WaterAid has a physical presence in 28 districts across Nepal.
Before the disaster, nearly 13 million people in Nepal were without access to a basic, safe toilet and 3.6 million were without access to clean water.
An estimated 1,900 children under five die each year in Nepal of diseases linked to a lack of safe water, basic sanitation and good hygiene practice.
To read more about WaterAid's Nepal appeal, see: Water Aid-Nepal Earthquake
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Help Rebuild Nepal's Schools
Please consider being a part of this. Food and water are important as is education.
Doctors Without Borders In Nepal
Doctors Without Borders is one of the most reputable organizations. I highly recommend them if you are looking to donate to help the people of Nepal.
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UPDATE: 5/12/15:
From Euronews/Video
Expert:Equally Big Earthquakes Coming In Eastern Regions
Fresh Nepal Earthquake Kills Dozens, Triggers Panic
These poor people! Having to deal with yet another huge earthquake less than three weeks since the last one. This area is becoming unstable due to glaciers in the Himalayas melting which is releasing pressure off tectonic plates and forming glacial lakes. Should one of these huge glacial lakes break their banks as well the results will be far more catastrophic. This is what we should see front and center on news tickers, not the day's news on the Kardashian trash.
I do believe this area will eventually become uninhabitable due to continued melting releasing pressure on plates causing them to move more frequently. It is sad but I think a point will come when it will be an act of futility to bring aid in and people will have to start being airlifted out of the area to protect them. This is a huge undertaking that will in time have to be considered and brings about many moral questions in regards to other species inhabiting this area as well. I am heartbroken to see their spiritual temples and culture being destroyed this way. I am sad also because this proves that we as a species aren't near ready to deal with the catastrophic effects of the climactic shifts we have put into place that are now amplifying these natural events.
The events taking place globally do make one think that we are seeing the book of Revelations from the Bible playing out. I may not post here as much as I used to but that does not mean I am not reading and informed about what is happening in the world concerning water and climate issues. Torrential rains, stronger storms, floods, intense drought (Brazil's drought is so bad the military is considering taking action) and continuing threats to our agriculture, biodiversity and water quality/access tell me that even now we as a whole still do not comprehend the scope of this crisis.
In regards to Nepal and other areas of the world being subjected to the added amplification of human behavior on natural events we must come to terms with the scope of this crisis as we continue to exacerbate it and begin planning for which areas of the world will become uninhabitable within the next few decades and plan on how and where those living in these areas will go. This unfortunately is a monumental task that I frankly am losing hope in us accomplishing in a timely manner. The elites at the UN climate conferences who have jet-setted around the world for the last twenty years going through the motions do not even comprehend the immensity of the scope of this.
Some claim that 2016 will be the year of spiritual awakening. Well, in order to get to that we will have to survive 2015 first and that requires that awakening to arrive ahead of schedule.
Presentation on Himalayan melting:
The monsoons are also just days away with thousands of people out in the open now afraid to go into their homes. The enhanced effects of climate amplification due to human activity exacerbating the force and scope of natural events cannot just be relegated to political games. We are now experiencing the effects of the Anthropocene and they effect all of us.
Earthquake Damages Over Dozen Hydropower Projects
In Nepal's Next Big Quake Hydropower Dams Threaten Catastrophe
Of course, those reaping $$$$$ benefits from this megadam building frenzy would never admit that this proliferation of huge dams could also have contributed to the earthquake in the first place!
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Doctors Without Borders Responds In Nepal
If you wish to donate to an organization that is reputable, I highly recommend Doctors Without Borders
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Nepal Reeling After Powerful Quake Kills Scores/Topples Buildings
A 7.9 earthquake hit near Kathmandu this past Saturday April 25. As of now over 4000 lives have been lost with that number expected to climb. Also lost in the rubble of this massive quake were UNESCO sites and sites of spiritual significance to the peaceful people who live there. Aid is starting to come in but the situation is far from good with many living in the streets due to strong aftershocks. It is heartbreaking to see the damage caused in this spiritual center and while natural phenomenon can certainly be attributed to this I also think other factors are precipitating the possibility of quakes becoming more frequent/destructive.
Rapid melting of Himalayan glaciers has formed glacial lakes that not only bring the danger of flooding to valleys and villages below, but also releases pressure on plates that can lead to earthquakes as this article expounds upon:
In the Jigsaw of Himalayan Risk, Climate Change and Earthquakes Are Linked
Melting glaciers exacerbate earthquake risk
Climate change provides a twist in this already complex mosaic of factors. A warming Himalayan climate could witness more rain. More rain can hasten the melting of glaciers. “If there is climate change and if there is a soaring of temperatures going on and if the melting of the glaciers is facilitated, then the ice sheet melting leads to the loosening of the lithostatic pressure (vertical pressure on the underlying crust),” Mishra says. As a glacier retreats and its weight eases, the earth could show a tendency to bounce back up in the form of a moderate or even a strong earthquake.
Such earthquakes are more likely in the Arctic and Antarctica where enormous chunks of glacial ice are lost. In the Himalayas, glacial melt could be a contributing factor in tipping over in an already stressed system.A new study from the Divecha Centre for Climate Change at the Indian Institute of Science says that in the last four decades the Himalayas have lost anywhere between 300 and 600 gigatonnes of glacial mass. The total glacial mass of the Himalayas is between 3,600 and 4,400 gigatonnes.
The authors Anil V Kulkarni and Yogesh Karyakarte analysed 11,000 square kilometres of glacial area in the Indian Himalayas, compiling data from satellite images, aerial photographs, topographic maps and field studies from agencies like the Geological Survey of India, the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development and Indian Space Research Organization. The data shows that 13% of glacial area has been lost. Mishra is certain that if one were to plot the effects of climate change against seismicity one would see a strong correlation between the retreat of ice sheets and increased seismic activity. “Since 1954 you can see the rate of seismicity drastically increased,” he says. “It may be well corroborated that the ice sheets are melting and the zones are becoming seismically active.”
End of excerpt
This most recent quake was the strongest felt in 80 years and at a shallow depth. While some will again say that no one event can be attributed to climate, I do think it is not impossible that the rapid melting of the Himalayan glaciers could well accelerate the possibility and intensity of these quakes as they have flooding and water scarcity. The effects of going deeper and deeper into the Earth to seek water is also something to be considered in relation to how the Earth reacts. The loss of life and culture is devastating and heartbreaking and as we know nature can be unrelenting in its wrath. However, we are also now in the Anthropocene epoch and must be more cognizant of our contribution to amplifying natural disasters by our behavior.
Of course, I doubt very much we will see any mention of this in the mainstream media. Connecting the dots and asking questions as well as educating is not popular in a world now dominated by forces seeking to misinform and deceive for their own benefit. However, whether or not this particular earthquake was amplified in its intensity by melting glaciers or not, the possibility of this in the future cannot be ignored. Scientists have done their job in warning governments about the catastrophic effects of continuing to allow climate destruction to go unchecked. Those who continue to ignore these warnings are only placing more lives at risk and the destruction of more treasures of our planet.
Nepal-Before and After
Nepal Earthquake Tragedy Waiting To Happen
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