REDA's Flood Relief Activities: Reconstruction of rooms for Widows in flood affected areas

REDA took the initiative to reconstruct rooms, kitchens and/or toilets, as per requirement, for the misfortunate widows in flood affected areas of Khyber Pukhtunkhwa. 33 Families were identified in Banda Shaikh Ismail, Shahi kullal, Nowshera Cantt, Nowshera Kalan, Sardaryab, Charsadda Khas and Mirza Dher. Theses reconstructions were funded and facilitated by REDA through donations of different philanthropists.
Below are the details of two cases

Widow & Family of Khan Aurangzeb, Miangan Koroona, Banda Shaikh Ismail, Tehsil Pabbi, Distt. Nowshera:

Destructed Site - view 1

Destructed Site - view 2

Under construction room

Widow & Family of Khan Sher, Near Govt. Boys High School, Banda Shaikh Ismail, Tehsil Pabbi, Distt. Nowshera:

Destructed Site - view 1

Under construction site - view 1

Under construction room - External view 

Under construction room - Internal view

Under construction - Electric fittings, doors & windows

Completed room- Internal view white wash and electric fittings

Completed room - internal view

Reconstruction of Rooms in flood affected areas by REDA - Case: Widow of Khalil ullah

Widow of Khalil ullah, Mohallah Shah Hussaini, Nowshera Kalan:


REDA helped widow of Khalil ullah from Nowshera Kalan in reconstruction of her house. There were two rooms that were damaged by flood. REDA reused the scrap of damaged rooms for reconstruction and managed the reconstruct within a budget of Rs. 60,000/- only.

Destructed Site                                                                       (Photo by: REDA)

Under construction                                                                 (Photo by: REDA)

REDA Team with completed room in background              (Photo by: REDA)   

Post Trauma Stress Disorder in Flood Affected areas of Pakistan

A disaster is an event that is severely damaging and disruptive for a significant number of individuals. An important fact to remember is, disasters do not just effect those directly involved, this means that there is a wide range of people that may be considered ‘victims’ of a disaster. This includes those who nearly escape death, those injured and those who witnessed a traumatic event. However with increasing media and news footage of natural disasters family and friends of those deceased or affected by the event may also go on to suffer some degree of psychological stress as a direct result.

Disasters whether natural cataclysms, like earthquakes, cyclones, snow storms, floods, hurricanes etc or man-made disasters affecting large populations in different parts of the world like wars, bomb blasts, ethnic or political violence and terrorism always result in tremendous number of deaths & destruction among the affected populations. Traumatic events & the coping strategies of people in such circumstances have a vital role in development of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and other psychiatric disorders like: major depressive disorders, (MDD) generalized anxiety disorders (GAD), & dissociative disorders.

Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a common disorder among victims of various disasters such as road traffic accidents, violent crimes, hurricanes, earthquakes and floods. PTSD is also a severe and complex disorder precipitated by exposure to psychologically distressing events. It is characterized by persistent intrusive memories about the traumatic event, persistent avoidance of stimuli associated with the trauma and persistent symptoms of increased arousal.

Flood is one of the most common and severe forms of natural disasters. It can result in direct economic and property losses, physical injuries, deaths, and psychological injuries.

Floods occur frequently in Pakistan. A severe flood that struck Pakistan in 2010 left hundreds of thousands of residents homeless and destroyed many infrastructural and agricultural projects.

The devastating flood in Pakistan which broke all previous records of havoc caused by natural disasters in the country has not only imposed huge losses on life and property, but also left unforgettable horrifying imprints on the minds of people resulting in psychological disorders among the affectees. Majority of the flood affectees, especially women and children, are suffering from psychological disorder after witnessing destruction of their belongings due to furious torrents.

It is of great importance to find ways of readily identifying flood victims who are likely to develop PTSD to enable the government take timely measures to protect the health of such victims.

In July 2010 heavy monsoon rains started in Pakistan resulting in great floods in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh, Punjab and Balochistan regions. The Indus River basin was badly affected. It was blamed on unexampled monsoon rain.

It was estimated that at one point, approximately one-fifth of Pakistan's total land area was underwater. According to Pakistani government data the floods directly affected about 20 million people with 2,000 people dead. There was huge destruction of property, livelihood and infrastructure. The number of individuals affected by the flood exceeds the combined total of individuals affected by the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, the 2005 Kashmir earthquake and the 2010 Haiti earthquake, as been told by Maurizio Giuliano, a spokesman for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

The Pakistani economy has been harmed by extensive damage to infrastructure and crops. Structural damages have been estimated to exceed 4 billion USD and wheat crop damages have been estimated to be over 500 million.

Floods of the Indus River in 1973 and 1976 were considered the most severe after which Pakistani government created the Federal Flood Commission (FFC) in 1977. The FFC operates under Pakistan's Ministry of Water and Power. It is appointed with carrying out flood control projects and protecting lives and property of Pakistanis from the impact of floods.

