1

Global Citizenship brief

Philippines:Building

Back BetterThe nation survived Super Typhoon

Haiyan but faces an uncertain future. Instead of just rebuilding, they’re

preparing to weather the next storm.

ambassador edition

Fall

201

4

2

T he Philippines is a tropical country of more than 7,000 islands in the western Pacific Ocean. Lush in natural beauty, it is also

highly vulnerable to natural disasters. A 7.2 magnitude earthquake that struck in October 2013 was not so unusual for this country. Weather events, such as the 20 typhoons per year that enter the Philippine area, have gotten more frequent and extreme in recent years, due to global climate change.Combined with the widespread poverty in the areas most exposed to typhoons, a destructive storm has the potential to cause unbearable suffering.

A Perfect StormMeteorologists gave the name Haiyan to a new tropical storm in the Pacific on November 4, 2013, right before it expanded into a typhoon bound for the Philippines. Immediately, the Philippine government relocated entire coastal communities to inland evacuation centers. While these towns suffered great damage from the 200 miles per hour (mph) winds, the greatest devastation was caused by a huge storm surge (see page 3). The result: more than 6,000 lives lost, over 4.1 million displaced (including 1.7 million children), and some 14.1 million people affected.

The Initial ResponseThe situation was dire, and communities were isolated. Still, the government and local and international organizations were on the ground within 48 hours, working to provide clean water, sanitation, and hygiene; restore access to education; restock health supplies; and provide additional support. The results were impressive. Still, the number of people displaced in May 2014 remained at 4.1 million. Denied their homes and livelihoods, how can these survivors weather the next severe storm that is bound to come?

UNICEF found its answer in a quality of the communities themselves: their strong resilience, or ability to bounce back from tragedy. Just as the Filipino people exhibited enormous personal strength throughout their recovery, UNICEF and its partners are working to restore buildings, towns, and systems in ways that can stand up to future disasters. The goal is to build back better.

NEWS IN BRIEF

© U

NIC

EF/

NY

HQ

2013

-102

7/M

AIT

EM

Super Typhoon Haiyan hit the city of Tacloban the hardest when it made landfall on November 8, 2013.

COVER PHOTO: © Marcel Crozet / ILO, CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 IGO (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/igo/deed.en_US), via Flickr© U.S. Fund for UNICEF, unicefusa.org

A Storm exposes A Nation at Risk

Draw a line between each vocabulary word from above and its meaning.

1. Displaced a. Tools and practices to keep germs from getting inside people’s bodies

2. Hygiene b. International organization for the survival and development of children

3. Sanitation c. At greater risk from harm

4. Storm surge d. Facilities and services for safe disposal of human waste

5. Typhoon e. Name for a storm with fast, cycling winds in the Pacific

6. UNICEF f. Wall of ocean water pushed ashore

7. Vulnerable g. Forced to flee from one’s home or homeland

33

A Super TyphoonTyphoons form when tropical thunderstorms draw heat out of the ocean. This causes an upward movement of moist air and wind. The result is a five-to-six-mile high storm system that also rotates over an area 300 to 400 miles wide or larger.

Haiyan got so strong because it formed in the open ocean, with no landmass to slow its development. The incredibly warm ocean temperatures fueled the transfer of heat from the ocean to the upper atmosphere and intensified the storm. The result: winds up to 200 mph, with gusts up to 225 mph. That peak intensity, which officially made Haiyan a “super typhoon,” was reached right when it struck the Philippines.

the devastation and strength of this typhoon are connected with a changing climate and the geography of where haiyan made landfall.

a Climate for Destruction

Think Like a Scientist!• What data about previous typhoons would you need to

show that the conditions of Haiyan’s formation were unusual?• Imagine Tacloban was on a wide coast instead of at the end of a

funnel-shaped bay. Describe a model you could design to show the difference in the storm surge at Tacloban in each of these scenarios. (See the experiment on page 8 for an idea.)

A Wall of WaterNowhere did the storm do more damage than in the city of Tacloban. Bad as the winds were, most of the death and destruction was caused by Haiyan’s storm surge. After the storm made landfall, its winds blew water straight up the city’s bay. It was like a funnel directing the surge straight toward the city, re-sulting in a seven-meter-high (23 feet) wall of water plow-ing through Tacloban.

