Dec 5 2009
Mercy Corps has implemented an Indonesian Cities Project, with the support from the Urban and Regional Development Institute (URDI). This one year project has received a grant of $525,000 from the Rockefeller Foundation.
Mercy corps is involved in preparing and recovering the urban slum dwellers in Indonesia from the impacts brought about by global warming. This is quite similar to the Copenhagen conference that aims in fighting against various climate change issues. This project is a part of the Asian Cities Change Resilience Network that was established by the Rockefeller Foundation.
Mercy Corps is operating in Bandar Lampung and Semarang, the two Indonesian cities where there is insufficient water supply, flooding and wide spread of diseases, which are outcome of climate change impacts. Risk reduction measures are tested by Mercy Corps along with government bodies that include universities and research institutions, the Indonesian Ministry of the Environment and non-governmental organizations.
The United Nations suggest that the negative outcomes of global warming will tremendously increase in the next 30 years as a result of the global urban population increasing from 3.2 billion to 4.9 billion. Group discussions with slum dwellers are conducted by Mercy Corps to get first hand comments on how climate change has affected the lives of these poor people. Through these discussions Mercy Corps along with its city partners expects to develop proper measures and models by the year 2012 and also to protect these people from the impacts of global warming.
Ashvin Dayal, Managing Director of the Rockefeller Foundation in Asia, remarked that Mercy Corps and URDI together will play an important role in enabling the Indonesian people to successfully overcome these negative impacts. Though all the negative impacts brought about by climate change cannot be altered. Dayal highlights the need to develop improved strategies, tools and techniques to fight against climate change issues.
Sean Granville-Ross, the country Director of Mercy Corps, remarked that Mercy Corps with their expert advice on disaster management and with the funding received from the Rockefeller Foundation will encourage the Indonesian slum dwellers to handle climate change impacts with a positive attitude.