ABSTRACT
The jet-set pace of modern life has essentially met a staggering jolt with the ensuing pandemic put forth by the novel Coronavirus. Mankind is vehemently trying its level best to combat the epidemic and curb the death-toll worldwide as much as practicable. Certain practices of self-discipline are coming to the forefront these days to keep individuals "physically and mentally sanitized.” The regime of self-cleanliness is establishing its significance in the present-day situation. Besides, it is nature which is trying to provide a life lesson to its most intelligent and rational inmates to inculcate submission to the Cosmic Power and to gradually develop herd immunity. Developing a sense of gratitude for the givens of life essentials one to develop a fountain of positivity to maintain his/ her state of well-being. The practice of physical, emotional, and spiritual cleanliness helps to foster a state of tranquility, a "feel of being anchored” leading to the maintenance of well-being among Homo sapiens. It is then that human beings will learn to cohabit the planetary space with other species peacefully and symbiotically. Wellness is bound to thrive in nature consequently. The chapter engages into a theoretical critical analysis of the varied means of sanitizing oneself on the whole to foster well-being of the society. The cry of the present day is attempted to be addressed so that the earth can be a safer and secure "container.” © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Taylor and Francis Pte Ltd. 2022.
ABSTRACT
The coronavirus (COV2) induced impacts on health, economy, and sociopolitical spheres are added as a new dimension in disaster continuum. The current challenges stretched from impacts of COVID-19 on local communities to the breakdown of globalized systems and frameworks;even the postpandemic adjustments and system recovery will need interscale and holistic understanding by which covariables produced as results of system disruptions could effectively be taken into consideration in the long-term, comprehensive recovery planning process. This needs to generate critical knowledge on the issues mentioned above by paying specific attention on locational attributes, contextual space, and at-scale and interscale connections of the phenomenon. The politicians, professionals, and common people are urging for comprehensive and inclusive actions so that systems (both physical and human) as a whole can work sustainably;environment remains better protected to stop the spillover of disease pathogens from zoonotic sources to humans;human health is cared for strong immune systems to fight against disease. All these issues need critical knowledge on the challenges relating to the use of natural resources, better understanding of biophysical systems, detailed inquiry of the interface between people and nature. This chapter, in this regard, focused on the COVID-19 impacts on local communities in Bangladesh against the global contexts (e.g., return of the overseas employees due to loss of job, vaccine nationalism) and highlights the lessons learned during the last one and half year of pandemic times. The chapter also indicated about the likely global changes in post-COVID era and recommendations made how Bangladesh could rely on long-standing wisdom, instruments (social, economic, technical), and resources and innovate new apparatus to adapt to current conditions and cope with post-COVID new realities. © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
ABSTRACT
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to develop a replicable model that ensures Household Water Treatment and Safe Storage as well as water treatment facilities at the community level by providing total service coverage at community scale. An intervention was implemented in one of the low-lying areas of Basirhat Municipality (West Bengal, India) that included a number of action programs in order to address household- and community-level water-induced challenges. Design/methodology/approach A research study was undertaken to identify the root causes of the problems that are generally spawned from geomorphological, hydro-fluvial, climatic factors and processes and the situation becomes complicated when many other cumulative problem-contexts layovers the existing ones. A number of social and technological innovations were tested in the field and this paper critically examined the intervention processes and outcomes. It was implemented through participatory process by involving related stakeholders working at that scale so that necessary public acceptance is received for scaling up, at least, in the similar physical, social, economic and institutional contexts. Findings The problem conceptualization process, spatial assessment for contextualizing the problem, design of interventions for different scales, development of project deployment strategies from field-based learnings contributed in developing a total solution based on fusing of household-level technical solutions, social innovations and actions for community engagements towards sustainability. Mobilized community members in addressing local inundation and waterlogging crisis. Satellite image-based maps shown to make them understand the upper-lower connection of drainage. People also developed their own action plans and engaged themselves in resuscitation of an old canal, removed the garbage that resulted in improved drainage conditions in the area. Research limitations/implications Pandemic due to COVID 19 and its related prolonged lock down, West Bengal State Assembly Election, closure of municipal governance system due to the forthcoming municipal election, closure of educational institutions, closure of Anganwadi Centre in the field area were the limitations. Due to the lock down, it was difficult for the team to maintain the time frame as well as the budget. As per the Election's Code of Conduct gets released no public meeting was allowed without permission, people in the vicinity became suspicious, hence movement of the team members got restricted. Practical implications Due to the COVID protocols, the team could not organise mass training programs. It was difficult for the team members to commute in public/private transport, hence filed work got impacted. As the team could not access data from the health department, they developed a strategy of generation data on body mass index, mid-upper arm circumferences and waist-to-hip ratios to understand the status of health and nutrition of the community. It was difficult to access the Public Health Engineering Department's laboratory situated in the municipality for water sample test. Cost escalated due to extension of the project time. Social implications During the second phase (wave) when people lost access to health facilities they requested the team to stop field visit. Women's empowerment through acquiring knowledge and skill on treatment and safe storage of drinking water at home. Men appreciated and recognized this, which improved the status of women in the society. Children after expressing their willingness to learn the new technology of water purification were given handholding training by their mothers and knowledge transfer has taken place in the next generation. Mobilized community members in addressing local inundation and waterlogging crisis. Satellite image-based maps to understand the upper-lower connection of drainage helped them develop their own action plans and engaged themselves in resuscitation of an old canal, removed the garbage that resulted in improved drainage conditions in the area. Originality/value Household-level solutions include supply of low cost, easy operable, sustainable water purifiers, community-level solution focused on securing water-related challenges at social/public gathering places and wider catchment area level solutions include the engagement of local communities to drain out stagnant waters by clearing drains, creating/digging small canals through collective actions. Geo-spatial techniques (topographical mapping, spatial survey, water quality tests) along with social methods such as participatory appraisals for gathering information on human health, public awareness campaigns and partnership development with local government agencies were the major activities performed as part of the implementation of interventions. It is imperative to mention that water-related challenges in the low-lying settlement areas of Basirhat Municipality have effectively been addressed by relying on necessary theoretical underpinnings (Disaster risk reduction/humanitarian principles) transmitted through application of scientific techniques and mediated through local people and their agencies.