Climate Change and Global WarmingModern climate change refers to the significant variation in usual patterns of temperature, precipitation, and wind that have been occurring in recent times due to global warming. Human-made emissions of carbon gases (like carbon dioxide from coal-burning power plants) build up in the Earth’s atmosphere and act like the glass in a greenhouse, letting the heat from the sun in but not back out again. The increased temperature brings about changes in the world’s weather patterns, rising sea levels, and more extreme weather.

Effects of Climate Change

SO

UR

CE

: EPA

, htt

p://w

ww

.epa

.gov

/clim

ates

tude

nts/

scie

ntis

ts/c

lues

.htm

l

Map

by

Roe

l Bal

ingi

t [C

C-B

Y-SA

-3.0

(http

://cr

eativ

ecom

mon

s.or

g/lic

ense

s/by

-sa/

3.0)

], vi

a W

ikim

edia

Com

mon

s. M

ap c

once

pt b

y H

al N

eedh

am, L

SU.

Red arrow shows wind direction

4

after haiyan, the philippine government and its partners are rebuilding with an eye toward recovery from the next disaster.

T he central idea in the recovery from Haiyan is resilience, or the ability to recover quickly from catastrophe. It’s a part of what’s known as disaster risk reduction (DRR), an effort to

minimize the impact of disasters on vulnerable communities. Through programs that aim to save lives and protect community services, DRR allows relief organizations like UNICEF to minimize the impact of disasters on the most vulnerable communities.

Resilience can be seen in these major areas in which UNICEF and its partners work.

WASHWASH stands for water, sanitation, and hygiene, and all three were affected by Haiyan’s devastation. The electric-powered pumps that drive the water network failed because of the storm surge. The

flooding also contaminated the water supply with raw sewage. To build back better, UNICEF is aiming to provide standby support generators for water delivery after the next disaster, as well as chlorination equipment to chemically treat contaminated water.

HealthNot only were many health centers destroyed by the storm, but so was the cold chain—the refrigeration that keeps vaccines at the correct temperature so that they remain effective. Measles cases were reported

just one month after the typhoon. To build back better, UNICEF provided a backup generator to power the cold chain for an entire region for the next disaster. Furthermore, 50 health centers are even being equipped with solar-powered refrigerators—no generators needed!

There remains a great deal of work to be done, and the children and families affected by Haiyan still need our help. But through disaster risk reduction, UNICEF and other organizations are helping the Philippines to be more resilient after the next typhoon or earthquake.

At a UNICEF Child Friendly Space, a center where young survivors can just be kids and get counseling to feel safe

again, a former participant, Jericho, now volunteers to help other children. After reading his words below, write a paragraph as if you were Jericho in which you reassure the girl he mentions and helps her be resilient.

One of the kids I know from just nearby, when the wind blows strongly, she is scared. Her mom says that she is in trauma. Of course, I am afraid too. What I like about being a facilitator now is that I get to teach the children to have strength every day.… [The center] is a big help to us and the children after the typhoon. It [helps] me in a big way with my recovery.From Marissa Aroy, “For Jericho and Other Children, a Space for Recovery,” At a Glance: Philippines, last modified March 5, 2014, http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/philippines_72734.html.

In their own

words

© U

NIC

EF/

NY

HQ

2014

-001

23/P

IRO

ZZI

Nine-year-old Rona’s school reopened two months after Haiyan, with classes in tents and makeshift or repaired classrooms.

Read Between the Lines: • Howcouldpovertymakechildrenmorevulnerabletoatyphoon’simpactonWASHandhealth?• Whymightpovertymakefamiliesmorevulnerabletonaturaldisasterinyourcommunity?

Building Back Better

5

A t the school gate, street vendors lined the pavement selling various types of food, and jeepneys ([brightly-decorated] vehicles used for public transportation in the

Philippines) congested the road. We had already heard that for 9,600 students there were merely 120 teachers.… [But] there were child-friendly campaigns, for example in anti-bullying, as well as many examples of eco-friendly initiatives. Recycled plastic bottles were used as lanterns and plant pots. There were very innovative improvised water filtration systems that recycled rainwater for watering plants and cleaning the school areas.

After a brief introduction, we were presented with the highlight of the visit—an earthquake evacuation drill. When the signal alarm went off, the students remained in their classrooms, sheltering themselves under their desks and chairs. As soon as the signal went silent, one by one they lined up to make their way to the designated evacuation areas, covering their heads with an improvised head protection made from rugs and thick cloths.… Although it took almost 20 minutes before all students made it to the evacuation area, the drill went smoothly, especially given the number of students who participated.…

[T]he systematic disaster preparedness developed by the school [included] an emergency bag, which includes water, biscuits, and a flashlight, for students to carry in an emergency. The school had also developed an evacuation map and placed this in front of every classroom.

