Building Flood Proof Homes in Bangladesh
We are mobilizing a campaign to alleviate the front line effects of climate change. People living on the flood plains of Bangladesh are amongst the most vulnerable as sea levels rise. Please support this campaign by signing up to our newsletter and passing it on.
Photo: Sam Sherratt
Our Commitment: A House For A House
It is our 2×1 promise that for every house we build in Spain, a flood proof home is built in Bangladesh.
Pass This On and We Double Our Commitment
For every client we find via this campaign we will build two flood proof homes in Bangladesh.
To build these homes Eco Vida has formed an association with Practical Action, the charity supported by HRH the Prince of Wales.
Brainwaves – How It All Started
One of our staff chanced upon toms.com, they donate one pair of shoes to a shoeless child for every pair they sell. He thought it was a brilliant idea and asked himself if we could do the same thing at Eco Vida: every time we build a house in Spain – build another for someone else in need of secure shelter.
When we discovered Practical Action we found a way to make that brainwave reality. It all tied together, our buildings save energy and help reduce the magnitude of climate change, and Practical Action are helping those at the sharp end of the changing climate.
We then asked ourselves “how can we give more, and still run a competitive business?”
That’s when we had a second brainwave and when our simple attempt to help became a campaign to harness the power of connection over the internet.
We’d rather harness the power of this network and spend the money on flood proof homes in Bangladesh than spend it on marketing.
Photo: Sam Sherratt
Harness the Power of the Human Web
You probably know about the six degrees of separation. The idea that you are a maximum of six steps from knowing anyone on the planet. You know someone, who knows someone, who knows the Queen of England or a remote tribesman in Papua New Guinea. The internet and social networks are shrinking our world fast. You have a friend, who has a friend, who is looking for us now to build them an energy efficient home in Spain.
How You Can Help
Sign up to our newsletter and please pass it on, its that simple.
We can all act together now and make a difference. Please support our campaign.
We Believe
We believe that climate change is best tackled when reducing your CO2 emissions improves your life or saves you money. Our buildings are more comfortable than conventional buildings, they have dramatically lower carbon emissions, and saving energy also means lower bills.
We believe in corporate responsibility which is why we are so pleased to be building flood proof homes in Bangaldesh.
More on Practical Action
Practical Action works with poor communities in the developing world to help them choose and use appropriate technologies to improve their lives for today and for generations to come.
Stephen Harvey (Head of Fundraising) at Practical Action said:-
“Like Eco Vida, Practical Action is passionate about offering solutions that use appropriate technology to reduce exposure to disaster risk. Practical Action is a development charity with a difference. We know the simplest ideas can have the most profound, life-changing effect on poor people across the world. This is why, for over 40 years, we have been working closely with some of the world’s poorest people using simple technology to fight poverty and transform their lives for the better. Our flood proof homes in Bangladesh guard families against the effects of disastrous floods. Eco Vida, by lowering household CO2 emissions, is also helping reduce the risks from climate change.”
Photo: Sam Sherratt
Climate Irony
The irony is that it is the first world’s excessive, and in many cases unnecessary, CO2 emissions that
threaten those least able to cope with the effects in the third world. Flooding in Bangladesh can only get worse as sea levels rise.
Bangladesh’s President Iajuddin Ahmed expressed it clearly when he said “though our greenhouse gas emission is negligible, we’re amongst the worst victims [of climate change].”
That is why disaster risk reduction on the flood plains of Bangladesh matches exactly with our values. We can fight climate change long term by influencing the construction industry in Spain and immediately by campaigning for Practical Action today.
