The disaster in Haiti is now days old.
Yet, as I watch SKY news, I am sensing truly woeful disaster contingency planning.
A ton of stuff heading that way, and chaos and gridlock when it gets there.
And, as with the Boxing Day tsunami, I dread to think what the vast monetary aid might get applied to once things 'settle'.
I just heard a spokesperson from a disaster charity saying their first aircraft, from the UK, had just arrived... 'with bottled water'.
As the most basic need, untainted water supplies are obviously a priority.
I was just surprised the logistical systems globally were not optimised to store and deliver this commodity without having to carry water further than necessary, time and weight-wise.
As a serious, but equally potentially daft (I accept - but no such thing...), suggestion for future aid efforts, might it be an idea in areas prone to disasters to build with aid well sited earthquake-proof reservoir (sprung leg low level - no need for 'head' - tanks with flexible connectors?) buffers to water supplies around regions, than can be tapped in the event of emergencies?
I'd have thought just 2/3 of these, even if located to the periphery of distribution centres such as airports, would equate, and a lot more cheaply and quickly (in future), to one plane load.
Addendum -
Indy - practical, and human issues to the mix - Water delivery disruptions imperil quake survivors
Make it and mend it