Poverty and Development: Solutions to Global Poverty Problems - Essay Example

Institution : xxxxxxxxxxx Title : xxxxxxxxxxx Tutor : xxxxxxxxxxx Course : xxxxxxxxxxx @2012 Introduction One of the dominant global poverty issues is that of shelter. Mekong Delta region of Southern Vietnam is one of the regions of the world that experiences the great challenge of shelter. Despite being one of the most productive regions of South East Asia in terms of agricultural productivity, based on the fact that it produces about 50 percent of rice in Vietnam, the region experiences the greatest challenge of shelter as a result of flooding. According to Reliefweb (2011), for instance, between the months of September and December 2011, the region faced its worst case of flooding in 11 years, as a result, affecting more than 600,000 inhabitants living within the provinces of Hau Giang, An Giang, Long An,Vinh Long,Dong Thap,Kien Giang and Can Tho. Different from the floods that Vietnam experiences each year, the floods experienced during this period within the region have been slow onset, with large areas of the region covered with water, paralyzing the daily lives of the affected people and risking their livelihoods.85 inhabitants were killed; about 13,000 families evacuated owing to flooding and landslides. Destruction to properties and livelihoods was also widespread with as much as 11,767 acres of rice paddies destroyed. As Fox (2004) highlights; as a result of the vulnerability of the environment within the region, shelter has frequently turned out to be a significant challenge. This particular paper therefore intends provide a literature review analysis regarding the global poverty issue of shelter within the Mekong Delta region of Southern Vietnam. In addition, the paper will finally provide both short-term and long-term solutions for this problem. Literature Review As highlighted by Kroes (1987), shelter, just like food, forms one of the most essential requirements of human kind. However, a large number (several millions) of people globally are not sufficiently sheltered in spite of the right affirmed in the United Nations Charter on Universal Human Rights. According to UNHSP (2006), the general world adequacy in terms of shelter, which includes sanitation, privacy, security, safe water and commercial energy, is wanting in approximately over 65 percent of the globe’s population. During the early period after the Second World War, the UN’s report argued that no nation in the globe had shelter problems. Up till now, the issue is not yet solved. More than one billion of the world’s populations, especially those living in the towns of the developing nations lack shelters or are living in completely poor settlements. Those lacking shelter and the poorly sheltered people constitute half of the inhabitants of large cities within the developing nations as at the year 1994.Lack of shelter (homelessness) was previously argued to be an issue that was mainly experienced within the developing nations, however, it is in reality alarming within the developing nations. As Turnipseed (2011) highlights; the poverty state in terms of shelter is a state facing majority of the globe’s population and countries. It is therefore not enough to hold people to be responsible for their own problems arguing whether they have been lazy, made poor decisions or whether they have been exclusively responsible for their own plights. Also, it is not enough to question whether the government may have pursued certain policies that may have actually harmed successful development. This is because the causes of poverty issue of shelter are certainly real but deeper and more world causes of shelter poverty are often less discussed. According to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (2012), the wide range of natural calamities such as floods in the past years and the degree of the ensuing shelter need has and is continuing to draw attention to the need of the humanitarian shelter division (sector) to make available the necessary human and material resources, general perceptive on appropriate standards and strategies, as well as the access to significant tools and guidelines. The heavy rains experienced in Vietnam in recent years, for instance, have caused a record flood levels within the Mekong Delta Region. According to the recent statistics from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (2010), water levels reached a 10-year high, killing at least 23 inhabitants and leaving approximately 30,600 houses under floods. In addition to this, approximately 14,800 acres of the rice crop were submerged. An approximated 5.2 million inhabitants of the Mekong Delta Region living in Long An, An Giang and Dong Thap; the three of the provinces sharing the region and approximately 245,000 acres of rice fields were left at risk. According to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (2011), the situation caused by the floods was more calamitous in some districts such as Tan Dung of the Long An province as they continued to cause more problems. The floods rose to almost