The 2010 Monsoon rains broke all the previous records of rain in the last 80 years in Pakistan and were forecasted to continue into early August. The Pakistan Meteorological Department reported that over 200 mm (7.88 inches) of rain fell over a 24-hour period in a number of places in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab. A record-breaking 274 mm (10.7 inches) of rain fell in Peshawar during 24 hours. Reports of UN stated that 36 districts were involved and 20 million people were affected.

A report of ICRC international committee of the Red Cross said, The ongoing devastating floods in Pakistan will have a severe impact on an already vulnerable population. In addition to all the other damages the floods have caused, flood water have destroyed much of the health care infrastructure in the worst-affected areas, leaving inhabitants especially vulnerable to water-borne disease.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a psychiatric condition that may develop following any catastrophic life experience. There are a variety of different factors that may determine an individual’s specific predisposition for developing PTSD.

The recent interest in PTSD started with the Vietnam Veterans in USA. Since the recognition of PTSD as a diagnostic entity in early 1980, significant advances have been made in its recognition, measurement and management. Much of the earlier work was done on combat veterans and relatively less attention was paid on civilian populations. It has been known that pathological stress response syndromes can follow war, sexual assault and other types of trauma.

Professionals from the health department started considering PTSD as a major problem after this event. The soldiers returning from the conflict war zone developed many disturbing psychological symptoms, depression and loss of functioning. The ex-servicemen displayed a characteristic array of symptoms, which needed a definite diagnosis. This led to the impact for the development of PTSD. Since that time, there is increasing recognition that adults and children can develop severe and debilitating reactions to traumatic events.

Epidemiological data is usually available from USA & Australia. The developing countries usually lack authentic data and research work. This is the reason that developing countries do not pay attention to PTSD and assume that PTSD does not exist .4 But after the last two decades of natural disasters like earthquakes, floods & tsunami havocs in South Asia have led the researchers to think seriously to a series of research work on PTSD. The Asian researchers started working on psychiatric research topics after earthquake in Pakistan & Kashmir on October 8th, 2005. In the last few years the concept of psycho-trauma in development of psychiatric disorders has been latest in the field of psychiatry.

However, even now in a world so interested in learning about psychological disorders, when faces a disaster, much of the work is done in areas like giving relief and aid to the victims and providing other medical services. Less attention is given to the psychological problems faced by the affectees. As a result of this a majority of individuals around the world facing PTSD are left unattended.

This is an abstract from the research "Post Trauma Stress Disorder in Flood affected areas of Pakistan" by Dr. Sana Shakeel.

"Sheen Watan" plantation campaign attended by Minister for Environment, KP

Govt. High School, No. 1, Peshawar

REDA in alliance with CAUSE, The Edifiers, IMSciences, Islamia College University, Ministry of Education, Ministry for Environment and Forest Dept. KP, organized a plantation campaign at Govt. High School No. 1, Hashtnagar, Peshawar on 27th March 2012. Minister for Environment, Mr. Wajid Ali Khan attended the campaign. A warm welcome was given by the Scouts and one of the students presented a bouquet to the chief guest. 

Sheen Watan campaign 

Honourable guests

Briefing about Sheen Watan

Mr. Wajid Ali Khan, Minister for Environment, KP

A brief about the progress of Sheen Watan plantation campaign 2012-16 was presented to the audience. During the first session of Sheen Watan plantation campaign 8400 saplings are planted in different schools, colleges, public places and residential areas of Hayatabad, Badabera and Chamkani in Peshawar district and in Jamrud and Mullagori, Khyber Agency, FATA. Fruit bearing plants were distributed among poor families of Chamkani. All these saplings were provided free of cost at the door steps of the beneficiaries.

The Principal of the school, Mr. Jamil ur Rehman, thanked the minister for his presence and support. He also appreciated the efforts of REDA and partnering organizations for the noble cause.

Principal, Govt. High School No. 1

The minister then planted a sapling in the premises of the school. 200 more saplings were planted by students, teachers and staff of the school. 

Mr. Wajid Ali Khan, planting a sapling in school premises

REDA also explained their plan of establishing local nurseries in all districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. These nurseries will be used to propagate and grow fruit bearing plants. These nurseries will act as distribution points for the district which will help in better coverage along with price reduction and quality improvement of the saplings for the campaign. The idea was appreciated by the Mr. Wajid Ali Khan, who then instructed Forest Dept. to provide support and assistance in this regard which was reassured by Chief Conservator and Conservator of Forest Dept, KP.

