WASTE MANAGEMENT
DURING DISASTERS
When saving lives during disasters, transporting food and water takes center stage, but managing and disposing of waste is equally important. If not given proper attention, solid and liquid waste can fast become a health hazard in affected communities. With the chaos that comes after emergencies, it is critical that waste be disposed of safely and properly.
When typhoons, earthquakes and other natural disasters occur, a lot of waste is already generated. We often see fallen trees, boulders and mud blocking roads, in addition to rubble from man-made structures like houses and buildings. Clearing operations often take place to ensure that roads are passable and safe for rescue teams and the delivery of much-needed supplies. In addition to the debris, waste generated from food packaging can pile up fast especially in evacuation centres.
SOME MATERIALS THAT MAY BE CLASSIFIED AS SOLID WASTE AFTER NATURAL DISASTERS HAVE OCCURRED:
1. Fallen trees, tree trunks, branches, palm leaves
2. Rubble and debris from damaged infrastructure such as steel, concrete, wood and bricks
3. Mud, ash, rocks
4. Electric lines, poles and cables
5. Garbage from food and water such as plastic water bottles, packaging and leftover food
If there is no existing waste-disposal site, a temporary area that is safe and far away from evacuation sites and human settlements should be designated for the piling of solid waste. Communal pits can also serve this purpose. Rubble and debris can be sorted, some of it can still be used, such as metal sheeting and wood.
When selecting the type of vehicle to be used to transport solid waste, things like generation rates and densities need to be considered. Routes are also important along with the distance between collection and disposal areas or dumping sites, be they temporary or permanent.
Local people also play an important role in managing waste in emergencies. Victims of natural disasters can help in keeping their own environment safe and sanitary. They can engage in clean-up operations, as focusing on tasks is one way of dealing with the trauma that natural disasters often inflict on people. This can also boost morale as they are directly engaged in improving their homes and communities.
Proper waste management can help keep away flies, dogs, snakes and other scavengers that have the potential to spread disease. Used medical supplies like syringes should also be disposed of properly.
SOME OF THE RISKS THAT CAN ARISE FROM DISASTER WASTE ARE:
1. Nuisance from the stench from decomposing waste materials
2. Disease and bacterial infection from animals and vermin that scavenge through garbage piles
3. Direct contact with hazardous chemicals such as pesticides and acids
4. Cuts, scratches and abrasions from sharp objects
Sources:
https://www.unocha.org/sites/unocha/files/DWMG.pdf
https://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/hygiene/emergencies/solidwaste.pdf
Written by : Judith Garcia Meese
MONTHLY DISASTER REVIEW AND OUTLOOK
OCTOBER 2021 | DISASTER MONITORING & ANALYSIS
(DMA) UNIT, AHA CENTRE
GENERAL REVIEW OF OCTOBER 2021
For the month of October 2021, a total of 144 disasters were reported. The ASEAN Member States that were affected were Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Viet Nam. Most of the disasters (54.86%) occurred in Indonesia but the highest number of affected people was reported in the Philippines which comprised more than half of the tally for the month of October (55%). The share of the disaster-affected people for other ASEAN Member States was as follows: (1) Cambodia-0.66%, (2) Indonesia-25.40%, (3) Malaysia-0.08%, (4) Thailand-15.89%, and (5) Viet Nam-2.97%. October 2021 saw disasters affecting 335 per 100,000 people* and displacing 11 per 100,000 people* in the region, recording a 22.63% decrease and a 35.29% respectively, from the previous month. October 2021 accounts for 13.64% of the total disasters (1,056) reported so far in the current year.
Most of the disasters that occurred in October 2021 were floods (62.5%) and this is consistently the most recorded type of disaster for October of the previous year and October on a five-year average (2016-2020). October 2021 saw hydrometeorological disasters (droughts, floods, rain-induced landslides, storms, winds) affecting 99.6% of the total affected persons for the month. The reported disasters in the region for October 2021 in comparison with the historical data (average for October 2016-2020) indicates that there were 8x more reported disasters; 1.34x fewer people affected; 1.22x fewer people displaced; 1.97x more houses affected to some extent; 6.58x fewer lives lost; 22.47x fewer people suffering injuries; and lastly, 14.05x fewer people reported missing.
