Nepal reported its first case of dengue fever 14 years ago. Now, dengue patients can be found even in the Kathmandu Valley, nearly 1,400m above sea level. The disease has spread as a result of climate change, which has created warmer, more hospitable environments for the Aedes mosquito to breed and bite. There is also fear of the spread of Zika disease via mosquitoes. Source: https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/south-asia/a-modern-plague
Where are the areas affected by the spread of insect-borne diseases due to climate change? Why does climate change affect the spread of insect-borne diseases? What are the major causes of climate change? How can climate change be mitigated?
Watch the video below and find out more about the Ring of Fire and how it had created the many disasters in 2018. From the volcanic eruptions of Mt Mayon and Kilauea to the tsunami which hit Sulawesi killing thousands and the most recent volcanic eruption of Anak Krakatoa leading to a tsunamis which had killed more than 400.
Read the following article on why many lives would have been saved if the tsunamis early warning system was working.
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/indonesia-tsunami-death-toll-rises-to-281-disaster-agency-11059130 Reflect on the following: Where is the Ring of Fire? Why are there more seismic activities (volcanic eruptions and earthquakes) at the Ring of Fire? When did Anak Krakatoa erupt? What type of volcano is Anak Krakatoa? What are the impacts of volcanic eruption? Who are affected by volcanic eruptions? How can the impacts of earthquake and volcanic eruptions be mitigated?
Update: Mount Anak Krakatau in the Sunda Strait has shrunk to almost a third its original height, from 338 meters to 110 m. The scale of the collapse of anak Krakatoa can be seen from the satellite images below. The Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation Center (PVMBG) estimated that the volcano reduced to between 40 million and 70 million cubic meters in size from a mass of about 150 million to 180 million m3, following eruptions that occurred between Dec. 24 and 27.
The Japanese Alos-2 radar satellite was used to monitor Anak Krakatau
Where are the areas suitable for rice growing? What are the factors mentioned in the article affecting the production of rice? Why is the role of government important in intensification of food production? How does technology help in intensification of food production?
A 7.5 Earthquake struck the Indonesian island of Sulawesi followed by a tsunami on 28 Sept 2018.
What are the factors which led to the city of Palu experiencing the greatest damage and loss of lives?
Where are the areas affected?
Why do Indonesia experience frequent earthquakes? What have been done to mitigate the impacts of earthquake?
Who are the ones affected by the earthquake?
How does the people respond to the earthquake to mitigate the impacts of earthquake? How was the tsunamis formed? (this tsunamis which hit Palu was unique as it was not an offshore earthquake)
Strong aftershocks have continued to hit
Sulawesi, where the major quake and tsunami killed at least 408 people and
injured 500.
Mount Soputan erupted on 3 Oct - adding on to the woes of the people who have yet to recover from the impact of the earthquake and tsunami which struck on 28 Sept.
Another useful update on what caused the tsunami which affected Palu.
Unlike most tsunamis, the displacement of water is mainly due to the underwater landslides triggered by the earthquake from "strike-slip" fault (transform fault), where tectonic plates move sideways. The force was intensified as the waves moved landwards through a narrow bay into Palu.
Look at the video below to see the impact of soil liquefaction in aggravating the extent of damage by the earthquake.
More than 82,000 people were displaced in the worst-hit city of Palu, 1,500km northeast of the capital, Jakarta, and 67,000 homes destroyed or damaged.
According to Wikipedia, the earthquake resulted in 2,256 dead, 1,075 missing and 70,821 evacuated.
Another shallow 6.0-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Indonesia's Java and Bali islands on 11 Oct 2018, killing 3 people. The victims were crushed by collapsed buildings in East Java's Sumenep district as the earthquake happened early Thursday when they were sleeping and the quake suddenly rocked so they didn't have time to evacuate.
Lowest Birth Rate in 2017 since 2014. How would this affect economic growth? Why is there a concern for low birth rate? What has been done to increase the birth rate?
When will Hurricane Florence hit the coast?
Who will be affected?
Where will the storm surge affect?
What are the impacts of a storm surge?
Why does hurricane results in storm surge?
How can the impacts be mitigated?
Forecast path of Super Typhoon Mangkhut as it approaches Hong Kong.
(Graphic: AFP/Gal Roma)
How are typhoons formed? Where are the areas affected by Typhoon Mangkhut?
When were the typhoon expected to hit the Philippines and Hong Kong?
Who are affected by the typhoon?
What are the impacts of the typhoon?
Why is it important to forecast the typhoon track?
Other than methane, rice cultivation contributes to the emission of nitrous oxide, another greenhouse gas. Since rice is a major staple for at least half the world's seven billion people, the way it is managed has significant effects on the Earth's warming climate, said the report in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, a peer-reviewed US journal.
Currently, the amount of unaccounted-for N2O global emissions from rice may be as high as the annual climate pollution from about 200 coal power plants, according to the authors. In India alone, where the study took place across five intermittently flooded rice fields, nitrous oxide emissions "could be 30-45 times higher than reported under continuous flooding," researchers estimated.
Why does Indonesia experience earthquakes frequently?
What are the impacts of the earthquake? Economic, Social and Environmental What are aftershocks? How can aftershocks be damaging? What are the short term responses shown in the video which help to save lives? Who are affected?
Why does natural disaster such as earthquakes hinder the growth of tourism?
Look at the map below which shows the intensity of the magnitude 6.9 earthquake which struck Lombok, Indonesia on 5 Aug 2018. Can you see how intensity of earthquake decreases away from the epicentre? How would the distance from the epicentre affects the extent of damage from earthquake?
The earthquake on the Indonesian island of Lombok has killed 387 people, authorities said Saturday, adding hundreds of thousands of displaced people were still short of clean water, food and medicine nearly a week on. Read more at https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/death-toll-from-indonesia-quake-tops-380--10609038 https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/death-toll-from-indonesia-quake-tops-380--10609038
What is a heat wave? When does heat wave affect Japan? Why? Who are affected by the heat wave? Where are the areas affected? What are the impacts of the heat wave? How can the impacts be reduced? (mitigation measures)
Flash flood in Vietnam
What is a monsoon? Why does the monsoon bring heavy rain? Where are the areas affected? What are the impacts of the heavy rain? When does Monson wind affect these countries? How can the damage and loss of lives be minimised? (mitigation measures)
Death toll went up to 44 last reported on 14 July.
In Japan, heavy rain has lead to landslides and flooding resulting in loss of lives, displacement of the people from their homes.
What is a monsoon? Why does the monsoon bring heavy rain? Where are the areas affected? What are the impacts of the heavy rain? When does Monson wind affect these countries? How can the damage and loss of lives be minimised? (mitigation measures)
Japan's coastal city of Osaka has been hit by a 6.1-magnitude earthquake on 18 June 2018 during Monday morning's rush hour, killing three people and injuring more than 200. Despite a relatively low magnitude, its shallow depth of 13km (focus) caused violent tremors. Officials warned of possible strong aftershocks.
Where is the epicentre of the earthquake? Who are affected by the earthquake? When did the earthquake occur? Why is Japan prone to earthquake? What cause earthquakes? Why does earthquake of higher magnitude cause more damage? How does the depth of the focus and time of occurence affect the extent of damage? What are aftershocks and why would it cause more damages?