four meters, damaging a number of road networks and irrigation schemes. As the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (2010) highlights about 70km of the roads and bridges became submerged with about 180km of the canals and dykes being damaged. As highlighted by Wickramanaye (2009), floods have always had an important role in as far as the economy of the area is concerned. According to the MRC (200), the inhabitants of Mekong Delta Region have since time immemorial lived with as well as depended on the flood cycles, but only to a certain level. Flood depths of half a meter to three meters have often been considered a normal part of the flood regime upon which the inhabitants have depended upon. However, as Hannah (2007) highlights flood depths going beyond 3-4 meters, witnessed in recent decades, have challenged resilience capacities of the affected inhabitants, as a result, having distressing effects on the people since their shelters are often destroyed by the heavy floods. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (2012) highlights that the local Red Cross branches have offered support to the affected families, but this has not been sufficient enough to support the inhabitants’ long-term needs. Others, on the other, have not been able to receive any kind of support that includes basic or essential household items and financial assistance. On the other hand Tham (2006) argues that floods are one of the most destructive natural calamities that cause widespread destruction to human settlements, infrastructure and the economy in general. As a result, this trends call for a better level of preparedness at both the national and the local levels to ensure that appropriate as well as effective reaction measures are undertaken during flood-related emergencies so as to minimize deaths and destruction of properties experienced during floods (Polack, 2010). According to Sisomvang & Sisamad (2006), flood preparedness entails establishing suitable arrangements earlier to ensure effective response to floods. The key to successful flood preparedness is to ensure there is transparency and agreement in as far as the roles of appropriate stakeholders such as the government line agencies, voluntary groups, disaster management organizations, Red Cross and community members. Nilo et.al, (2006), however, argues that after several devastating cases of floods that has caused extensive damage, the inhabitants of Mekong Delta Region have come to the realization that the socio-economic damage and deaths that come with the floodings can be prevented if people are very well prepared. Analysis Vietnam is one of the nations of the world that are prone to natural disasters that result in significant losses, both in terms of deaths and material loss. Mekong Delta Region of Southern Vietnam is the most affected region due to floods originating from the upstream River Mekong, the regulation of the great lake and inundation regions as well as the drainage of the river system located within Cambodia and Vietnam. The inhabitants of this region have lived and depended on the flood cycles, but only to a certain level. Floods have always played an important role in as far as the economy of the area is concerned. Flood depths of half a meter to three meters have often been considered a normal part of the flood regime upon which the inhabitants have depended upon (Wickramanaye, 2009). However, flood depths going beyond 3-4 meters, witnessed in recent decades, have challenged resilience capacities of the affected inhabitants, as a result, having distressing effects on the people since their shelters are often destroyed by the heavy floods. This has resulted into a state of poverty in terms of shelter inadequacy facing majority of the people living within the Mekong Delta Region. Solutions According to the World Bank (2009), providing rapid and appropriate shelter solutions to the various households or houses affected by the flooding ought to be a significant component of the government’s response activities. The Red Cross (2011) argues that one of the major short-term solutions to the issue of shelter in Mekong Delta would be to construct permanent houses rather than constructing temporary ones as commonly done by majority of the inhabitants of this region, year after year when they are faced with floods. Hattensen (2005), argues that a large number of households affected by floods within the region normally evacuate to other regions where they construct temporary shelters using bamboos and leaves. These materials are usually weak and can easily be carried away by floods; as a result, the construction of temporary shelters ought to be substituted with permanent shelters that are strong so that they can deal with heavy floods. A flood-prone region of the Mekong Delta Region As highlighted by Ly (2010), another major short-term solution that would help resolve issue of shelter caused by floods in Mekong Delta Region would be to plan as well as design houses with a key emphasis on resilience. According to Mekong River Commission (2008), when planning