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Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Esther Havens Photography

http://estherhavens.com/blog/

I've followed Esther for several years. She is probably the Iwan Baan of the humanitarian world. She has some amazing Haiti photos on her blog that are worth viewing.

Monday, October 18, 2010

$900,000 for a 3-bedroom ... in Haiti?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/cb_haiti_earthquake_housing

before/after google earth

Maps of Haiti in septembre 2008 and after the earthquake.

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/01/14/world/20100114-haiti-imagery.html

$900,000 for a 3-bedroom ... in Haiti?

Some fell. The prices on those that survived defy belief. One senator put up his three-bedroom with panoramic views for $15,000 a month. (Its nine Rottweiler guard dogs are free.) Finding anything similar for less than $5,000 is a steal. Want to buy? A three-bedroom with guest apartment lists for $900,000.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/cb_haiti_earthquake_housing

Sunday, October 17, 2010

Food Assistance Rebuilds Lives

As Haiti raises itself from the rubble of the January earthquake, WFP is helping survivors start again by giving them cash and food in return for work to rebuild the country. Johnny, who lost his family, and Florence, who dreams of starting a business, are among those reclaiming their lives.

....

Every day, he helps clear debris from the streets in return for about USD $5 in cash and food rations. The temporary employment keeps him clothed and fed, and even allows him to save up money to help his elderly mother.

The rubble that workers like Johnny are collecting goes to pave roads and build walls to combat erosion and protect farms around the country.

....


video showing their labor and payment with food & money
http://www.wfp.org/videos/food-aid-rebuilds-lives-haiti

more reading;
http://www.wfp.org/stories/haiti-food-assistance-rebuilds-lives

world health organization [WHO] guide to emergency shelters

some recommendations for floor area and facilities, etc., in a temporary relief shelter:
http://www.k4health.org/toolkits/haiti_relief/shelter-and-emergency-settlements

highlights include:

* Beds or mats should be separated by a minimum distance of 0.75 metres.

* People sleeping on beds or mats should have a minimum of 3.5m2 of floor area or 10m3 of air space. In rooms with high ceilings, double bunk beds may be used.

* One wash basin should be provided for every 10 people.

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Chaoscope

I love this program that uses attractor mathematics and applies them to particle fields. Check it out at http://www.chaoscope.org/

Here's some of my own:

Sunday, October 10, 2010

Doctors Without Borders(MSF)

The Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières(MSF) had been working in Haiti for 19 years prior to the earthquake, the following link is all the info associated with the MSF and its work in Haiti:

http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/news/allcontent.cfm?id=31

Also, they published a report on the key data on earthquake emergency relief in July 2010:

http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/publications/reports/2010/MSF_Emergency-Response-after-the-Haiti-Earthquake_Low.pdf

Haiti Statistics

http://www.nationmaster.com/country/ha-haiti

This website contains large amounts of statistical information covering a range of topics. This site also shows how Haiti ranks relative to other countries.

A couple of statistics I found of interest:
Haiti has only 8 hospital beds per every 10,000 people.
There are only 2.5 physicians for every 10,000 people.
Average Haitian adult has only 2.8 years of education.

earthquake affected area map


Friday, October 8, 2010

The MacGyvers of the Developing World

http://www.afrigadget.com/

This is a design/engineering/innovation site I've been following for quite some time now. The site references Africa in particular, but its dedicated to ingenuity throughout the devloping world. Interesting stuff - take a look.

Haiti Storm Update

http://architectureforhumanity.org/updates/2010-09-25-haiti-update-port-au-prince-hit-by-severe-storm-people-seek-

Image of 2008 Hurricane damage in Haiti.
Read below about how a small storm is already making a big impact on struggling Haiti.
At approximately 3PM yesterday, a strong storm manifested over Port-au-Prince without any significant warning. Several team members were out in the storm (but in vehicles). High winds knocked down trees and blew around debris, dirt and dust. There were reports of cyclonic winds and tornadoes but no confirmation yet. Heavy rains accompanied the storm and flooded streets. Many streets became impassable due to flooding, accidents or downed trees. The storm lasted approximately 1 hour. Thousands of tents and tarps were flattened, hundreds of shelters destroyed. Several camps flooded, some up to the knees. At present, five casualties have been reported but that number is expected to rise.

The team was on a camp site today by 8 to inspect damage and offer assistance. Because of security concerns, the team was not allowed into the actual IDP camp, but helped in cleaning out the medical tent area, removing debris and collecting any surviving items for transfer to the newly acquired building. All of the debris in the camp was cleaned out by 11AM.