Everyone was left very inspired by the school’s commitment and innovative approaches to ensuring children’s safety. Personally, I was very excited to see disaster risk reduction in action in a country where the impacts of extreme weather events have become a constant reality.

Think, Write, Discuss…

Do you think the earthquake drill was an effective DRR strategy? Why, or why not? What else could the government do to reduce risk at fairly low cost? List at least three ideas, rank them from what might be the most effective to least effective, and explain your ranking.

a UniCef report: What I SawWhat does disaster risk reduction (drr) in schools look like? in early 2014, UniCef education consultant Vilasa phongsathorn went to the philippines to find out. here’s an excerpt from her blog.

© U

NIC

EF

EA

PR

O/2

014/

PH

ON

GSA

THO

RN

© U

NIC

EF/

PH

IA20

04-0

010/

ALQ

UIN

TO

First-grade students shelter under desks as an alarm sounds.

a child-friendly school is one that’s safe and tuned in to the specific needs of children, like the need to play.

Imagine It’s You:Half of Vilasa Phongsathorn’s family comes from the Philippines. Write a transcript of a phone conversation she might have had with a concerned family member after her visit to the school.

6

it’s not just in the philippines that people are building back better. around the world, people are embracing disaster risk reduction (drr) in response to a changing climate and the threats to safety it can bring.

Students planted trees at their school to help combat climate change as part of a UNICEF program in Zambia, africa.

reducing risk Around the World

It’s About RightsThe leading international agreement on children’s rights, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), states that children have inalienable or absolute rights in all circumstances—including disasters, when they are at their most vulnerable. Access a summary of the CRC at bit.ly/CRCsummary and find the articles with rights that are being protected through the following DRR activities:• Restoring or maintaining schooling in emergencies• Educating children about how to survive a disaster and be resilient afterward• Ensuring the participation and voice of children in DRR efforts

© U

NIC

EF/

ZAM

A20

11-0

216/

NE

SB

ITT

Children in El Salvador Hold Back MudslidesLoss of forestland and changes in climate have caused huge flooding and landslides during the hurricane season. But youth groups are working with local government and community members to tackle these threats. In some areas there is a grassroots movement among children to reforest the hillsides. This work is making a generation aware of the link between climate change, their environment, and the safety of their communities.1

Building a Culture of Safety in KyrgyzstanIn the country’s arid southwest corner, deep ravines and gorges can easily turn sudden rains into flash floods. But lessons in DRR implemented by UNICEF are designed to build a culture of safety. Now students are learning to take action at the first sight of flooding, and even to tell their parents what to do. Current plans call for training for children in all pre-schools in Kyrgyzstan, so that they will learn how to behave in emergencies2

Driven to Keep Learning in BangladeshThe years 2007 and 2009 were especially bad for the country’s cyclone-vulnerable southern coast. In response, 600 schools were repaired or rebuilt as part of a UNICEF-supported project. Furthermore, educators at 400 schools received DRR training and funding. One school built a dam around the building to prevent flooding and began teaching survival skills. Both students and the school will be more resilient going forward.3

SOURCES: 1. Institute of Development Studies, http://www.childreninachangingclimate.org/database/CCC/Publications/CCC_RightToParticipate_2009.pdf; 2–3. UNICEF.

LEFT

TO

RIG

HT:

Inst

itute

of

Dev

elop

men

t S

tudi

es, ©

UN

ICE

F/N

YH

Q20

11-1

598/

BE

LL, ©

UN

ICE

F/B

AN

A20

11-0

1249

/SID

DIQ

UE

7

meanwhile, At Home …

Until recently, the focus was on limiting global warming. But cities are increasingly developing long-term resiliency strategies. Here are three of the 11 U.S. cities (out of 32 around the world) selected for the first round of the Rockefeller Foundation’s 100 Resilient Cities Network. (For more information, visit 100resilientcities.org/cities.)

Above content repurposed with permission from a story (bit.ly/11resilient) by InsideClimate News (insideclimatenews.org), a non-profit, non-partisan news organization that covers energy and climate change—plus the territory in between where law, policy and public opinion are shaped.

