Bangladesh
Sea water has now travelled so far in land that salt can be tasted in water with deep groundwater sources at least 100 kilometres inland. The salty water is killing fruit trees, reducing the quality and quantity of many crop yields and destroying the mangrove forests in the Ganges delta. These forests protect coastal areas against cyclones. Fresh-water fish numbers are also declining, affecting the fishermen who make a living from them and leading some to resort to sea fishing. This in itself creates new challenges with reportedly greater waves and stormier waters. Almost one in three of the country’s population lives in the coastal regions of Bangladesh. Women are hardest hit because, traditionally, it is they who collect fresh water for their families, sometimes travelling miles to do so. Minu Basa, a member of the water committee in Kayabunia village in south west Bangladesh, sometimes has to travel up to 10 KM to buy fresh water for her family. “When there is no rainwater, we buy water from the government for 20 taka (around 17p) for 20 litres,” she says. “The journey there to get it is about 10kms across the river and through the forest. It can take up to a whole day to collect water. Normally we can bring home around 40 litres” She continues: “Because of the saltwater, we have to suffer hardship just to survive. We can’t wash our own vegetables or fish with the water. If you wash anything with it and then leave it, you‘ll see it goes black. When we wash our hair, it becomes sticky and smelly. Once a month we collect water from the freshwater sources far away, we take off all our clothes and wash them there.”
CA Report 2008-9
Jamaica
WROC's Sustainable Livelihoods programme was launched in the aftermath of Hurricane Ivan in 2004 to enhance the livelihood security for economically poor families in the parishes of St. Thomas, Kingston and St. Andrew. Nine communities were selected for benefits meant to:
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restore and/or introduce agricultural inputs in the form of poultry rearing and cash crop farming;
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provide technical assistance;
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and conduct training in the protection of livelihoods and the promotion of community by facilitating behaviour change in relation to disaster mitigation, environmental degradation and community conflict.
Approximately 200 families participated. Participants were also encouraged to enhance personal and family security by registering for benefits from the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) and National Housing Trust (NHT) social security agencies. Since then, a number of similar projects have been undertaken. For example in the aftermath of Hurricane Dean (2007), some 900 households from 22 communities in the parishes of St. Thomas, St. Catherine, Clarendon and St. Andrew were supported through the provision of relief supplies and services and training geared to encouraging residents to take greater responsibility and to participate more consistently and effectively in community level disaster mitigation efforts.
Zimbabwe
Harare
(Ecumenical News International). Zimbabwe's coalition government has failed to address widespread hunger and human rights violations in the country, a Christian youth movement has charged.
"The sad reality remains that the expectations of the public remain largely unmet," the Student’s Christian Movement of Zimbabwe said in a report released on 17 June and made available to Ecumenical News International. "It is sad to note that little has been done to bring about economic sanity in the country and most people are still living below the poverty datum line," said the students, noting that the majority of workers earn 1 to 3.5% of what they need to meet the cost of basic needs.
The Consumer Council of Zimbabwe said in its latest report that an average family of five requires US$437 a month for basic commodities, while the majority of workers earn 100 dollars a month or less.
"The law enforcement agencies continue to enforce the law in a partisan manner and the culture of impunity for the police, who are the perpetrators of human rights violations, remains intact," the Christian students said. "Even the attorney-general has clearly failed to demonstrate non-partisanship and independence. There are still reported cases of retributive violence in some areas like Mutoko and disturbingly, none of the perpetrators has
been prosecuted despite the fact that they are known within their communities."
In London on 20 June, Zimbabwe Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, who reluctantly joined a government of unity with his old foe Mugabe, was heckled and booed by exiles in London's Southwark Cathedral when he said it was safe for them to come home.
Some reports have said that a secret security cabal from Mugabe's Zanu-PF party want to make sure that that Tsvangirai, who won parliamentary elections and a presidential poll in 2008, does not succeed in the government of national unity role that began in February after being brokered by African leaders.
Tsvangirai, who was beaten and detained by Mugabe's police in 2008, tried to tell about 1000 Zimbabweans who came to listen to him in the London cathedral on 20 June that it is time for them to return home. He declared, "There is peace and stability in the country.”
On 18 June Zimbabwe riot police blocked a march by a group of women and beat up protesters, who were demanding greater participation of women in the writing of a new constitution. At least 18 activists face prosecution on charges of seeking to overthrow the 85-year-old president, Robert Mugabe, who has held power since 1980. None of those in custody have been charged and legal experts dismiss the case as a ploy to harass Mugabe's opponents.
"The government of national unity has failed to resuscitate the social services delivery system in the country," the Christian students said in their report. "There is need for concerted efforts from the so-called government of national unity to revive the education system, right from the infrastructure to service delivery, if we are to reclaim Zimbabwe's position on the continent."
Zimbabwe's main national university has not opened since the beginning of 2009 as the government has failed to raise money to pay lecturers, who went on strike at the end of the previous year demanding higher salaries.
• Restrictive media laws and practice remain in Zimbabwe; hence ENI's correspondent is not named. www.eni.ch
Forthcoming Events
Enriching Harvest. TheMethodist Relief and Development Fund have produced an all-age resource for churches, groups and schools.
10 October 10-4.40pm Fairtrade Supporter Conference 2009. Kings College, London, Waterloo Campus.
16 - 18 October, Stand Up and Take Action
Stand up and take action against poverty and climate change. Will your church join them? Join “The Great Persuasion” a lobby of MPs which is asking for urgent action on poverty and climate issues www.standagainstpoverty.org
5 December, London. The Wave.
Join a fun yet symbolic action on the Climate Change March ahead of the Copenhagen Summit meeting . All participants are encouraged to wear something blue. More details from
Dear Lord Jesus,
I think of the leaders of our world powers,
I think of how many thousands, millions of lives
Can be impoverished,
Enhanced or enslaved,
Fed, or become food for the profit margin,
By the decisions of such people.
I pray earnestly for them Lord Jesus,
For underneath, they are fallible, ordinary people just like me. Thank You that You have not called me to such a position of power.
Yet in a way You have, because You have given me the same ability to choose
Your way or my way in each decision I make,
And only You can see clearly the ripple effects of my choices.
Jesus please, help each of us, whatever our status or position, To choose Your way every time.
For the sake of Your glory and this world’s people.
©Gwyneth Delve, Rayleigh URC
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Are you serious about getting Governments to take Climate Change seriously? Have you signed the Countdown to Copenhagen Pledge yet? www.christian-aid.org.uk
