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Islands & climate change: Storm surges & coral bleaching affecting tourism

April 12, 2019 by Forimmediaterelease

Since Greta Thunberg, a Swedish schoolgirl and climate activist, brought the topic of climate protection onto the political and social agenda with her strikes, the negative effects of climate change have been discussed more and more. While climate change affects all areas of life, rising sea levels combined with storms that are steadily increasing in severity pose a direct threat to islands. Recently, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has announced that the average sea level in 2018 was 3.7 millimeters above that of the year before and has reached the highest level since satellite measurements.

In recent years, rainfall, storms, floods, and coastal erosion have increased in intensity and frequency due to climate change. While not all islands are affected to the same extent by the shifting weather patterns, most are aware of significant changes – including the Green Pearls® Island Partners. Instead of sitting idly by and waiting for the land to literally be washed away from under their feet, they are actively working to protect their homelands and their fragile ecosystems from the effects of climate change.

Climate Neutral in the North Sea

The North Sea island of Juist has set itself an ambitious yet necessary goal: to be completely climate-neutral by 2030. Even today, the consequences of climate change are already being felt on Juist. The increasing number of dikes intended to protect the land from storm surges is a tangible measure, and the island is also actively avoiding greenhouse gases by switching to car-free transport. For some time now, the city has been offering projects and activities that bring the concept of climate protection closer to visitors, both young and old, such as the “Juistus Climate Saver” program and the “University for Children.”

Colorful Coral Gardens for the Maldives

Climate change has also left its mark on the Indian Ocean. According to marine biologist Smrutica Jithendranath, responsible for the underwater world around the Reethi Faru eco-resort, rising sea levels have so far had little impact on the Maldives. However, the consequences of climate change can be clearly seen in the corals. In particular, rising water temperatures and increasingly fierce storms are causing severe damage to these tiny, sensitive animals, leading to coral bleaching and even coral death.

Based on these observations, the Reethi Faru Resort has launched a coral conservation project on Filaidhoo. In specially created underwater gardens, the resort propagates corals and plants them back into the house reef after about a year. The underwater gardens and house reefs also provide protection for the beaches and prevent them from being washed away. Within another of the many atolls of the Maldives, the North Malé Atoll, guests from the eco-resort Gili Lankanfushi can plant young corals under water in the gardens themselves and actively participate in the resort’s Coral Lines Project. After the guest’s departure, they also have the opportunity to follow the development of their corals on the resort’s blog.

Koh Samui Against Climate Change

The sustainable resort The Tongsai Bay on Koh Samui focuses on strategies to avoid greenhouse gases including non-motorized water sports, bicycle rental for island tours, carpooling, and avoiding cars on the hotel grounds. The resort has also supported the Green Island Foundation since its inception ten years ago. The organization’s main objectives are to protect the island’s climate and valuable ecosystems. For example, the Green Island Foundation has already organized car-free weeks on Koh Samui with the help of partners, such as The Tongsai Bay, to raise awareness of the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

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 Iranians open homes to travelers stranded by floods

March 27, 2019 by Forimmediaterelease

As dramatic videos of deadly floods leaving behind destroyed vehicles and other damage circulate on Iranian social media networks, ordinary Iranians are doing what they can to help the affected citizens, including travelers whose Nowruz holidays have been unexpectedly disrupted. While criticizing the government for its inadequate response to the deadly flooding that has ravaged the country, ordinary Iranians are engaging in spontaneous relief efforts for the stranded and the displaced.

A 10-minute flash flood in the city of Shiraz, perhaps the most popular tourist destination in the country’s south, killed at least 18 and injured scores more on March 25. Many of the victims are said to have been visitors. Now, locals in the birthplace of classical Iranian literature are inviting panicked holidaymakers to their homes, offering unconditional stay and food. “All services will be offered for free until the harsh weather dies down,” one placard held by a volunteer in Shiraz read. Some even offer free body repairs for cars damaged in the downpours. Several local hotels and restaurants have joined the spontaneous campaign, dubbed “My Guest.”

Similar public initiatives are underway to deliver badly needed assistance to those hardest hit in the northern provinces of Golestan and Mazandaran. The aid is flowing in the form of cash donations as well as basic supplies collected from communities across Iran, including those still recovering from a devastating 2017 earthquake in the country’s west.

The government of President Hassan Rouhani has been under immense pressure for its perceived failure to handle the disaster. The president himself is under fire for staying away from the flood-hit areas. Seven days following the heavy rains, he has now traveled to the northern areas to oversee the relief operations. The government has already promised 7.1 trillion rials ($169 million) in compensation to affected households.

The powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has also established a strong presence. The force’s commander, Maj. Gen. Mohammad Ali Jafari, was seen visiting inundated neighborhoods in the country’s north half-submerged in floodwaters. While both the government and the IRGC have stepped in, some Iranians are interpreting the promises of more relief as publicity stunts meant to burnish their status and rooted in political rivalry between moderates and hard-liners.