as well as designing houses within the regions or areas affected by cases of flooding resilience ought to be an essential aspect to be considered. This is due to the fact that resilience will guarantee that the houses will endure the forces of heavy floods within the construction site. Resilience thus demands that the materials used for building are mainly flood resistance. As highlighted earlier, large populations of people living within the Mekong Delta Region normally build their houses employing the use of bamboo and grass and at times timer posts. These types of building materials are very vulnerable to floods and are as well damaged by low intensity floods (The Red Cross International, 2011). Therefore, according to Stewart (2011), it is important that houses within this particular region are built by employing the use of resilient as well as strong materials that are waterproof and are able to resist heavy floods. A medium term solution to the issue of shelter caused by floods in Mekong Delta Region would be constructing waterproof housing structures. Flood water is known to cause a wide range of destructions to houses depending on the depth, duration as well as the degree of the flood. Some of its significant effects include submersion of houses and the structural disintegratration of the house walls (The Asian Disaster Center, 2005).The building of waterproof houses is thus an appropriate strategy in as far as managing such calamities is concerned. Ganger (2011) argues that the construction or the building of a waterproof house can be carried out by employing two different approaches. The first of the approaches is dry waterproofing. According to the Mekong River Commission (2002), this entails keeping the sections of the house that are habitable away from contact with water. This is carried out by raising the house’s height. The second approach is known as wet waterproofing. This entails constructing or building a house that can endure floods without being destroyed. On the other hand, Weichselgartner (2005) highlights that a long-term remedy that the Vietnam government should undertake in order to help resolve the issue of shelter caused by floods in Mekong Delta Region is to develop a flood management strategy that would ensure that all the inhabitants living in vulnerable areas are resettled. According to CARE International (2010), the resettlement program could entail the inhabitants taking up free loans to enable them purchase pieces of land, basic house materials and a further amount to enable them finish the houses. The government should also provide the clusters with few infrastructural services such as health, water and sewerage treatment facilities. Recommendations Community planning, co-ordination and response are essential towards effective flood calamity mitigation. Public education and awareness is also very essential in order to achieve proper response. According to Aslam (2006), a large number of rivers within Mekong Delta Region are transboundary; as a result, it is important that factual time data and information regarding floods are passed across borders within the right time to ensure enough leadtime for inhabitants so that they are able to evacuate the flood-affected areas. As a result of this there is an urgent need for a sustained regional discussion. At the state level, an ample institutional framework and a n information dissemination mechanism or strategy is required in order to reduce the risk of flood vulnerability. This would call for the ministries in charge and line agencies such as the hydrometerological services to form good collaboration with districts and the communities, media such as the national or local radio/TV, the private sector and other non-governmental organizations to ensure proper co-ordination (Shrestha, 2001). This will guarantee an efficient strategy to broadcast information to communities in addition to evoking a well-timed public reaction to reducing the effects of the flood hazards. Few & Matthies (2006) also recommends that the inhabitants of the region affected by the flooding issue ought to use concrete as it is the best material to construct houses around the regions that are prone to floods. Even though, it is viewed as comparatively expensive option, concrete has good capabilities in terms of its resistance to destruction that is caused by heavy flood waters. Concrete as a building material can be employed in constructing nearly all the sections of a given house. For instance, the construction of the foundation of a house can be built by employing the use of a slab made of concrete footings. Concrete as a building or construction material is also vital especially when raising the floor of the house. This is due to the fact that raising the floor of a house requires a given flood height and concrete appears to be the best building material that can guarantee the construction of a floor height that is strong in addition to being long enough. Additionally, other than being waterproof, concrete is also very suitable for the construction of the wall of a house. For