Geophysically, 18 significant earthquakes (Magnitude ≥ 5.0) were reported by Indonesia’s Badan Meteorologi, Klimatologi dan Geofisika (BMKG), Myanmar’s Department of Meteorology and Hydrology (DMH), and the Philippine Institute for Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS). In Bali Indonesia, a magnitude 4.8 earthquake, albeit not a significant earthquake, affected 7,690 people and damaged 2,320 houses. Recent volcanic activity was reported for Ili Lewotolok (Alert Level III) and Semeru, Kerinci, Ibu, Karangetang, Krakatau (Alert Level II) in Indonesia, and Taal (Alert Level 2) and Kanlaon (Alert Level 1) in the Philippines.
*Computed based on 2020 population data from worldometers.com
ANALYSIS
According to the ASEAN Specialised Meteorological Centre (ASMC), compared with the average value from 2001-2020, during October 2021, rainfall was above-average over much of the northern ASEAN region and a mix of below- to above-average for the southern ASEAN region (Figure 1). The largest positive anomalies (wetter conditions) were detected over the eastern Mainland Southeast Asia for both satellite-derived rainfall estimates datasets (GSMaP-NRT and CMORPH-Blended). This is associated with the developments of Severe Tropical Storm KOMPASU. A second tropical storm, Tropical Storm LIONROCK, affected central Philippines at the beginning of October, which is the major reason for the positive anomalies in central Philippines and the ocean region around the Philippines. Negative anomalies (drier conditions) were recorded over western and northern parts of Borneo. For the rest of the ASEAN region, rainfall tended to be near-to above-average during October 2021.
SEASONAL OUTLOOK
In the second half of October 2021, according to the ASMC, the Southwest Monsoon had transitioned into the inter-monsoon period. Climatologically, the inter-monsoon conditions are likely to prevail over the ASEAN region in the coming month of November as the conditions transition into the Northeast Monsoon by December. During this inter-monsoon period, prevailing winds are forecast to be generally light and variable in direction. Increased rainfall is expected, particularly over the areas of the ASEAN region near the equator, due to the equatorial proximity of the monsoon rain band.
In the coming three months (November 2021 to January 2022), the Maritime Continent and southeastern Mainland Southeast Asia are looking at an increased chance of above-normal rainfall. The areas with the highest chances are southern and eastern parts of the Maritime Continent. La Niña conditions have been detected and are now present according to the ASMC. This entails wetter-than-average rainfall conditions and cooler conditions in the region. Additionally, most models are predicting these conditions to last or be experienced until early 2022. As the month of October ended, a negative Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) that brought greater precipitation east of the Indian Ocean was present and this negative IOD was expected to return to neutral in the month of November 2021 (positive IOD causes droughts in Southeast Asia). Temperatures that are warmer than usual are likely for much of the Maritime Continent and Myanmar in the coming three months (November 2021-January 2022).
The dry season over the southern ASEAN region ended in October 2021. Meanwhile, for the northern ASEAN region, the traditional dry season typically sets in by year-end.
Note from ASMC: The qualitative outlook is assessed for the region in general and based on the latest runs from models provided by the SEA RCC-Network LRF node. For specific updates on the national scale, the relevant ASEAN National Meteorological and Hydrological Services should be consulted.
*Note from ASMC: The qualitative outlook is assessed for the region in general and based on the latest runs from models provided by the SEA RCC-Network LRF node. For specific updates on the national scale, the relevant ASEAN National Meteorological and Hydrological Services should be consulted.
Sources: ASEAN Disaster Information Network (ADINet), ASEAN Disaster Monitoring and Response System (DMRS), ASEAN Specialised Meteorological Centre (ASMC), Badan Nasional Penanggulangan Bencana (BNPB) – Indonesia, Agensi Pengurusan Bencana Negara (NADMA) – Malaysia, Department of Disaster Management (DDM) – Myanmar, National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) – Philippines, Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) – Thailand, Viet Nam Disaster Management Authority (VNDMA) – Viet Nam, Badan Meteorologi, Klimatologi dan Geofisika (BMKG) – Indonesia, Pusat Vulkanologi dan Mitigasi Bencana Geologi (PVMBG) – Indonesia, Department of Meteorology and Hydrology (DMH) – Myanmar, Philippine Institute for Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) – Philippines, Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) – Philippines
Written by : Keith Paolo Landicho, Sadhu Zukhruf Janottama, Lawrence Anthony Dimailig
DISCLAIMER
The AHA Centre’s estimation is based on data and information shared by National Disaster Management Organisations (NDMOs) and other relevant agencies from ASEAN Member States, international organisations, and news agencies. Further information on each recorded significant disaster, description, and detail of data and information are available at: http://adinet.ahacentre.org/reports.