Our Regional Program Manager, Eric Cesal, in concluding his report, said: "As a somber ending to all this, I ask whatever update is written reflect the reality we're facing here on the ground. I was beaming with pride today, both for the fact that our work was the work that stood up, and for how the team responded to the crisis this morning. But I think we should temper our pride with a check-in of what we're really facing. People are dying here. The high winds lasted for only 15 minutes, and managed to throw this city into complete chaos, leave thousands shelterless, and kiling five people. The next storm may not be so charitable. As I write, its begun to rain again."

Thursday, October 7, 2010

Filtration Lo-tech methods


One of these is the Sodis method, using a plastic bottle and sunlight to kill pathogens; another is a sand filter, also effective at ridding water of pathogens. Solar ovens also kill pathogens. Combinations can be very effective. The major risk right now is from human waste or toxins entering the water supply.


The sanitation team is building compost toilets which separate liquid and solid human waste. The solid waste will decompose much faster when separated, and once all pathogens are eliminated, it can be used as fertilizer for fruit trees and similar food sources, which keeps the system as a closed loop and eliminates the waste stream. Urine can be used immediately to fertilize plants – it is sterile, and when diluted with water, becomes an excellent source of nitrogen, potassium and phosphorous. By using this waste stream to grow food, we protect sensitive ecosystems and human systems from pollution and we can accelerate the growth of a future food supply. These systems can be safely built with available materials – they are low tech systems and can be fairly rapidly replicated all over the cities and camps.

Tropical CLimate Diagrams





























Water Filtration



http://www.cleanwaterforhaiti.org/Design/HTML/filter.html

How does it work? (courtisy of CAWST)
1. Water is poured into the top of the filter as needed, where a diffuser plate placed above the sand bed dissipates the initial force of the water. Traveling slowly through the sand bed, the water then passes through several layers of gravel and collects in a pipe at the base of the filter. At this point, the water is propelled through plastic piping encased in the concrete exterior, and out of the filter, for the user to collect.

2. As with all slow sand filters, the removal of pathogens occurs in the BioSand filter due to a combination of biological and mechanical processes. When water is poured into the top of the filter, the organic material it is carrying is trapped at the surface of the fine sand, forming a biological layer or 'schmutzdecke'. Over a period of one to three weeks, micro-organisms colonize the schmutzdecke, where organic food and oxygen derived from the water abounds.

The people of Haiti live in harsh conditions and have very limited access to clean water sources. As a vulnerable population, which combined with significantly contaminated water sources that are a leading cause of disease transmission, they will only be faced with illness and death. Taking measures to reduce the dose of pathogens that they are receiving will go a long way towards reducing illness and subsequent death.

Super useful way to find information about Haiti (thanks for Seokhun)

From the previous posts by Seokhun, you can simply type the word "haiti" by using the search function on www. reliefweb.int, and you will able to find a lot of useful topic of Haiti, and they usually comes with hi-res maps and graphs. below is a link directly to the search results.

http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/srch.nsf/doc304SearchResults?OpenForm&query=haiti&view=rwallsppublished&offset=0&hits=25&sortby=rwpubdate-rwpubdatedisplay&sortdirection=descending&mode=simpleall

Rebuilding Schools in Haiti


"Haiti has had an urgent crisis, and the world responded. We now need to look ahead and help Haiti in its long-term recovery. Helping kids get an education is a great place to start."



"When asked what needs to be done to rebuild Haiti, virtually every leader we talked to echoed the same three things: Infrastructure (sanitation, water, food, power), jobs and education. Education seems to be the least urgent in a time of crisis, but if Haiti is ever going to rebuild itself, educating the next generation is vital."

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Haiti Calendar Of Events

January

Independence Day – January 1
Ancestry Day – January 2

February

Carnival

Carnival or Mardi Gras begins before the week before Ash Wednesday, with the main action around the capital Port-au-Prince. They are large bands with massive sound systems that drive around playing music and people dancing and having a grand time. Carnival comes before Rara, which has been dubbed the ‘rural Carnival.’

April

Death of Toussaint L’Ouverture – April 7

July

Saut d’Eau – July 16
Plaine du Nord – July 25
Feast Day of St. Anne – July 26

The two major Voodoo pilgrimages that take place ear year occur during the month of July. Saut d’Eau happens on July 16 in the village of Ville-Bonheur. Pilgrims journey to the sacred waterfall and visit a church built on the spot where the Virgin Mary allegedly appeared in 1884. The second occurs on July 25, which is celebrated on the day of St. James and is associated with the Voodoo spirit Ogou Ferraille. Pilgrims come from all over the country dressed in red-and-blue clothes for the ceremonies. They usually move on to Limonade where the feast day of St. Anne doubles up with Erzulie, another Voodoo spirit.

