How can we help the devastating flooding in Japan and South Asia?

“Dozens of people have been killed and 2 million forced to flee their homes after record rains pounded southwest Japan, triggering widespread flooding and deadly landslides”, according to CNN report on 9 July 2018.

In March this year, Japan Times already urged for a long-term climate plan to combat climate-related problems. “Japan is already experiencing various problems associated with climate change, such as more frequent and severe flooding caused by torrential rains, increases heatstroke cases, and lower crop yields due to higher temperatures.”

In fact, there are many warnings and climate-related reports have been releasing over the past decade to remind us extreme weather caused natural disasters would be affecting us more frequently and devastatingly.

According to the World Resources Institute, flooding and related extreme weather would be costing South Asian localities over US$215 billion every year by 2030.

Apart from climate change, the disastrous impact on natural disasters also induced by lack of city planning for most of the cases in South Asia region. Every year we witnessed the severe monsoon storms hit India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nepal etc. Just in 2017, a single rain flood had to cause over 1,000 dead.

We, as an individual, instead of just scrolling the screen typing pray for Japan or pray for another locality, we can do more.

Here are some suggestions from Dr. Kimberly Nicholas, Associate Professor of Sustainability Science Lund University Centre for Sustainability Studies and Seth Wynes, PhD Student, University of British Columbia.