COP21 ~ TRAVEL SERIES

if you’re planning on travelling to

Bangladesh Philippines INDONESIA PAKISTAN MYANMAR VIETNAM year

2050

THIS BOOKLET IS DEDICATED TO ONE SPECIFIC OUTCOME INDUCED BY CLIMATE CHANGES: FLOODING RISK. IF IN 35 YEARS TIME YOU, YOUR CHILDREN OR NEPHEWS WILL BE TRAVELLING OVER THERE, BE AWARE THAT THE CONTENT OF THIS BOOKLET IS MORE LIKELY TO BE CONTAINING INFORMATION YOU MAY REALLY NEED TO KNOW DURING YOUR STAY.

World leaders have been discussing climate changes about to affect the planet in one of the major European capitals. Although, analysis shows that in lower and middle-income countries, socio-economic development is expected to concentrate more people, buildings, infrastructure and other assets in vulnerable regions.

Therefore, the developing world is expected to see more GDP exposed to climate change by 2050.

21 million people worldwide are exposed to flooding risks each year, a figure that is expected to rise to 54 million by 2030. Our lives, here in the EU, probably won’t be too different, but for countries like India, Bangladesh and China, Vietnam, Pakistan or Indonesia, it’s going to be kind of a big deal. Places that we may, as a consequence, just stop looking at when roaming the shelves in the travel section of a bookstore, picking a destination for the next holiday break.

This booklet aims to make you look a bit closer at how it actually feels like to be dealing with floods as part of your everyday life. How the consequences of carelessness towards the environment are affecting the life of people like you, just living on the other side of the planet. This is a collection of real DIY tools that have actually been built and used by people in those countries which are already being affected by disruptive floods. People that are and will be forced to address the crisis with the little they have.

in case of

THE ESSENTIAL PACKING LIST Here is a collection of basic readymade tools commonly used by locals living in the countries you’re about to visit.

If affected by disruptive flooding during your stay, go though the list and try to tick as many boxes as possible.

TRANSPORTATION

BAMBOO AND BASINS FLOATING RAFT

HIGH TIDE WALKING STILTS

PLASTIC BOTTLES FLOATATING BELT

BAGS

WATERPROOF NECK POUCH

HEALTH

PLASTIC BOTTLE WATER FILTER

CARRYING POLE FOR HIGH TIDES

THE ESSENTIAL PACKING LIST

CLOTHES

PLASTIC BAGS KNEE BOOTS

PLASTIC SHOPPING BAG RAIN COAT

WHAT YOU NEED TO BUILD IT

plastic basin

bamboo stick

clothsline

fishing ne t

TRANSPORTATION -

FLOATING BASINS RAFT

Your field trip looks less likely to happ en if your jus t re alised your car is flooded. But a couple bamboo sticks and some plastic basins can at least cover the distance from home to the nearest local venues without getting soaking wet.

HOW TO BUILD IT

1.

CUT ALL STICKS THE SAME LENGTH, A LITTLE MORE THAN TWICE THE BASIN DIAMETRE

2.

TIE THE BAMBOO STICKS TO ONE OTHER IN A 90째 ANGLE, CREATING A FRAME MADE OF SQUARED MODULES

3.

PLACE THE BASINS INSIDE THE MODULES OF THE FRAME

4.

COVER FRAME + BASINS WITH FISHING NET, PULLING IT TIGHT OVER THEM

Raft made by Thai community to address lack of means of transport when streets are flooded and cars can’t be used.

WHAT YOU NEED TO BUILD IT

x 5 to 10 plastic bottle

clothsline

TRANSPORTATION -

PLASTIC BOTTLES SELF FLOATATION BELT

Despite the frequency of floods you might not be a very confident swimmer. Carrying a lifevest with you at all times might not sound very practical, but the likelihood of having plastic bottles a little sting with you is much higher and might be just what you need.

HOW TO BUILD IT

1.