RECIPE FOR INNOVATION
To “hack” means to crack a problem or discover its solution. In information technology, it has the connotation of breaking into security systems. Hackathons are competitions designed to do the first. Some hackathons are hardware-based, like designing a new product, some are software-based, but there are hackathons that are really about exploring new solutions to old problems in the traditional non-tech-based sense – that is looking at business processes (in our case, development processes) and how these can be more appropriate, more responsive, more impactful.
Risdianto Irawan and I had a simple programme for the AHAckathon when we started to plan the event. The idea was to set the rules and parameters, launch the clock, check-in with the teams, then wait 48 hours to complete and collect the final entries. The game changer was when HELP Logistics introduced us to Impact Week and launchlabs. That changed the way we organised the AHAckathon for the better.
Impact Week is a not-for-profit organisation that promotes innovation and entrepreneurship skill development in developing and emerging economies by using Design Thinking to develop sustainable growth solutions. Meanwhile, launchlabs Berlin supports start-ups and teams in applying design thinking and other agile approaches to optimise the process of innovation to benefit organisations.
Michael Koegel of Impact Week designed the three-day event using the Design Thinking process. He brought in 10 professional Design Thinking coaches to guide the AHAckathon teams from problem sensing to ideation, prototyping, validation and pitch preparation. The coaches were start-uppers themselves or had a rich experience coaching other start-ups. If I were competing in AHAckathon, just the opportunity to learn about the Design Thinking process and go through it with an expert coach would already be a win in itself!
If you came to witness how through AHAckathon, more than 50 students and professionals who knew nothing about humanitarian logistics, came together, some of them meeting for the first time, and within 48 hours came up with apps to solve our six HELiX design challenges, you would be as amazed as I was at how that was achieved within a very short period of time. You might think the apps were not impressive or groundbreaking but to me they were, and that is because I know that the hackers put their heart and soul into what they were doing to help the humanitarian community and disaster-at-risk communities to have the tools accessible to them to make better decisions and to be more resilient.
The problem-solving process would not have been a success without the mentors and experts who shared their knowledge and experience in humanitarian logistics. Part of the Design Thinking process is to interview users and experts. This subgroup in AHAckathon included those experts on the topics that the teams were working on as well as community leaders, decision-makers and user groups – those who have experienced disasters and/or are the target users of the apps themselves. Organising the technical experts was the much easier part – with thanks to our partners who were always rolling up their sleeves for the AHA Centre: the United Nations Humanitarian Resource Depot (UNHRD) and World Food Programme, and our DELSA Satellite Warehouse hosts, Office of the Civil Defense of the Philippines and the Thailand Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation. I would also like to thank a good friend and colleague of mine who agreed to be a mentor at the last minute, Shirley Bolanos who wears many hats such as decision-maker (as part of the regional DRRM council), victim (she lives in the most disaster-prone region in the Philippines) and as a humanitarian worker who has responded to many disasters in the country.
And finally, kudos to the seven teams who devoted their time, energy, creativity and experience, you were the protagonists and main ingredients in the success of AHAckathon!
RECIPE FOR INNOVATION IN HUMANITARIAN LOGISTICS
INGREDIENTS:
- ▸ On-point statement of the problem (user perspective is best)
- ▸ Overflow of ideas (no measuring cup required)
- ▸ New pairs of lenses for looking at the same problem
- ▸ Indomitable spirit of discovery
- ▸ “So what if, then what?” mindset
- ▸ There-must-be-a-better-way-to-do-this attitude
STEPS:
- ▸ Try on new pairs of lenses to look at the problem then ask, “So what if? Then what?”. Talk to different stakeholders who will use, support or oppose your idea. Repeat using your indomitable spirit of discovery.
- ▸ State the problem using the different lenses you have discovered. Be a child, be a victim, be a decision-maker, be a pregnant woman lining up for your service. What is preventing them from getting the most out of your service or idea?
- ▸ Brainstorm ideas, do not sift, pound nor crush. Let ideas run wild and overflow.
