Geography News June 2006

Thousands evacuated as Mount Merapi threatens to erupt
China's Three Gorges Dam completed
Plans for Severn Barrage approved by government ministers
Russia responds to environmental concerns over oil pipelines
UN report warns of slow progress on reducing malnutrition
Russian pro-natalist policy offers 'cash for kids'

Thousands evacuated as Mount Merapi threatens to erupt

Thousands of people living on the slopes of Indonesia's Mount Merapi were evacuated from their homes in early May 2005. The evacuation to emergency shelters followed a series of earthquakes and minor eruptions that signalled the possibility of a major eruption. Lava flowed down one of the flanks of the volcano and ash and smoke were erupted into the skies above the volcano. Local officials raised the threat status to its highest level.

 
Steam and ash rising from Mount Merapi (AFP/Reuters)

Some 20,000 people live in the shadow of the volcano. Most are relatively poor farmers and some have strong religious beliefs associated with the mountain. Many were reluctant to leave their homes, farms and livestock and this made it difficult for officials who were trying to evacuate the area. Indeed in mid-May many hundreds of people started to return to their villages despite the continuing high state of alert.

Merapi - which means 'mountain of fire' - lies on the 'Pacific Ring of Fire' and is one of the most active volcanoes in the region. It has erupted 68 times since 1548. In 1994 a gas cloud emitted from the volcano killed 60 people and in 1930 a major eruption left 1,300 people dead. In 1006 an eruption left much of central Java buried in ash. It is clearly a volcano with the potential to cause widespread destruction.

In common with all active volcanoes, Mount Merapi is monitored constantly for any activity. Observatories on the ground together with satellites provide scientists with detailed and up-to-date information about seismic activity, geophysical and geochemical changes and heat flow. Volcanic eruptions can now be considered one of the more predictable natural hazards along with hurricanes, although they have the potential to be highly destructive way beyond the local scale.

(Further information can be obtained from the BBC website at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/4992480.stm. Volcano World at http://volcano.und.edu has excellent information on Mount Merapi and is a splendid site for all aspects of volcanoes.)

China's Three Gorges Dam completed

On 20 May 2006 the highly controversial Three Gorges Dam across the River Yangtse was completed. The massive wall of concrete, some 185m high and 2.3 km wide will eventually house 26 turbines making it the world's largest hydro-electric power facility. It is due to be fully operational by 2009. Begun in 1993, the project is estimated to cost £13bn by the time it is completed.

There are several important benefits of the scheme. Hydro-electric power is a 'clean' renewable source of energy and the Three Gorges Project will provide a great deal of the energy needed to fuel China's future economic development. It will lessen its future dependence on coal and oil and will help to reduce carbon emissions. Additionally, the project is intended to regulate the flow of water in the Yangtse, which has been notorious for its devastating floods.

However, critics argue that the scheme will have detrimental effects of the local environment and will cause great hardship to over one million people who have had to move from the valley. More than 1,200 towns will be flooded by the reservoir, as well as several important archaeological sites. There are already claims that the growing reservoir behind the dam is heavily polluted. Some argue that it will only be the big cities and industries that will benefit from the cheap electricity.

(For further information about the Three Gorges Project, access the BBC's website at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/5000092.stm. Several good articles and features can be found on the Guardian's website at http://www.guardian.co.uk/gall/0,,835373,00.html.)

Plans for Severn Barrage approved by government ministers

Government ministers have signalled their approval of plans to build a barrage across the River Severn between Lavernock Point to the south of Cardiff and Brean Down, southwest of Bristol. This is not the first time that plans for a barrage across the Severn have been produced however there is a fresh sense of urgency as the government seeks to secure the UK's energy supply for the future.

The government is currently reviewing its energy strategy in the face of diminishing fossil fuel supplies and the need to meet environmental targets over greenhouse gas emissions. There has been considerable debate within the government regarding the potential use of nuclear power, with strong arguments voiced on both sides. With the recent decision not to go ahead with a large wind farm in Cumbria, ministers are looking at a wide range of options to enable to secure future energy supplies in Britain. According to Peter Hain, the Secretary of State for Wales, the Severn Barrage is one of the few schemes to rival nuclear power in terms of the electricity that it might generate.

