Problem

Drowning Megacities

Sat, 2015-12-19 09:11 — Kathy Gilbeaux

interactive.aljazeera.com - 2015

The world is getting warmer, the rain is growing heavier and the oceans are rising. At the same time, the world’s rural inhabitants are migrating to its cities on a massive scale.

Sub-Saharan Africa is the part of the world most affected by the dual pressure of climate change and the rapid, uncontrolled transformation of its cities into megacities.

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Africa

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Climate

Resilience

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Some communities are destroyed by tragedy and disaster. Others spring back. Here’s what makes the difference.

Sat, 2015-12-12 11:39 — Kathy Gilbeaux

Cindy Quinonez, center, whose cousin Aurora Godoy was killed in last week’s shooting rampage, attends a makeshift memorial Tuesday in San Bernardino, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

washingtonpost.com - by Daniel Aldrich - December 9, 2015

How do people survive and move on from tragedies like last week’s terrorist attacks at home and abroad? When does a tragedy — whether human-made or natural disaster or a combination of the two — destroy a community, and when do they recover and thrive? . . .

. . . The answer is in an often misunderstood concept called “resilience.”

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Global

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Resilience

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We’ve Learnt Many Lessons from This Outbreak and From the Response – Dr. David Nabarro, Special Envoy on Ebola

Fri, 2015-12-11 09:14 — Kathy Gilbeaux

Dr. David Nabarro, Special Envoy on Ebola, at a press conference in New York in November 2015. UN Photo/Loey Felipe

un.org

10 December 2015 – In August 2014, amid a rapidly growing outbreak of Ebola, Dr. David Nabarro was tasked with providing strategic guidance for an enhanced international response, and galvanizing essential support for affected communities and countries. As the Secretary-General’s Special Envoy on Ebola, Dr. Nabarro played a key role in responding to the outbreak, which mainly affected Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, and claimed more than 11,300 lives to date.

While the Ebola outbreak in West Africa has declined significantly in recent months, it is not completely over, making it all the more vital for everyone involved in the response to remain vigilant and focused on stopping the outbreak, staying at zero cases and preventing re-emergence. The Office of the Special Envoy will end its mandate on 31 December 2015, but the UN system will continue to remain fully engaged with the affected countries.

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Stopping Ebola in its Tracks: a Community-Led Response

Wed, 2015-12-09 22:21 — Kathy Gilbeaux

reliefweb.int - globalcommunities.org - December 1, 2015

The public view of the Ebola response was dominated by images and stories of medical workers and Ebola treatment units. But there is also the less-known story of the many thousands of Liberian health workers, government staff, traditional leaders and volunteers who played the most significant role in building resilience to Ebola and reducing transmission and infection. It is these groups, working in the frontlines and at significant risk, which Global Communities partnered with throughout the Ebola response.

Global Communities’ approach to countering the Ebola outbreak has been highlighted by President Obama, Dr. Rajiv Shah, former Administrator of USAID, and many others as having been a key component in the successful fight against Ebola in Liberia in the 2014-15 outbreak. This new publication “Stopping Ebola in its Tracks,” has two strands:

It describes Global Communities’ community-driven response to the Ebola outbreak in Liberia

It derives from this experience lessons learned and recommendations for preventing and dealing with future disasters

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CLICK HERE - #ChennaiRains Resource Center

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Relief Effort Underway for Flood-Ravaged Chennai in India

Wed, 2015-12-09 10:00 — Kathy Gilbeaux

People walk through a flooded street in Chennai, India, Thursday, Dec. 3, 2015. The heaviest rainfall in more than 100 years has devastated swathes of the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, with thousands forced to leave their submerged homes, schools and offices. ( AP Photo) Associated Press

cnn.com - by Archith Seshadri - December 7, 2015

Chennai, a city of 4.6 million people on India's southeast coast, is reeling from some of the heaviest and deadliest rains in decades. . . .

"The value of Wi-Fi access cannot be underestimated," said Sharanya Manivanan of Chennai. "Phone lines were down for days, but those with Internet access were able to make things happen.”

Tech workers created a crowdsourcing site called www.chennairains.org so people can find sources of food and shelter using their smartphones or computers.

Drinking water is a megaproblem . . .

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CLICK HERE - Adoption of the Paris Agreement

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Officials from Around the World Reach Climate Change Draft Agreement

Wed, 2015-12-09 08:00 — Kathy Gilbeaux

CLICK HERE - Negotiation Updates COP 21/CMP 11

CLICK HERE - The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) - ADP 2-12 - Draft Paris Outcome

CLICK HERE - The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) - ADP 2-12 - Draft Paris Outcome (48 page .PDF file)

CLICK HERE - Reuters - Factbox - New climate text shows many hurdles to Paris deal - December 9, 2015

CLICK HERE - UN Secretary-General Announces “Climate Action 2016” Partnership

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Global

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Climate

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CLICK HERE - ACAPS - Ebola Outbreak, Liberia - Communication: Challenges and good practices (15 page .PDF file)

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Ebola - Confirmed in Liberia

Tue, 2015-12-01 19:00 — Kathy Gilbeaux

CLICK HERE - ACAPS - Liberia - Re-emergence of Ebola - Anticipatory Briefing Note 23 November 2015 (7 page .PDF file)

CLICK HERE - ACAPS - Country Analysis

CLICK HERE - Reuters - Female survivor may be cause of Ebola flare-up in Liberia

CLICK HERE - WHO - Ebola Situation Report - 16 December 2015

CLICK HERE - Wall Street Journal - Fresh Ebola Cases Damp Liberia Hopes of Eliminating Deadly Disease

CLICK HERE - WHO - Ebola Situation Report - 9 December 2015

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CLICK HERE - UNICEF - Ukraine

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WHO Urges Ukraine to Declare State of Emergency Amid Polio Outbreak

Tue, 2015-12-01 16:11 — Kathy Gilbeaux

The Associated Press - December 1, 2015

KIEV, Ukraine - The World Health Organization is urging Ukraine's health ministry to declare a state of emergency due to a polio outbreak, a move meant to prompt more action from the government in Kyiv.

In September, Ukraine announced two polio cases -- the first in Europe since 2010.

The UN health agency recommended that Ukraine declare a state of emergency and "respond to the polio outbreak as quickly and effectively as possible," Dorit Nitzan, head of the WHO's office in Ukraine, told journalists.

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/12/01/world/europe/ap-eu-ukraine-polio-.html?_r=0

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