Climate change is not only the cause of increased droughts across the globe, but also of increased storms, floods and the resulting damage such as landslides which create untold damage to infrastructure, the economy and individuals.
The Myanmar Post-Disaster Needs Assessment of Floods and Landslides, led by the Government of Myanmar and jointly supported by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the United Nations system, the World Bank, the European Union and other partners, highlighted the extent of the damage that such disasters can do in an effort to help inform the country’s recovery efforts:
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Millions of individuals get displaced from their homes;
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The cost of the destruction is high, with the hardest-hit sectors being housing, livestock, fisheries, and agriculture, and recovery efforts must be undertaken as soon as possible to avoid a drop in the gross domestic product (GDP);
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The floods and landslides cause a massive decline in the quality of life for most of the disaster-affected population, especially women, children and the elderly; and
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Most affected are usually the farmers, individual homeowners, and private enterprises, with most of them having limited financial capacity and little or no insurance coverage yet having to bear the cost themselves.
The report stated that it is vital that recovery and reconstruction activities are prioritised after a flooding disaster, to ensure that quick assistance is given to agricultural producers that need it; the reconstruction of housing through cash grants is fast-tracked; the capacity of relevant institutions to lead and manage recovery efforts is strengthened; and that an integrated approach to environmental and water resource management is urgently implemented.
Water is life, but not when it is floodwater that is all around you, filled with pollutants and toxins, then it can also be death. Drinking water is vital to us all and it is for this reason that we need to look after all our freshwater resources and sources, including our forests, which provide a lot of our freshwater.
Having a water cooler makes sense at the best of times because it provides fresh, chilled drinking water virtually 24/7, but during a flood it can actually be life-saving as it could provide you with the only unpolluted water around.
Get bottled water coolers and mains water dispensers from Living-Water. Rent water coolers and purchase water coolers in Living-Water.
