Low-Cost Survival Shelter Earthship for Cyclone Pam Survivors


“Earthships can be built to create fantastic survival shelters. This simple shelter is being constructed in Te Puke (New Zealand) as part of a training program aimed at teaching survivors of Cyclone Pam in Vanuatu how to construct these robust buildings for their communities.”

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First Steps Himalaya.org Appeal for Help in Nepal

Earthquake damage in Nepal
Earthquake damage in Nepal

“We have launched an urgent appeal to help provide relief for FSH supported villages in rural Nepal devastated by the April 25th earthquake. We are deeply concerned about the welfare of the children and families supported by First Steps Himalaya in our 22 project villages.

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Earthbag Women’s Centre in Vanuatu Withstands Category 5 Cyclone

The earthbag Erakor Women’s Center withstood Cyclone Pam and helped local families survive.
The earthbag Erakor Women’s Center withstood Cyclone Pam and helped local families survive.

Cyclone Pam, one of the worst cyclones ever recorded in the Pacific Ocean, blasted the island chain of Vanuatu with category 5 winds up to 185 miles per hour and 26 foot storm surge. The women’s earthbag center near Port Vila and the earthbag water tank made it through the storm with minimal damage, despite the widespread destruction in the region.

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Earthbag History in the Making in Coron, Philippines

Earthbag houses in Coron, Philippines use perfectly shaped and aligned earthbags that are made in a wooden form and then set on the wall.
Earthbag houses in Coron, Philippines use perfectly shaped and aligned earthbags that are made in a wooden form and then set on the wall.

I recently visited an incredible earthbag project in the Philippines. The earthbag houses are in Barangay Lajala, a coastal barangay near Coron that was devastated by super Typhoon Yolanda last year. About 90 percent of the houses in Barangay Lajala were completely destroyed while the other 10 percent were partly damaged. This is the largest earthbag project of its kind and so I will be posting numerous stories to document as many details as possible. They use a different earthbag method than anyone else. See below for details.

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