TIE A STRING AROUND THE LOWER PART OF A PLASTIC BOTTLE. LEAVE SOME LENGTH BEFORE THE FIRST KNOT.

2.

TIE THE SAME STRING AROUND ANOTHER BOTTLE. REPEAT THIS WITH 5 TO 10 BOTTLES, ACCORDING TO YOUR WAIST SIZE

3.

REPEAT THE SAME PROCESS AROUND THE CAP OF EACH BOTTLE. LEAVE LEAVE SOME LENGTH AFTER THE LAST KNOT

4.

USE THE ENDS OF THE FIRST AND LAST KNOT TO TIE THE BELT AROUND YOUR WAIST. WHEN INFLATED WITH AIR, THEY’LL KEEP YOU AFLOAT

Man shows his personal design of a plastic bottle lifevest at an Oxfam centre in Bangladesh.

WHAT YOU NEED TO BUILD IT

x2 stainless steel metal bracket

wooden branch

clothesline

electric drill

knife

TRANSPORTATION -

HIGH TIDE WALKING STILTS

When you really need to get out of home, but the aftermath of the flood still means roads are blocked and water is high up to your chest, you may not want to get your clothes soaking wet. A set of stilts can keep you fully dry, as soon as you learn how to control them.

HOW TO BUILD IT

1.

PICK A WOODEN BRANCH AND CLEAN IT FROM LEAVES AND NODES

2.

NAIL A METAL BRACKET AT ABOUT 1/3 OF EACH BRANCH OVERALL LENGTH

3.

DRILL A HOLE INTO EACH BRANCH AND INSERT A STRING IN IT

4.

TIE THE STRING AROUND YOUR CALVES FOR HIGHER STABILITY

Man walks the street of Bangkok while staying dry in the aftermath of a flood on his DIY stilts.

WHAT YOU NEED TO BUILD IT

clothesline

new condom

CLOTHES -

WATERPROOF NECK POUCH FOR VALUABLES

When water level raises uncontrollably, you can’t considered anything not waterproof to be safe, even if securely stored in your pockets or bags. Pick your pocket money, your smartphone or tablet: all those tools that might secure your way out of a crisis can be irreparably damaged in one moment, one single wave of water.

HOW TO BUILD IT

1.

TAKE AN UNUSED CONDOM AND TEAR THE PACKAGING OPEN

2.

TAKE YOUR POCKET MONEY / STASH OF LOCAL CURRENCY AND ROLL IT UP

3.

FIT THE ROLLED CASH INTO THE CONDOM, BUT DON’T TIE IT WITH A KNOT. OTHERWISE YOU WON’T BE ABLE TO OPEN IT WITHOUT BRAKING IT

4.

TIE IT WITH A STRING INSTEAD. THEN, TIE TOGETHER THE CORD ENDS IN A BIG HOOP, TO CARRY IT AS A NECK POUCH

Philippine kid shows how to protect valuables from water by sealing them in a sandwitch bag; condom used to contain cash as found in a refugee camp.

WHAT YOU NEED TO BUILD IT

knife

bamboo stick

electric drill

TRANSPORTATION -

CARRYING POLE FOR MONSOON SEASON SHOPPING

Being them groceries, personal items or any other shopping expense. After a flood, when things go quiet again but water levels still remain high, the content of those bags can be damaged and rendered unusable. A very simple traditional technique comes quite handy, allowing to raise even very heavy bags a little higher - and keep them dry.

HOW TO BUILD IT

1.

CUT THE BAMBOO BRANCH IN HALF AND REMOVE ANY LEAF

2.

DRILL A HOLE ON EACH SIDE, HELPING YOURSELF WITH A KNIFE TO MAKE A LARGER U-SHAPED NOTCH

3.

TAKE THE BAGS YOU ARE CARRYING AND TIE THEM WITH A LARGE KNOT

4.

INSERT THE BAG INTO THE NOTCH, WITH THE KNOT ON TOP - SO THAT, WHEN YOU LIFT THE BAMBOO, THE BAG WON’T FALL DOWN -.

