Merry Christmas Mali!

As I have the pleasure of investigating Mali for my extended project essay, I wish all the children there a wonderful and happy christmas!

Flooding on Christmas day...

Flooding on Christmas day...

"There is nothing worse than not being with your family at Christmas"

But hey the communties have spirit! Nothing is going to stop the children enjoying themselves on Christmas. Wood wind band outside. Christmas is still here.

Environmental agency have been putting up flood defences today... too late?

Santa Claus is coming to town...!

Using my geographical map skills! 

Guessing which countries Santa will be at next on...

http://www.noradsanta.org/en/track.html :)

Geographers Assemble...?

The great geographer/geologist Iain Stewart and aspiring geographer me :)

Tectonic Hazards Geography Conference

An amazing day filled with lectures from some of the greatest Geographers.

Sue Warm and her brilliant take on global trends in geophysical, hydrometeorological, biological and climatological hazards.

Dr Martin Degg and his interesting presentation on the nature and history of volcanic hazards in Italy, including the super volcano that half a million people are living in.

Professor Fiona Tweed and her wonderful discussion on constructive boundaries and Iceland. Future goal... to visit the Icelandic volcanoes including EYJAFJALLAJOKULL!

Dr Peter Matanle and his deep talk on whether a "hope beyond disaster" is a valid assessment of the responses of natural disasters focusing in particular on Japan.. Prior to this, earlier in the morning, Japan had an earthquake of 7.3. Wow!

David Redfern and his fantastic advice on the role of players and strategies in case studies. Thinking like a geographer of course! 

And not to forget... Professor Iain Stewart and his out of this world presentation on earthquakes: the good, the bad and the ugly! Which was extremely good!! He went into so many different aspects of earthquakes and what we should be doing in the future for earthquakes, which is most important! Probably could have sat and listened to him all day, phenomenal!

Overall... it was pretty awesome! :)

Long time...

I believe it has been far too long! Back to blogging about the wonderful and mysterious world of Geography!

"Geography Summer School"

Off to geography summer school to investigate peri-glacial landscapes, a rejuvenating tourist district, ecosystem micro climates, urban rebranding and... FLAMBOROUGH HEAD :)

"Isle of Wight Geographical Greatness"

Meandering at Shepherds Chine.

The awesome shingle beach!

Wow!

The chalk coast at the next headland.

The coastal erosion of the cliff is rapidly eroding! The one metre a year erosion has rapidly increased in the past few years resulting in an unstable coastline which recently caused injury to a person. Another aspect prominently saw at the coast were landslips. Attempting to climb up one was pretty hard! No coastal management strategies are being put forward as the land above is of no use, and it is to expensive to apply. However... how long are they going to let this erosion continue for?

"Home sweet home.."

Back home from Geo and Marine Science summer school. It was pretty awesome! Investigated the geology of the Isle of Wight coast line, done some oceanography under grad fieldwork at sea and had an awesome time! :)

"Education for Everyone! Reality or a far distance dream?"

Finished my penultimate year of school! Hardest yet but who am I to complain. I have access to a wonderful education system in which I am educated to a high standard in subjects of my choice that will lead me to higher education... Pretty standard for a generalisation of "most" kids in UK and USA perhaps. However in some countries literacy rates are as low as 30.

Mali. A country in Western Africa that in 2009 held a literacy rate of 22.9. Although this number now is argued through numerous sources, it is still exceedingly low and may be in the range of lowest rates in Africa.

The education system of Mali provides compulsory free education for children aged between 7 and 16. "Compulsory" being the key word. Even though it is compulsory the enrollment rate into school is again very low, with approximately 900,000 children out of school all together. Although the education is free, parents are unable to afford school equipment, uniform, etc.

Additionally, education within these schools are at a poor standard. With a lack of teachers it results in huge classes in poor buildings and limited materials due to limited funding. This is saddening to hear that children are restricted of a good standard education due to money. I live in a country where schools offer a fantastic education system accessible to generally every child and still some children play truant.

Further more, the enrollment to secondary education in Mali is even worse. With some prejudiced against girls, limited schools within some districts and a lack of drive to achieve high, these children are suffering.

To meet with the Millennium goals, the Mailan government has the goal of providing a solid education for all children of Mali by 2015. Impossible? Too far fetched? Or maybe possible... with the help of other countries and bottom-up aid... But who should help? Us, the government, leave Mali to its own devices?

"Sand Dune Succession Success!"

