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Rana Plaza

Tulip Mazumdar

December 26, 2017 |

BBC |

Radio |

Over 15 Minutes

Response Location: Bangladesh, Savar Upazila, Dhaka District

As large cracks appeared in the walls of Rana Plaza, workers’ safety concerns were ignored until the building collapsed, killing 1,134 and injuring many more. New regulations and organizations are improving worker safety in Bangladesh, but factories are picking up the bill more than retailers and customers. This puts increased production pressure on workers, who also cite low wages and gender disparities in leadership positions as continuing problems.

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In Harvey's wake, Dutch have much to teach Houston

Tony Freemantle

December 22, 2017 |

Houston Chronicle |

Text |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: Netherlands

Moving away from brute force and impermeable dams, projects that focus on spatial planning and long-term investment in dynamic infrastructure projects prove more resilient to flooding and natural disasters. In the Netherlands, the Room for the River project is one part of the country’s comprehensive approach toward protecting its citizens from the threat of floods. Instead of relying on private flood insurance, citizens in the Netherland’s pay higher taxes, which help to fund water management projects.

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The Japanese Tsunami, 2011

Tulip Mazumdar

December 19, 2017 |

BBC |

Radio |

Over 15 Minutes

Response Location: Japan

Two schools in Japan experienced the 2011 tsunami completely differently. After the earthquake, students in Kamaishi immediately took off running to get to higher ground, ahead of even their teachers. Meanwhile in Okawa, students evacuated to a playground and awaited further instructions. All but four people died at the Okawa school while everyone from the Kamaishi school survived. The contrast shows the importance of training people to take their own initiative when the unexpected strikes.

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Yes, Something Can Be Done About Wildfires

Gregory Scruggs

December 19, 2017 |

The New York Times |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Bend, Oregon

Ventura County, which has been covered in relentless wildfires, can learn a thing or two from its northernly neighbor Deschutes County, which hasn't lost a single house to regular wildfires since 2003. The reason? A comprehensive approach to removing and thinning out trees and other flammable materials around homes.

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How a custom Microsoft app is helping the Caribbean rebuild after hurricanes

Gregory Scruggs

December 17, 2017 |

GeekWire |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Antigua and Barbuda, Codrington

Bringing data analysis technology into post-disaster scenarios can improve methods of allocating funding for disaster relief and reconstruction projects. The UN and Microsoft have partnered to develop the Building Damage Assessment app. Teams on the ground can use the software package to collect and analyze data, which can then be easily disseminated and shared with policymakers.

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Officials patched and prayed while pressure built on Houston's dams

Mihir Zaveri

December 15, 2017 |

Houston Chronicle |

Multi-Media |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Houston, Texas

Following Hurricane Harvey, Houston officials are taking steps to better prepare the city for flooding. Two damns, Addicks and Barker, have long been in need of repairs to increase their capacity and resilience, and after decades of putting it off – and thousands of homes flooded – the city is hoping to invest in one of the large-scale remedies that have been recommended in the past.

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Harvey overwhelmed some levee systems. Future storms could do worse.

Emily Foxhall

December 14, 2017 |

Houston Chronicle |

Multi-Media |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Houston, Texas

The aftermath of Hurricane Harvey left many Houston residents questioning the efficacy of one of the city’s only protections, the Levee Improvement Districts (LID), responsible for providing flood protection. In neighborhoods prone to flooding, there has been much debate about the actual protection the current levees provide, leading many to call for solutions like the expansion of the LIDs through elections (rather than appointees) or raising the levees.

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Meet India's dam-building grandmother

Aamir Rafeeq Peerzeda

December 12, 2017 |

BBC |

Multi-Media |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: India, Rajasthan

In Rajasthan, India, the Aakar Charitable Trust is building dams in previously drought-ridden areas using traditional practices that use the contours of the land to retain water. These check dams are cost-effective, partially owned by local communities, and do not displace residents; the trust builds an average of 30 dams each year, but they hope to ramp up construction in the future while cautioning that the method will not work for every topography.

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Ancestral Pueblo logging practices could save New Mexico pinelands

Maya L. Kapoor

December 11, 2017 |

High Country News |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Santa Fe, New Mexico

As wildfires become increasingly more prevalent and powerful, researchers in New Mexico are turning their attention to mitigation successes from ancestral generations. By implementing some of these methods such as selective logging, the hope is that intentional thinning of forests will lead to similar results.

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Build, flood, rebuild: flood insurance's expensive cycle

David Hunn Ryan Maye Handy James Osborne

December 09, 2017 |

Houston Chronicle |

Multi-Media |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Houston, Texas

What was originally conceived of to help protect homes from flooding has instead trapped homeowners in an endless cycle of filing claims and rebuilding their homes. The National Flood Insurance Program was supposed to discourage development in flooding zones and ease the costs after disasters. With lobbying money and power from developers, realtors associations, and others with vested interests, any opportunity to redesign the system through Congress have haven’t gone far.

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