August

Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

October

Death of Jean-Jacques Dessalines – October 17

November

All Saints Day – November 1
All Souls Day – November 2
Vertieres Day – November 18

People visit the cemeteries to pour libations for Baron Samedi around crosses festooned with candles, skulls and marigolds. These visits are done on November 1 and 2 to celebrate All Saints Day and All Souls Day respectively.

December

Discovery Day – December 5
Christmas Day – 25th December

Haiti and the Biofuel Controversy


Biofuels have been a hot topic. What is your opinion about pursuit of biofuels in Haiti?
In Haiti, we have problem of people relying on charchoal or wood for cooking. We need alternatives. Imported fossil fuels cannot be the only answer.
Link:

Haiti and Alternative Charcoal


A new alternative charcoal briquette developed by a professor from MIT has been introduced in southern Haiti. Professor Amy Smith and her students have created an alternative that is made from locally available organic materials, a steel drum, and a press.

Link
http://haitienvironment.blogs.escapecs.com/2008/04/30/haiti-and-alternative-charcoal/

Port-au-Prince Road Condition (January 28, 2010)



high-resolution image:
http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/fullmaps_am.nsf/luFullMap/DF6C58033F27C93D852576C1005C0458/$File/map.pdf?OpenElement

WFP Food distribution Map

Here is the map showing Food distribution points and Tent cities.
You can get high-resolution images from the links right below each image.





















http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/fullmaps_am.nsf/luFullMap/899069735A723DE2C12576C4004ACB27/$File/map.pdf?OpenElement





















http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/fullmaps_am.nsf/luFullMap/595DA957317E75C2492576C000032E6E/$File/map.pdf?OpenElement

World Disaster Precedents

Arup+World Economic Forum: Dealing with world disasters.

This pdf has a report on dealing with world disasters, precedent data dealing with money, supplies, and methods on how previous diasters were approached.

http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_EN_DisasterResourcePartnership_InterimReport_2010.pdf

Tsunami Mitgation and the Ethics of Disaster Relief

Tsunami mitigation through case studies and the ethics of disaster relief funding; how funds are distributed and do they really get there?

http://courses.washington.edu/larescue/precedents/prevention.htm

http://colorlines.com/archives/2010/01/another_tent_city_haitis_refugee_crisis_leads_to_mass_exodus.html

http://www.scu.edu/ethics/publications/briefings/philanthropy.html

Monday, October 4, 2010

Official Social and Demographic Statistics

Haiti's Ministry of Economy and Finance official page:

http://www.ihsi.ht/produit_demo_soc.htm


All sorts of official data can be found in french, to find what you are interested in just run it through the google translator, as such:

http://translate.google.com/translate?js=n&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&layout=2&eotf=1&sl=fr&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ihsi.ht%2Fproduit_demo_soc.htm


Once you have it just ask Flo or me to translate it, they are pretty clear...

Sunday, October 3, 2010

latest article about Haiti -OpEd NYT

Blue Haiti
Published: September 30, 2010
life after the earthquake

"A soft rain greeted me when I stepped off the plane, as if to wash away my anxiety. So did the energizing rhythm of a calypso band playing under a nearby canopy."

"Haitians have even invented their own name for the earthquake: “Goudou Goudou.” It’s an onomatopoeia; when the earth shook, the rumbling sounded something like that."



http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/01/opinion/01clesca.html?scp=6&sq=haiti&st=cse

History of natural disasters to hit the Haiti

2008
Four separate hurricanes - Fay, Gustav, Hanna, and Ike - in the space of 30 days led to the deaths of more than 800 people. About 60 per cent of the country's harvest was destroyed and entire cities were rendered desolate and uninhabitable.

Sept 2004
Tropical Storm Jeanne deluged the tiny Caribbean country. Resulting flooding and landslides killed up to 2,500 people and displacing thousands more.

1998
Hurricane George killed more than 400 people while destroying 80 per cent of all the crops in the country.

1994
Hurricane Gordon killed over 1000 Haitians.

1963
Hurricane Flora killed over 8000 people, making it the 6th most deadly hurricane ever.

1954
Hurricane Hazel killed more than 100 people and destroyed several towns. The storm also wiped out 40 per cent of the coffee trees and 50 per cent of the cacao crop.