Minister for Environment with CCF, CF and other staff members

Mr. Wajid Ali Khan with Forest Dept. Staff

Mr. Wajid Ali Khan with members of REDA, CAUSE, The Edifiers and volunteers of Sheen Watan 

Ph.D. Scholoarship

Indigenous/Overseas Ph.D. Scholarships, Shaheed Benazir Bhutto University, Shaheed Benazirabad

Shaheed Benazir Bhutto University, Shaheed Benazirabad (SBBU, SBA), an emerging public sector university is committed to provide growth opportunities in the country by developing high educational standards and helping/supporting the youth to

Sheen Khyber Pukhtunkhwa - Plantation campaign 2012 in Peshawar by REDA

REDA launched the plantation campaign "Sheen Khyber Pukhtunkhwa" on 28th February by planting saplings in different schools of Hayatabad. These selected schools included Govt. Girls High School, Govt. Girls Primary School and Jica School, Phase 1, Hayatabad. Each school was given 100 saplings. The campaign was started by the Principals by planting a tree in their schools. REDA in partnership with The Edifiers, CAUSE, IMSciences and Islamia College University is volunteering in the campaign with the support of Ministry for Environment, Ministry of Education and Forest Department, KPK.

Principal and Vice Principal Govt. Girls High School, Phase 1, Hayatabad with CEO of The Edifiers. 

Principal, Govt. Girls Primary School, Phase 1, Hayatabad

Principal, Jica School, Phase 1, Hayatabad.

Principal, Govt. Girls High School, Phase 1, Hayatabad planting a tree. 

Principal, Jica School, Phase 1, Hayatabad planting a tree.

Vice Principal, Govt Girls High School, Phase 1, Hayatabad planting a tree. 

Principal, Govt. Girls Primary School, Phase 1, Hayatabad planting tree. 

Sheen Pekhawar - Green Peshawar by REDA, Pakistan

Introduction

According to 1998 census, Peshawar is the highest populated district of Khyber Pukhtunkhwa. It is also an industrial hub of the province. These industries and millions of vehicles used by the locals’ emit toxic gases that have a negative impact on the environment. A steep loss in the number of trees and plants is also noticed in Peshawar and its peripheries due to new roads and many other factors. To attain the environmental equilibrium, a highly proactive plantation campaign is needed; in which communities, students, businessmen and locals are mobilized and encouraged to actively participate. This will be a self-sustained activity for the period of five years managed by “Sheen Pekhawar Network” which is a consortium of civil society organizations, academic institutions, media, local community, Forest Department etc. Lead Organizations include: REDA, ADFIRE, CAUSE, GEPS (Green Environmental Protection Society)

Vision

To develop Peshawar as an environment friendly city, with active involvement of Public sector, CSOs and community.

Objectives

1.       To plant 100,000 saplings of suitable species in District Peshawar and FATA through plantation campaign “Sheen Pekhawar” within Five years, starting March 2012.

2.       Yearly Awareness campaigns regarding environmental issues; causes, effects and required actions.

Situation Analysis

Peshawar has 92 union councils with an estimated population of 2,038,629 (1998 Census). Hayatabad, one of the urban areas, has the major population and is identified with higher need for plantation. Hayatabad is a planned housing society and thus has many small parks, green belts and road side areas that can be used to plant new trees.

Chamkani union council comprises of two villages. It is a rural area where locals are mostly farmers by profession and are ready to actively participate in plantation campaign and have required land as well.

Sheen Pekhawar Network

Sheen Pekhawar Network will form CBOs in the targeted areas to

1.       Take part in awareness campaigns by organizing walks, community get together, banners, corner meetings etc.

2.       Take part in plantation campaign through school children, youth and residents as volunteers.

3.       To look after the saplings for initial two years (irrigation, saving from cattle) etc

Awareness Campaign

Awareness Campaigns will start from 25^th January, 2012 till 15^th February, 2012. Banners, boards and holdings with Awareness Messages will be placed in different strategic locations. Volunteers will be identified and appointed in all sectors of Hayatabad and every Mohallah of Chamkani. Students, businessmen and residents will be contacted and different activities will be organized. Major activities will include but not limited to;

·         Community get together

·         Corner Meetings

·         Community Walks

Different aspects of plantation including its need, impact on environment, benefits and safe keeping will be discussed in these meetings. Responsibilities will be allocated among members for the smooth running and successful completion of the program.

Plantation Campaign

Plantation Campaign will start from 16^th February, 2012 till 30^th March, 2012.

Proposed Species

Specie	Surviving %
Poplar	82.33%
Alianthus	70.26%
Robinia	74.10%
Phulai	56.91%
Bakain	69.87%
Kikar	49.64%
Sheesham	76.17%
Sumbal	64.16%
Iple Iple	60.71%
Toot	77.49%
Mulbary	60.50%
Sour Orange	80.00%

Table 1 Species and Surviving %. (Source: PTA, 2008)

Costing:

Saplings: 100,000 x Rs. 10 = Rs.10, 00,000

Transportation: Rs. 20,000

Tools for planting sapling: Rs. 10,000

Banners: 20 banners x Rs. 1000 = Rs. 20,000