Learning about what makes some areas around the world more vulnerable to flooding was very interesting. What was more interesting to me after reading this week’s commentary, was the fact that poor places, where most societies are likely old, minority and non-native speaking are more vulnerable to flooding than other areas. This vulnerability to linked to poverty or minority status because it makes it more difficult to access social services. This was really upsetting because it is hard for places that are struggling with poverty to get proper help, even if they are the ones who need it the most. I found a United Nations article about how floods and poverty have collided. Malawi is located in Southeastern Africa and is surrounded by Lake Malawi. This article was written is 2015, and talked about the torrential rains that was hitting Malawi. It talks about how there is a familiar link between a major hazard and areas that have high poverty rates and high rates of HIV and malaria. This flood crisis has disrupted access to food, sanitation, drinking water, medication and health services.
This was a really hard article to read, because it shocked me that this happened last year, and it wasn’t in the news or anything. There wasn’t a lot of coverage about this poverty stricken place, and the amount of lives that were lost, which were mostly children. Most of the buildings that were lost were schools and medical buildings. Like the commentary said, the things that people value differ around the world. Those buildings that were destroyed by the flooding, are very important to the people of Malawi. 15 of the 28 districts in Malawi were destroyed with 153 people missing. I wish that we were made aware of this horrific tragedy and that there is something we can do to help these places that are more vulnerable. It was really to think how horrible their sanitation and drinking water situation is, and the horrible foods made it worse. I wish there was something that could done to help these poverty places in the future.
Floods and poverty collide in Malawi. (n.d.). Retrieved July 22, 2016, from https://www.unisdr.org/archive/42105
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