Assignments to various crisis responses and managing NGO offices around the world during the past twenty years have given me a quiet detailed situation overview of the humanitarian world. It shows that the continuous vulnerability of populations and minorities remain unchanged – causing high numbers of casualties during or immediately after the outbreak of disasters. Today in the second half of 2021 the situation has not changed to a better. Populations must be more encouraged to self sustainable activities like disaster preparedness, combined with small scale economic development, to reduce the vulnerability and increase the coping mechanisms. Self responsibility and ownership is necessary – often not easy – but crucial. Adding climate smart approaches and Green Climate programming opens the doors for innovative program design, as the one of the basic reasons of vulnerability lays in the ongoing climate change.
Reviewing the past 15 years the increasing amount of natural disasters due to the global warming with its impact, consequently the international community is forced to support/response. This ongoing threat causes a clear challenge, which needs more encouragement and more available funding to communities as well as organizations. Which can be based on new partnerships and innovative approaches in order to stabilize the devastating impacts. Read and discuss more in this blog under Disaster Preparedness and humanitarian activities …
Economic development – in small / community level or on larger / national level creates an important topic in the humanitarian community. After many years of providing tools and seeds towards beneficiary groups, we have to learn today that the support to the most vulnerable has not brought that impact, which was expected. Therefore we will have to learn and adapt towards more economic approach – targeting groups who can provide employment to the most vulnerable. Therefore I am also interested in sharing thesis and practical implementations of organizations and individuals. Read more in Economic development …
Garbage is produced all around the world and floods the land of the poor. As soon we come into third world regions, amazing amounts of waste can be found everywhere. This causes consequently the spread of diseases due to poor sanitation behavior and conditions, and results in immense costs towards the public. On the other side this garbage has an increased value, in a world with reduced resources. Collection, recycling and respective production of recycling products is a solution which should be enforced. Read more under Recycling ……
Finally the increasing food prices, caused by speculations and global trade, develop a large threat towards the coping mechanisms of vulnerable populations. Biofuel production is demanded highly and reduces areas where normally food for consumption was produced. The lack of direct market access and the system of intermediaries cause a suffering of livelihood activities because of market inefficiencies for agricultural products grown by small scale farmers. New and creative thinking is requested in solving the upcoming food crisis in this world. A concept might be the massive promotion of Agro Parks, where on relatively compressed space a highly efficient production chain can be created which creates for investors as for participating communities a successful income. Read more under Agro Parks …
Feel free to read and to discuss – thank you
CvH Blog 