The barrage would generate electricity from the tides. The Severn Estuary has a tidal range of 14m, which is one of the highest in the world. The 10-mile barrage would be the largest project of its kind in the world and it could generate up to 7% of the UK's electricity demands. Water would be trapped behind the barrage at high tide and then released through turbines to generate electricity. Gates in the barrage would allow shipping upstream.

Inevitably, there is a good deal of opposition to the scheme. Conservationists and environmentalists are concerned about the possible effects on porpoises, otters, rare fish and wild birds. If the tidal flow of the river is interrupted there would be significant changes to the estuary ecosystem as it is effectively turned into a lake.

(A detailed article about the latest proposals can be accessed on the BBC's website at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/south_east/4927744.stm. For historical information about the Severn Barrage access http://r-energy.co.uk/history.html.)

Russia responds to environmental concerns over oil pipelines

Environmentalists were delighted to learn that the Russian President had unexpectedly vetoed plans to construct an oil pipeline just 800m away from Lake Baikal, an UNESCO-listed freshwater lake. The protesters had been concerned about the possible devastating effects of an oil spill, which would be more likely given the frequency of earthquakes, floods and landslides in the area. Lake Baikal - known as the 'Blue Eye of Siberia - is the world's largest freshwater lake. Greenpeace has estimated that an oil spill could pollute up to a third of the lake severely affecting the thousands of animals and plants that live there.

The powerful oil lobby was furious about the decision. They have suggested that the costs of re-routing the pipeline 25 miles north of Lake Baikal to the other side of a mountain range could be over $1bn.

The oil pipeline will hurt nature in the Baikal region © Greenpeace / V. Potansky

The 2,550 mile pipeline, which will run from the Siberian region of Irkutsk to the Amur region on the Chinese border and then on to Russia's east coast, will be the longest in the world. It will supply much valued oil to China and Japan.

(For further information access the BBC's website at http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4945998.stm. The People and Planet website at http://www.peopleandplanet.net/doc.php?id=2726 has an excellent and very detailed article about the pipeline.)

UN report warns of slow progress on reducing malnutrition

According to a recent report published by the United Nations, malnutrition is causing the death of 10 children every minute in the developing world. Additionally, the report concludes that more than a quarter of children in the developing world are underweight. In India alone, an estimated 57m children under five years old are underweight.

The UN has warned that several key Millennium Development Goal targets may now not be reached as the lack of progress in reducing malnutrition slows down other developments, such as education and the reduction of poverty. The first target pledged to halve the proportion of people who suffered from hunger by 2015.

The UN found that three quarters of the 146m underweight children came from just 10 countries. Whilst rates of malnutrition were found to be improving in some Asian countries, the situation was getting worse in many African nations. For example, more than half the children in Burundi have stunted growth as a result of poor diet. In Iraq, the proportion of underweight children has increased since 1990. In Yemen and Sudan drought and civil conflict have led to increased rates of underweight children.

Ironically, the UN also reported that more than 170m children across the world are obese, including 22m children below the age of five. Most of these children are in the developed world.

(For further information about malnutrition in Iraq access http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/IRIN/2f579a75641ad1b1b8ef750a7efb67ce.htm. 'OneWorld Africa' has several interesting articles and country studies relating to the UN report at http://africa.oneworld.net/article/archive/568, for example on India at http://southasia.oneworld.net/article/view/132176/1.)

Russian pro-natalist policy offers 'cash for kids'

The Russian President has offered cash bonuses to Russian women who give birth to two or more children in an attempt to boost the country's declining population.

Currently Russia has a population of 143 million but it is declining at an average of 700,000 every year. With a high death rate - the average life expectancy for men is only 59 - and high levels of poverty in some regions, women are choosing not to have large families.

From January 2007 women who give birth to a second child will receive a cash bonus equivalent to about £5,000. Child benefit payments will be increased and women will also receive help with child care.

(An interesting archive article on Russia's population crisis can be found on the BBC's website at http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/1098812.stm. The Voice of America website has a report on the current problem at http://www.voanews.com/english/archive/2006-03/2006-03-08-voa62.cfm.)