instance, when flood waters get near the house and the wall of the house is built using concrete, it becomes very difficult for the water forces that come due to the hydraulic pressure to damage the structure. Conclusion From the above literature review analysis regarding the global poverty issue of shelter within the Mekong Delta region of Southern Vietnam, it is clear that the issue of shelter caused by floods is a significant poverty issue posing one of the greatest challenges in terms of shelter. This particular review has also proposed the employment of a number of strategies including constructing permanent houses instead of temporary ones as commonly done by majority of the inhabitants of the Mekong region, constructing waterproof housing structures as well as developing a flood management strategy that would ensure all the inhabitants living in vulnerable areas are resettled. In addition to this, the review has also provided various recommendations that would help towards resolving the shelter issue. The recommendations proposed in the review include community planning, co-ordination and responses as essential towards effective flood calamity mitigation as well as the use of suitable construction materials such as concrete to construct houses around the regions that are prone to floods. In conclusion, this review found out that if houses within the region are constructed employing the use of suitable building materials such as concrete, then there will be a possibility that the global poverty issue of shelter caused by flooding will be put at a controlled level. In addition to this, this literature review found out that planning and designing of houses with a key emphasis on resilience is of significant importance as a remedy for dealing with this global poverty issue of shelter. References Aslam, P, 2006, Flood Preparedness Planning, Asian Disaster Management Newsletter for the Community of Disaster Risk Management, Asian Disaster Preparedness Center. CARE International, 2010, In Search of Shelter: Mapping the Effects of Climate Change on Human Migration and Displacement, Retrieved on May 14, 2011 from Granger, M, 2011, Houses for Flood Prone Areas, Cement Concentrate & Aggregates Australia Retrieved on the 8 May 2012, from http://www.concrete.net.au/publications/pdf/Briefing18.pdf Fox, 2004, Floods and the Poor: Reducing the Vulnerability of the Poor to the Negative Impacts of Floods, Volume 11 of Water for all Series, Asian Development Bank Few, R & Matthies, F, 2006, Flood Hazards and Health: Responding to Present and Future Risks, Earthscan. Hannah, 2007, Up in Smoke? Asia and the Pacific, IIED. Hattensen, S, 2005, Images of Asia: Access Asia, Stacey Curriculum Press. International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, 2010, Shelter and Settlement: Plan 2010-2011 International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, 2011, Emerging Crisis in Viet Nam as Mekong Delta Reaches Record Levels International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, 2012, Emergency Appeal Operation Update Viet Nam: Mekong Delta Floods. Kroes, H, 1987, Homelessness in Industrialized Countries, IFHP, Hague. Ly, T, 2010, Planning the Lower Mekong Basin: Social Intervention of the Se San River Volume 16 of ZEF development studies, Verlag. Mekong River Commission, 2008, MRC’s Focus on Improvement of Flood Early Warning Systems and Flood Information Products MRC, 2003, Work Programme 2004, Mekong River Commission, Vientiane Mekong River Commission, 2002, Flood Management and Mitigation Nilo,P.D & Subbiah,A,Bildan,L & Rfisura,K,2006,Taking up Flooding through a Community-based Early Warning System, Asian Disaster Preparedness Center. Polack, E, 2010, Integrating Climate Change into Regional Disaster Risk Management at the Mekong River Commission Red Cross International, 2011, Retrieved on May 14, 2011 from Reliefweb, 2011, Viet Nam: Floods - Sep 2011, Retrieved on May 14, 2011 from Sisomvang, V & Sisamad, S, 2006, Strengthening Capacity of Local Disaster Management Organization on Disaster Preparedness Response in Lao PDR Shrestha, M, 2001, Information Dissemination of Hydrometerological Hazards, the International Center for Integrated Mountain. Stewart, P, 2011, The Mekong River from Mouth to Source: Scores die in Worst Mekong Flooding since 2000. The Asian Disaster Center , 2005, Design and Construction of Housing for Flood prone Rural areas, Retrieved on 14May,2012,fromhttp://www.adpc.net/audmp/library/housinghandbook/handbook_complete-b.pdf Turnipseed, D.P, 2011, Forecast Mekong, U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey. Tham, P.V, 2006, Flood Control Planning in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam, Asian Disaster Management News UNHSP, 2006, State of the World’s Cities 2006/2007. World Bank, 2009, World Development Report, 2009, World Development Report 2010: Development and Climate Change, World Bank Publications. Weichselgartner, J, 2005, From the Field: Flood Disaster Mitigation in the Mekong Delta Wickramanaye, E, 2009, Flood Disaster Management in Viet Nam Read More