Monks carry provisions in Thailand urban area affected by intense raining; man carrying a shoulder pole made out of bamboo in China Water Regions

WHAT YOU NEED TO BUILD IT plastic bottle

sand

rocks

charcoal

thin kitchen towel

scissors

TRANSPORTATION -

PLASTIC BOTTLE WATER FILTER

Brand new water bottles may not be as easy to find as you think when rain hits hard and supplies struggle to reach your village. Water is all around you but none of it would be good for your health. Luckily there’s a way you can get clean water with your own hands - and few other things - .

HOW TO BUILD IT

1.

CUT A PLASTIC BOTTLE IN HALF. REMOVE THE CAP, YOU WON’T NEED IT

2.

CUT A PIECE OF CLOTH, PLACE IT OVER THE BOTTLE OPENING AND TIE IT TO THE NECK WITH A RUBBER BAND

3.

PUT THE TOP OF THE BOTTLE UPSIDE DOWN AND STICK IT IN THE LOWER PART

4.

PUT IN THIS ORDER CHARCOAL - SAND - PEBBLES. NOW THE WATER YOU’LL POUR IN WILL BE PURIFIED BY THE TIME IT GETS THROUGH ALL THE LAYERS

DIY portable water filter built as part of a video tutorial in the woods of north-west India.

WHAT YOU NEED TO BUILD IT

x4 plastic bag

scissors

gaffer tape

CLOTHES -

PLASTIC BAGS KNEE BOOTS

Given the latitude of the country you are visiting, it’s safe to assume you’ll spend most of your time wearing open shoes such as flip-flops. Although, increasingly frequent floods during rain season may require you to be walking through the streets with water up your knees. Therefore, if you didn’t think of packing knee-high rubber boots, here is a quick fix.

HOW TO BUILD IT

1.

YOU ARE WEARING YOUR FLIP - FLOPS AND WATER OUTSIDE IS HIGH TO YOUR KNEES.

2.

TAKE A PLASTIC BAG AND PUT YOUR FOOT IN IT, WITH YOUR SHOES ON. TIE IT TO YOUR ANKLE WITH GAFFER TAPE.

3.

TAKE ANOTHER PLASTIC BAG AND, WITHOUT OPENING IT, WRAP IT AROUND YOUR CALF.

4.

TIE IT TO YOUR CALF WITH MORE GAFFER TAPE. DO THE SAME WITH THE OTHER LEG.

Tourist in Bangkok keeps on shopping despite heavy raining.

UNHCR camp in Timor island (Indonesia).

WHAT YOU NEED TO BUILD IT

marker

x 2 bin liner

scissors

gaffer tape

TRANSPORTATION -

BIN LINER RAIN COAT

You might have not thought of packing a raincoat when leaving for your Christmas break to a warmer country. Well, that could have been a big mistake, but locals seems to have found an easy way around the problem.

HOW TO BUILD IT

1.

TAKE A BIN LINER UPSIDE DOWN. HOLD IT IN FRONT OF YOUR TORSO AND MARK THE POSITION OF YOUR ARMS AND HEAD

2.

TAKE ANOTHER LINER .

CUT THE BOTTOM AT ABOUT 1/3 OF ITS WHOLE HIGHT. KEEP THE CUT ON THE FRONT SLIGHTLY CURVED

3.

4.

TAKE THE FIRST LINER .

MAKE A CUT THE LENGTH OF THE THREE MARKS YOU JUST MADE

FOLD THE CORNERS OF THE SECOND LINER AND CONNECT IT TO THE FIRST ONE WITH GAFFER TAPE.

Kid pretects from heavy rain in Bangladesh urban area; man uses a bin liner to stay dry in a refugee camp.

To help raise awareness, you can download this booklet from www.martamonge.org, print it at home, gift it to someone you care about or slip it yourself into the travel section of a bookstore.

And do not forget to talk about it on you blog, website or magazine and tweet your thoughts to @emmecomemarta