An initial investigation into the deadly disaster in Shiraz has now pointed to negligence as the main cause of the deaths. According to a report by a crisis management team, one of the old watercourses in the city had been blocked by local authorities, probably for urban planning purposes, leading to the destructive overflow.

Meanwhile, the governor of Fars province noted that warnings had been issued two weeks before the disaster. But some social media users argue that all roads leading to the site of the flash floods should have been blocked. “How where you unable to block people but managed to fully cordon off the tomb of Cyprus the Great on his commemoration day?” one person tweeted. Every year, Iranian nationalists organize the Cyrus Day ceremony on Oct. 29 to remember the founder of the Achaemenid Empire. But in recent years the plans have been hindered by a security clampdown by the Islamic Republic, which deems such activities pro-monarchist.

Coverage of the massive flooding included more from Iran’s ancient history. The iconic Persepolis monument, 60 kilometers (37 miles) northeast of Shiraz, reportedly remained unscathed amid the flooding. According to local officials, underground canals built by ancient Persians to avert flooding protected the UNESCO World Heritage Site. The news prompted praise from many Iranians, who drew comparisons between the current government’s handling of such crises with that of their forefathers.

Yet despite the trauma, the floods have not produced only sad news. Pictures went viral of a smiling young couple who had planned their wedding in Golestan province for March 28. They decided to hold the ceremony earlier. Instead of a grand hall, the bride and the groom wed before the other displaced in a temporary accommodation center.

Travel News | eTurboNews

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Cyclone Idai: What the African Tourism Board is doing?

March 20, 2019 by Forimmediaterelease

“The situation is terrible,” Jamie LeSueur of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said Tuesday in a press statement. “The scale of devastation is enormous. It seems that 90 percent of the area [in Beira] is completely destroyed.

This is the result of Cyclone Idai, a devastating storm that caused more than 1000 death, severe flooding in Madagascar, Malawi, Zimbabwe, South Africa, and Mozambique early this week.

Catastrophic damage occurred in and around Beira in southern Mozambique. The African Tourism Board today endorsed the Global Giving project of dedicated local organization in the disaster region to assist the local population and visitors with relief.

African Tourism Board teamed up with GlobalGiving, a U.S. based local nonprofit partners supporting their local established relief agencies in Madagascar, Malawi, Zimbabwe, South Africa and Mozambique. GlobalGiving with the support of the newsy established African Tourism Board is responding to survivors’ immediate needs.

The projects below, as part of GlobalGiving’s Cyclone Idai Relief Fund, will provide emergency funding to locally driven relief efforts, providing food, medicine, and other essential supplies to help people impacted by the storm.

Projects responding to Cyclone Idai

Cyclone Idai in Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and Malawi
Cyclone Idai in Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and Malawi
by ActionAid USA
Cyclone Idai just hit Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and Malawi, causing widespread destruction, flooding, and displacement. Local ActionAid offices and community partners are coordinating immediate relief, including supplies like food, fuel, hygiene kits, and school books.
CYCLONE IDAI- MOZAMBIQUE
CYCLONE IDAI- MOZAMBIQUE
by Afrilanthropy
The Cyclone Idai began as a tropical depression in the Mozambique channel on 4 March, dropping heavy rain over Mozambique and Malawi before heading back eastward in the direction of Beira, by which time it had become a cyclone. This in known as the worst weather-related disaster to hit the southern hemisphere, and the UN says more than 2 million people have been affected whereas 1 000 people may be at risk of death. The Storm-surge floods of up to six metres have caused widespread devastation.
Cyclone Idai Emergency Response
Cyclone Idai Emergency Response
by IsraAID
IsraAID will deploy an Emergency Response Team to Mozambique following the devastation of Cyclone Idai. IsraAID’s team will distribute relief supplies, deliver Psychological First Aid & psychosocial support, restore access to safe water & assess further needs.
Cyclone Idai damage in Zimbabwe
Cyclone Idai damage in Zimbabwe
by Kidzcan Children’s Cancer Relief
The Damage from Cyclone IDAI in Zimbabwe Summary The violent Cyclone Idai has been and is now dissipating but it has left a trail of destruction and devastation. People all over the Province of Manicaland Zimbabwe have suffered heavy losses, in terms of property, livestock, homesteads including human life and are now struggling to recover and rebuild. This project aims to assist the reconstruction and rehabilitation of a village that has been devastated by the cyclone.
Cyclone and Flood Recovery in Malawi
Cyclone and Flood Recovery in Malawi
by Partners In Health (PIH)
Catastrophic rains and floods caused by Cyclone Idai killed at least 50 and displaced hundreds of thousands of people in Malawi. Partners In Health is working to rebuild homes, deploy mobile clinics, and ensure families are safe, housed, and fed in the rural Neno district–where we have worked in partnership with the government providing high-quality health care since 2007.
GIVE NOW

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