- ▸ Use what is left of your indomitable spirit of discovery to try out the solutions. Repeat the process until you feel you have nailed a human-centred solution. It should taste sweet, not leaving a bad taste in the process.
- ▸ Never give up. Just keep pushing forward.
- ▸When you find the right solution, go back to step 1 to see how you can further improve your solution.
Written by : Gaynor Tanyang | Photo Credit: AHA Centre
LAWRENCE ANTHONY DIMAILIG
At first glance, Lawrence Anthony Dimailig, “LA” to his friends and colleagues, could still pass for a university student. But his youthful looks belie his years of experience in disaster and risk management, his passion for it and how he regards it as his life’s calling.
After seeing the devastation to life and property that Super Typhoon Haiyan left in its wake in 2013, in Tacloban, Philippines, “I made a pact with myself. That was the time I felt that I’d dedicate my life to disaster management. This should be the last time I should see something like that,” says LA. Only military planes were allowed in and out of the island after the typhoon struck in November 2013. “I was aboard the first set of C130s that landed in Tacloban City.” A few days later, he found himself in the back of a military truck riding through the streets, and he remembers it clearly to this day. “You couldn’t distinguish debris from bodies on the road. We passed by what looked to me like a pile of garbage covered with newspapers. As we went past it, the newspaper flew away, revealing the body of a child, about 7-10 years of age. It broke my heart. I vowed then that I would devote my life to saving people’s lives, that this should be the last time I should see something like that. I made a pact with myself that I’d dedicate my life to disaster management. I had an epiphany.”
These were the important experiences that led LA to pursue humanitarian work and disaster management. But his journey in this field started much earlier, while he was pursuing a degree in geography. He developed his skills at mapping and spatial analysis, which eventually led him to humanitarian work. “Mapping is my craft,” he says. “After university, I entered into public service in May 2013. Five months into my first job, I was asked to map all evacuation centres in Zamboanga after the military siege, then again in Bohol when the big earthquake struck the island. I was tasked with mapping all evacuation centres, doing some logistical planning so that the delivery of relief items was efficient.” This was the first time he used his skills for disaster management. This was the point when LA realised that his craft of making maps could actually touch people’s lives. And that was just the start.
LA joined the AHA Centre in January 2019 as a Disaster Monitoring and Analysis Officer. Seven months later, he was promoted to Assistant Director for Disaster Monitoring and Analysis. “It opened up new perspectives to me. The AHA Centre is a coordinating centre that has the regional advantage and unique opportunity of linking one country to another. We do things on a broader scale. We have the time to step back, see the bigger picture, propose new things to make disaster management better and improve the knowledge base.”
He adds that there is more access to resources and higher technology, but realises that a disaster response has to be contextualised. “Things that can work in the Philippines may not work in Indonesia. There are some things that can work in a certain way and you can import knowledge from one country to another.” At the AHA Centre, LA feels he can also help facilitate learning. His first field deployment as ASEAN-ERAT was to Sulawesi in 2018, and his most recent was in 2019 to Lao PDR before the pandemic broke out.
In between humanitarian work, LA finds time to pursue another passion, free diving. Initially, the blue waters of the sea evoked thoughts of the endless deep and its unknown denizens. But all that changed when he took up free diving upon the advice of a close friend. “I had to train first. I went to Apo Reef in the Philippines the first time I did it and saw a huge sea turtle. Wow! The world beneath the waterline was so majestic. It mesmerised me.”
While his new passion led him to discover life beneath the sea, it also exposed him to the destruction humans have caused through garbage and plastic. “I saw creatures wrapped in plastic. We are destroying the environment with the deeds of the bad and the inaction of good people. Now, when we go free diving, every dive is a clean-up dive.” LA is hopeful every time he visits coastal communities that he can get to talk to locals on subjects like community-based waste management systems, and with other people who are equally passionate about preserving the environment.
LA is fortunate to have discovered his calling early on. He is excited for what is in store with humanitarian work through the enabling power of technology. “The AHA Centre has the ‘minds’ to build and impart more knowledge, develop artificial intelligence and machine learning towards finding solutions.” Through the AHA Centre, he hopes that ASEAN countries will become self-reliant, stronger and more resilient in dealing with whatever challenges the future holds.
Written by : Judith Garcia Meese | Photo Credit : Lawrence Anthony Dimailig