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Ecosystems-based adaptation keeps water running in Bhojdari even in dry months

Vinaya Kurtkoti

June 29, 2020 |

Mongabay |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: India, Bhojdari, Maharashtra

Bhojdari, a town in India, faced a severe drought in the early 2000s. The town doesn't have a river or canal nearby. However, after implementing an ecosystems-based approach, the town has reliable access to water, even in the dry months. Some of the methods that were incorporated in this approach included the creation of irrigation models, planting bamboo trees, and creating fish ladders so that fish can move up the stream. Ultimately, the model led to an increase in cultivation for local farmers and sufficient water for the town.

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Philanthropies tailor giving strategies to meet pandemic needs

Stephen Langel

June 25, 2020 |

Cleveland Jewish News |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Ohio

Ohio philanthropies shifted to a rapid-response model of providing support for the coronavirus. A coalition of 81 philanthropies in Northeast Ohio quickly raised over $8.7 million from more than 2,200 donors and allocated over $6.6 million in grants to 120 recipients. The grants cover Covid19-related needs like PPE, food distribution, and housing. The Tri-C Foundation provided emergency funds to 560 Cuyahoga Community College students, compared to 125 students all of last year. Philanthropy support is small compared to what the government can do, so there should ideally be more public-private partnerships.

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Pakistan's solution to the locust invasion? Turn the pests into chicken feed

Rina Saeed Khan

May 28, 2020 |

Scroll.In |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Pakistan, Depalpur, Punjab

As locust swarms threaten crops in Pakistan, a pilot program offers farmers a way to get rid of the pests without using insecticides that harm the environment, while also earning money. Once farmers trap the locusts at night, the creatures are turned into high-protein chicken feed for animal feed mills. During the pilot project, farmers netted up to $125 for one night’s work and the community hauled an average of seven tonnes a night. While harvesting locusts works for some farming areas, it might not be as easy for farmers in desert areas who have to rely on chemical sprays offered by the government.

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The disaster recovery groups helping rural North Carolina weather COVID-19

Antionette Kerr

May 27, 2020 |

Southerly |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, North Carolina

Mobilized to help North Carolina’s second-poorest county recover from two major hurricanes over the past four years, the Robeson County Disaster Recovery Coalition pivoted to provide COVID-19 relief and brace for the possibility of a hurricane during the pandemic. The coalition and other small nonprofits have filled gaps left by state-run relief efforts that either wasted federal aid or failed to take advantage of available aid. During the pandemic, the groups have distributed personal protective equipment and educated a region hard-hit by both kinds of natural disaster.

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How some Mississippi teens are saving their town from climate change

Rebecca Klein

May 23, 2020 |

The Hechinger Report |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Duck Hill, Mississippi

Through the Achieving Sustainability Through Education and Economic Development Solutions (ASEEDS) Creek Rangers program, teens and community leaders are raising awareness of the effects of climate change in their small Mississippi town. They’ve fixed their community’s drainage system to help mitigate floods that have impacted the area for years. While some people were skeptical of their efforts, they’ve been able to work with pastors and other people to show how climate change is already impacting them.

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'Cool pavement' experiments help urban planners find ways to ease rising temperatures

Erin Stone

May 15, 2020 |

AZ Central (The Arizona Republic) |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Los Angeles, California

To combat the effects of rising temperatures due to climate change, Los Angeles piloted an experiment called “cool pavements,” where they coat streets with a light-colored sealant to reflect heat. Researchers are studying how effective this method is at reducing the urban heat island effect. Using a mobile sensor station, they found mixed results: While the surface temperature of the road was cooler, a person could feel warmer on the reflective roads. Figuring out how to balance different heat-mitigating strategies could be helpful as cities like Phoenix figure out how to implement cooling infrastructure.

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Amid New York's 42,400 hospitalizations, the military handled 3 percent. But it helped in immeasurable ways.

Jada Yuan

May 02, 2020 |

The Washington Post |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, New York, New York

When New York hospitals became overwhelmed with COVID-19 patients, the military deployed and staffed a Navy hospital ship and built a military field hospital in a nearby convention center to help with the caseload. Although military personnel weren't able to treat the vast majority of patients due to resource availability, hospital officials are calling their efforts a success having lessened the overall burden and learned lessons that will be applied should a second wave of cases hit.

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Microbe Mappers Are Tracking Covid-19's Invisible Traces

Megan Molteni

April 29, 2020 |

Wired |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States

Scientists have been mapping microbes in public places for a long time and are now tracking Covid-19 by swabbing subways, park benches, ATMs, and even the air, for traces of genetic material to better understand the virus’ transmission dynamics and detect hotspots before transmission becomes widespread. Molecular monitoring has identified how long the virus can live on different surfaces and the origin of different strains, which can flag sanitation priorities and help contact tracers. There are limits to what it can reveal because finding virus on surfaces does not always lead to definite infection.

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Utah Guard soldiers bring their language skills to a new battlefront — as contact tracers in war against coronavirus

Nate Carlisle

April 27, 2020 |

The Salt Lake Tribune |

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Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, Utah

To contain coronavirus, Utah has enabled contact tracing that utilizes state employees to make phone calls to those who have potentially been exposed to the virus but many they call do not speak English. To address the language barrier, members from the Utah National Guard’s 300th Military Intelligence Brigade – who serve on the linguistic unit – are volunteering to provide translations.

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Seattle's Leaders Let Scientists Take the Lead. New York's Did Not

Charles Duhigg

April 26, 2020 |

The New Yorker |

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Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Seattle, Washington

In responding to the coronavirus outbreak, Washington State stands in direct contrast to New York in how local governments responded. While New York relied on direction from politicians, Washington State looked to public health experts to lead briefings and directions – a response that is now emerging as a successful model for building trust with state residents, and inspiring action rather than skepticism.

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