City Problem Solution

Boulder, Colorado The region is vulnerable to devastating wildfires because of ongoing drought, warmer winter temperatures, and hotter summers. The fires are degrading the soil, which increases the risk of mudslides and widespread flooding during heavy rains.

Boulder has started revising its building codes and flood regulations and improving its wastewater and drinking water systems to handle severe floods. The city is also looking to form a public company dedicated to buying more renewable energy and helping residents install rooftop solar panels.

El Paso, Texas El Paso sits in the Chihuahuan Desert and is vulnerable to long droughts, which threaten to reduce the city’s drinking water supply. The city is also subject to rare bursts of heavy rains. They caused floods in 2006 that destroyed hundreds of homes in mostly poor neighborhoods.

A desalination (salt removal) plant and strict water conservation policies reduce the risk of drought. To manage flooding, El Paso has built detention ponds (basins dug into the ground that can temporarily contain flood waters). The city also plans to form neighborhood response groups that can act quickly in an emergency or natural disaster.

Norfolk, Virginia Norfolk is on the Chesapeake Bay and surrounded by rivers and wetlands, and some parts that were built on marshland are now sinking. It is one of the U.S. cities most vulnerable to both hurricanes and sea-level rise, but state lawmakers have slowed progress in combating eroding coastlines and repeated flooding.

City officials have conducted studies and developed plans for protecting essential services (water, electricity, etc.), public housing, and communities from waterfront perils. Furthermore, Mayor Paul Fraim joined other Virginia mayors to form a collective voice in appealing for state assistance.

What’s being done in your community to rebound from a disaster?

TOP

TO

BO

TTO

M: N

ASA

, U.S

. Arm

y, ©

M D

orot

hy, C

C-B

Y-SA

-3.0

(htt

p://c

reat

ivec

omm

ons.

org/

licen

ses/

by-s

a/3.

0/),

via

Wik

imed

ia C

omm

ons

8

Locally: Promote climate resiliency in your community

• Start a Club: At age 10, Colin Carlson formed the Cool Coventry Club and led members in successful anti-global warming petition drives and over 50 events. Read more at bit.ly/CoolCoventryClub.

• Be Civic Minded: Go to local government meetings and ask what it is doing to increase climate resiliency, especially by and for children. Keep asking until you get an answer.

• Amplify Your Voice: One organization that can help is Jane Goodall’s Roots & Shoots (rootsandshoots.org), a program that places the power and responsibility for creating community-based solutions to big challenges in the hands of young people. DoSomething.org (dosomething.org) invites you to join a global movement of 2.5 million young people tackling local campaigns, and having each other’s back.

© C

hris

Ben

tley,

CC

BY-

NC

-ND

2.0

(htt

ps://

crea

tivec

omm

ons.

org/

licen

ses/

by-n

c-nd

/2.0

/), v

ia F

lickr

You will: DESIGN a coastline. PREDICT which houses will be flooded. TEST with a simulated storm surge.

What You’ll Need:• A plastic plate• One cup of water tinted with

blue food coloring• Container of play dough• Hair dryer• Six sugar cubes• A baking sheet or plastic

garbage bag

Make It Happen!1. Create a coastline model

against one side of the plastic plate with sugar cube “houses” on play dough “land.” Record your predictions of which houses would be flooded during a storm surge.

2. Put your model in a baking pan or on a plastic bag, and fill the plastic plate with blue water to represent the ocean.

3. Create a storm surge with the hair dryer, blowing across the “ocean” toward the “land.”

•NOTE: Work with an adult to ensure the hair dryer is used safely around water.

4. Describe the way the water surged onto the coast. Were you surprised that any of your houses were or were not flooded? Explain.

5. Reposition the houses to avoid flooding, or start over with a differently-shaped coast.

Make a Model of a Storm Surge

CREDIT: “Kids Crossing” website of the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, which authorizes its use for educational purposes.

Globally: Support UNICEF’s rebuilding work around the world

works in more than 190 countries to help kids survive and grow. UNICEF supplies medicines and vaccinations, clean water, nutrition, shelter, and education. UNICEF also responds when emergencies occur, such as earthquakes, floods, and war.

Your fundraisers can help greatly:

• $139.29 can provide 10 families with plastic water containers, water purifying tablets, and bars of soap.

• $230.36 can provide 60 notebooks and pencils and 50 textbooks.

• $223.79 can provide 37 puzzles, art materials, and toys to help create a child-friendly space for young children.

What You Can Do to Support Disaster Risk Reduction