1946
The largest recorded earthquake in modern times on the island of Hispaniola was an 8.1-magnitude temblor that produced a tsunami and killed 1,790 people. Centered in the Dominican Republic, it extended into Haiti.

1935
An unnamed storm killed more than 2000 people.


information from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/centralamericaandthecaribbean/haiti/6978919/Haiti-earthquake-history-of-natural-disasters-to-hit-the-country.html

Links from the New York Times


Satellite images before and after earthquake.

Port-au-Prince, National palace before and after 12 january 2010.






Click link below for more images
http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2010/01/satellite-photos-of-haiti-before-and-after-the-earthquake/2/

Shelter box principle

Tent City (Tent Suburbs)

Richard Morse on Tent Suburbs

Haitian Tent Cities (click image for larger view)




pdf topo maps of haiti

per the university of texas at austin
index of maps:
http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/topo/haiti/
clickable map view:

Current Hurricane Relief in Haiti

Shipping Container City
Follow link for more images and information


Follow link for more information


Follow link for more information

life in Haiti before the earhtquake

haiti before the earthquake
Before an earthquake brought Haiti to international consciousness, Justin Brandon, Brian McElroy and Dan Schnorr traveled the impoverished nation for five weeks and made Road to Fondwa. "http://www.scribemedia.org/2010/01/15/haiti-before-the-earthquake/"

peepoo

a solution for sanitation without infrastructure
product site
information video:

use in haiti:

low-cost cabins offered for post-haiti earthquake housing



and supplementary article:
http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/02/24/1498903/low-cost-cabins-offered-for-post.html?pageNum=2&mi_pluck_action=page_nav#Comments_Container
"A Miami company has launched an effort to provide Haitians left homeless by the quake with simple, inexpensive cabins made of sturdy space-age materials and designed by a famed Miami architect."

dirt cookies


plus, a 2008 article explaining how these cookies came into popularity:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22902512/
"With food prices rising, Haiti's poorest can't afford even a daily plate of rice, and some take desperate measures to fill their bellies."

Saturday, October 2, 2010

Recent economic of Haiti by IMF

Here is a super detail report by International Monetary Fund, showing recently economic of Haiti, such as GDP growth, banking system, external sectors, etc. I have attached a few graphs from the report, if you want to take a look at the full report, you can download from the link below

https://www.yousendit.com/download/WTNLTG01Qk5tNEpjR0E9PQ






Deforestation in Haiti

"Deforestation in Haiti is a severe environemntal problem. In 1923, over 60% of Haiti's land was forested; by 2006, less than 2% was. " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deforestation_in_Haiti

Roughly two-thirds of Haiti's employment are in agriculture, it is due to the lack of education and technological resource. However, the environment in Haiti is very difficult for vegetation to grow due to soil erosion and under cultivation. In a result of that, in spite such a large population are in the agriculture industry, it only produces one-fourth of the GDP.

One major caused of deforestation is that most of the Haitian depend on wood and charcoal as the primary fuel source. While there was very few regulations on cutting trees, the amount of trees decline drastically.

Deforestation also lower the capacity of protection when storm and hurricane comes

Debt Relief for Haiti: Savings for the Future


A saving debt system supported by IMF (International Monetary Fund) and the world bank. It will then allow Haiti to save 50 million a year to spend on health, education and property.

Haitian Voodoo


A documentary of voodoo ceremony. It doesn't make too much sense to me, but at least it shows how they are concern and deal with spiritual issues.

Friday, October 1, 2010

Reverse-Morphometric Process
(Unfolding Complex Geometries)

This exercise involved a serial exploration of the base geometry used in the Recursive Folding process (see previous entry). Rather than utilizing a lo-res base geometry to build spatial complexity, this exploration used a lo-res base geometry and worked backwards to strategically unfold the complex spatial-form into a developable plane. The purpose of the new trajectory is to understand how a project state can be assumed and then used to reverse engineer the process into a more tangible starting point. These simplified forms also contain the a greater potiental to be aggregated into a single larger structure that would be defined by its enclosure (as opposed to its mass).

The first step involved generating (25) 5-sided triangulated shapes. The surfaces all share corner points and edges with adjacent surfaces. These 25 possibilities were analyzed to determine if any planes intersected one another (which many did). Five forms were chosen to be studied through the reverse-morphometric process.

click image for larger view


The chosen forms each went through a 4 step iterative process. At each step there were several options for the form: rotation of a surface about an adjacent edge, re-triangulation of a surface based on corner points of other surfaces, and deletion of non-confoming surfaces.

click image for larger view