With the recent global temperature record-breaking El Nino coming to an end, another extreme weather phenomenon is expected to take its place – the La Nina. If the El Nino caused many countries all over the world – including the Philippines – to experience severe drought, the La Nina is expected to do the exact and extreme opposite. As such, we can expect severe flooding in many places not just in Metro Manila but also all over the country.
While the government is doing its part in building the necessary flood mitigating infrastructures like sufficient drainage systems and other flood control projects, it will take a long time and a lot of money to complete them all. In the meantime, how can the people living in the 26,000 flood-prone barangays – as identified by the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council or NDRRMC – in the Philippines cope with massive flooding and the great challenges that come with it? And even after completing such infrastructures, how about the many other areas outside Metro Manila and other major cities in the Philippines that aren’t included in such infrastructure projects?
THE H2O SALAMANDER, an amphibious multi-utility vehicle
In response to this particular challenge posed by today’s severe weather, a cutting-edge Filipino innovation and technology company – H2O Technologies – has developed the H2O Salamander. It is an amphibious multi-utility vehicle that can safely run on both land and water, yes even in flood waters. t’s a potential game changer in terms of responding to typhoon-related disasters and mitigating the effects of severe flooding, especially in highly urbanized areas. The vehicle can be utilize to ensure continuity to provide basic services needed by people in every flood prone barangays. The H2O Salamander can carry up to 6 passengers (driver included) and comes in electricity and gasoline powered versions.
THE PARTNERSHIP
H2O Technologies is partnering with the single biggest non-government organization (NGO) that helps the Philippine government in dealing natural calamities like typhoons and massive flooding – the Philippine Red Cross. The Red Cross provides critical disaster management services to local government units (LGU) severely affected by natural calamities like floods through its disaster relief activities like rescue operations, among others. H2O is partnering with the Philippine Red Cross in helping local government units manage natural calamities better by donating 500 units of the H2O Salamander.
FUNDING THE PARTNERSHIP
For a successful campaign, we need to raise the amount of US$4.3 million . To do this, it will embark on a 60-day crowd source funding campaign via www.startsomegood.com, a crowd-funding platform for social enterprises, nonprofit projects and change makers. The campaign will give social change supporters the opportunity to donate $10, $50, $100, $150 and $2,500 in this crowd funding campaign;