Attempting to be awesome with the clinometer gun :D Sand dune succession was pretty awesome! Using a belt transect method we measured north from the shore every 50 metres, then measured wind speed, (if on a sand dune) the gradient at that point from the ground and the width of the sand dune. As well as using the quadrats to work out the diversity of the vegetation! All in all it was pretty amazing! Data presentation, analysis and evaluation next! :)

"Today is the Day"

Off to the Ainsdale sand dunes armed with a pass, to carry out some fieldwork for the Geography Project! Lets hope the clouds stay clear away, sun keeps shining and we rock this fieldwork :D

"Comic Con AKA SuperTourism"

COMIC CON!!! Theoretically this is the greatest four days of any person's life! Doctor Who, Torchwood, Marvel, DC, Limited Edition Comic Books, Film posters, Shonen Jump, Anime, Manga, Big Bang Theory, Twilight etc... Reality, not so much, as I sit watching through a computer screen, other people's happiness... However, San Diego's Comic Con this weekend is expected to get the attendance of 130,000 people! With the arrival of many more awaiting outside the venue wishing they could "Force" (Star Wars :D ) their way through. This event alone and all the people that arrive will contribute to a small increase in the economy. This SuperTourism (Superman :D ) is suspected to "feed tens of millions of dollars into the local economy", which has impressed the local mayor. According to a tourism official "the event will result in $75 million in direct spending in the area". So Comic Con is not just out of this world and on a parallel universe (Doctor Who :D ) for CC fans, but also pretty amazing for the economy of San Diego! Smiles all around... (If you are there) :)

"Supervolcano Spectacular"

Thursday on Volcano Live is a special on super volcanoes! What wonders will be discovered?

"Research Geographer"

Just one reason why I want to be a research geographer! Oh my goodness, it is amazing! 

"Volcano Live"

Volcano Live is mind blowing! Oh how I would love to be at some of those sites. Standing on top of Mt Vesuvius was pretty epic but standing 500 metres away from an active, lava splurging volcano.... now that would be epic! My congratulations go to the person saying eyjafjallajokull, wondeful :)

"Even The Hundred Acre Wood Is Flooding"

"People try to save and collect their precious belongings as the rising floods submerge ground level... Some leaving with just a passport"

"Some people are left stranded in their homes awaiting rescue as the rising floods causes danger to the old and young..."

"One Man Without His Dog"

Torrential downpour seems to have reduced slightly but still around UK and the world people are trying to come to terms with what there lives have been turned upside down to. Flood warnings and alerts have been reduced to 12 and 90 respectively, with 113 no longer in force, which suggests good signs for the people of UK, however the people who have been affected are now facing up to it all...

A young guy in Northumberland has been confirmed dead as his car crashed due to the torrential rain and waterlogged roads. A young man with his life ahead of him dead due to water.. 

In Russia the death toll has risen to 155. An inquiry put out by the Russian president, is investigating whether enough was done to help and save these people. Stories are increasingly navigating around the internet to which one caught my eye.

As the water levels were rising people where calling around to each other and as a community helping one another, jumping out of windows, gathering families to safety. But for one old lady this was not to be. Living alone, keeping herself to herself, water levels rose, trapped under furniture... But "No-one came calling for her to leave". 

Did Russia do enough to warn the people of Krasnodor? Although the floods started at 2am, whilst people were sleeping, were there no predictions and warnings the previous night for these people? 

Last but not least... "a dog was swept away, on Saturday night when his owner fell into the water. The man suffered slight shock but there have been no further sightings of the missing dog" :(

"The Darkness of Night"

We in UK believe we are having it bad with our torrential downpour and our 100+ flood warnings and alerts. However in the darkness of night, without warning, came flash floods caused by the torrential rain in Krasnodar, Russia. A staggering 144 people have died, many asleep when the dark attack of flooding came.  Old and young dead. Further more, areas have become submerged as evacuation takes place of the approximately 13,000 people affected. An event that has not been seen in over 70 years has caused death, destruction and panic. 

"Flood Warnings Are Still Coming"

"Rapidly Increasing Flood Warnings"

"2012 Year of Floods...?"

In the past month our news has been filled with droughts, substantial rain and now floods. At this current moment flood alerts are at 162 and even more scary, flood warnings are at 65! Already many people have been rescued, the weakening infrastructure in some places is causing fear and many events across the spectrum of sport and music have been cancelled. Is this torrential rain more than just precipitation? Records starting from 1910 up to the current day have stated that June 2012 in the North West has been the wettest June in over 100 years! With 197mm of rainfall last month will this continue onto July?