Nations' World Food Programme (WFP) will provide emergency food aid for 60,000 people affected by cyclone Jokwe in Mozambique's northern regions.

Tropical cyclone Jokwe killed eight people and also destroyed homes and schools after it made landfall on Mozambique's northern coast on 7-8 March.

WFP will access existing stocks earmarked for other programmes to help the communities affected by cyclone Jokwe, said Peter Keller-Transburg, the spokesman for the food aid agency in Mozambique. "We will need US$550,000 to replenish these stocks as soon as possible."

Mozambique is yet to recover from floods in January 2008 following heavy seasonal rain in its central provinces in December 2007. The floods displaced over 100,000 people, who were moved to government-designated resettlement areas, according to WFP. The red alert warning along the Zambezi River and other rivers in central Mozambique has come to an end.

Here is the Mozambique recovering from the floods.

Working with its national counterpart, the Sri Lanka Red Cross Society (SLRCS), the ARC (American Red Cross) has about nine months to go before the three-year project winds up in five tsunami-affected districts, Matara, Galle, Kalutara, Colombo and Gampaha. Some 8,000 people will have been trained by them and an estimated 250,000 people have benefited.

“After the tsunami, we had just a handful psychiatrists and psychologists who had to handle the large number of people that needed help in coming to terms with their ordeal,” observed Avindra Jayawardene of the Faculty of Medicine at the Ruhunu University in Galle. “So, any attempt to sensitize individuals in communities to pick up the psychological effects of a disaster can be a good thing.”

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But he pointed out: “They must be linked to a process of actually using what they know - or when the next disaster strikes, they won’t have had the practical experience of dealing with different scenarios and in adapting what they have learnt,” he said.

The ARC’s psychosocial programme does not deliver traditional psychiatric treatment for mental health problems, but focuses on knitting together communities that have become unraveled after a disaster has struck and equipping them to face future calamities.
The basic principle underlying the programme is that a disaster not only impacts on individuals, but also pulls communities and support systems apart.

A coordinator is helping an injured child.

A mural shows these Children what steps should be done in an emergency

Source: www.irinnews.com

Comments:

We have already noticed about what the world is doing to help the people who have been injured by natural disasters. But this is not the ending of a bad chapter, but the start of a new one in which the preparation will be an important topic to develop.

In this article we can appreciate methods and also situations which took these people to manage with them.

To sum up, I want to say that is very important to work as a team, a big team. That is the best way to deal with these sorts of problems.

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 By Sergio Daniel Paz; Salta-Argentina.

”Communication saves lives! ”

■ For more information please contact ■

ndys@jearn.jp

http://ndys.jearn.jp/

NDYS Committee Office: c/o JEARN Office / NGO support center/ Hyogo International Plaza 5-1, 1-chome, Wakinohamakaigan-dori Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo 651-0073, JAPAN

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