Africa are expected to increase by 2 6 0c within the next 100 years and rainfall variability is. Thanks to their understanding of how important trees are for environmental protection and soil stability their reaction to losing their roof and the local flooding was to think about planting more trees. Floods dref operation n mdrza005 glide n fl201007zaf 1 february, 2011 the international federations disaster relief emergency fund dref is a source of unearmarked money created by the federation in 1985 to ensure that immediate financial support is available for red cross and red crescent response to emergencies. Human operations such as mining that can trigger earth tremors due to the displacement of fault lines. Pdf causes and consequences of flooding in nigeria. The study explores the impact of floods on the socioeconomic livelihoods of people in sikaunzwe community in kazungula district. After this weeks storms and floods, one of the schools we worked with contacted us to ask for our help. Emergency services are on the scene at various locations. Disaster relief was trickling in for neighbouring residents of moretele view, which was also affected by the floods. Theres often no way to prevent a flood, but there are many ways to keep safe and ensure that you and your family are safe. South africa flood death toll rises as government declares.
South africa has experienced earthquakes, tornadoes and floods, as. South africa deadly flash floods in kwazulunatal province. The heavy flooding in befdordview, boksburg and the northrand brought traffic to a standstill, leaving some vehicles. Flood disaster response in south africa between december 2010 and february 2011, widespread floods hit south africa. The causes and consequences of the informal settlements in. Since then heavy rain has also affected areas of kwazulunatal province in south africa, in particular around the city of durban. The main south african natural catastrophes are covered floods. In pictures floods, accidents and lightning strikes as. Floods are among the most common natural occurrences on the planet. Floods are natural occurrences where an area or land that is normally dry abruptly becomes submerged in water.
When floods occur they bring with them numerous problems, ranging from the physical impact of water damage to the problems of disease and famine that can follow such disasters. The relevant authorities should delineate both the non flood areas and flood areas. Flooding in southafrica a deeper insight to what happens around us pic photo. The aim of this study is to provide a thorough understanding of the impact of floods on the socioeconomic livelihoods and underlying causes of the communitys vulnerability. In addition to the shocking overfishing, the soil erosion causes it to be washed into the lake which kills the fish. Precipitation in south africa is expected to decrease by about 510% during the 21 st century, because south africa is situated in a subtropical region hewitson. Most violent storms in decades deluge gauteng, south africa. A vicious cycle of poverty and ill health are the reality for many african countries. Heavy downpour floods joburg, south africa sapeople your.
The severe weather in parts of eastern and southern eastern africa continues. In pictures floods, accidents and lightning strikes as storm hits gauteng. The 1927 mississippi river flood was the most destructive in u. Early summer storms in south africa have caused fatal flash floods in johannesburg. Moretele district in north west province, south africa, is my own work and that all the sources that i have. A few cars pulled up and occupants offered food and clothes. South africa deadly floods and landslides hit kzn and. Assignment geo 234 d sonnekus 2011042526 flooding in southafrica a deeper insight to what happens around us pic photo. Therefore the responsible authorities should provide timely and reliable flood warning, flood. Most locations around the world have their own meteorological definition of drought based on the climate normals in the area. A critical analysis revealed that many cases of flooding experienced in this country are caused by dam. As many as 7 people have died after being caught in the flood waters of swollen rivers in limpopo and mpumalanga. Flooding began last week in parts of mozambique and malawi.
Times live reported that the government had issued flood warnings for areas along the orange, south africa s longest river. This gave room for poor people from tanganyika and rural areas to build their houses on these more or less free lands without any planning regulation. Pdf an assesment of causes and effects of flood in nigeria. The effects of drought are widespread and have devastating effects on the environment and the society as a whole. Jan 26, 2011 english news and press release on south africa about agriculture, coordination, flood and more. Another unexpected link with deforestation is the decline of the fish population. The effect of the economic status of people regarding flood hazards 6 6. Download floods and causes of floods cheat sheet pdf. The 2016 johannesburg flood was a natural disaster in south africa that took place on 9 november 2016. Change in climate can also bring several other problems, such as drying of. The 2000 mozambique flood was a natural disaster that occurred in february and march 2000. The simplest explanation for flooding is heavy rains. Apr 17, 20 flooding in south africa a deeper insight to what happens around us pic photo.
Water pollution and its effects on sustainability in south africa. The flooding, which occurred in the area east of johannesburg, affected both johannesburg and ekurhuleni. South africa police service said that helicopters were used to rescue 6 people from flood water in limpopo province on thursday, 05 january. Abstract in south africa, the annual risk of flooding is 83. This period comes with the perennial problems of flooding which leaves many homes swamped with the resultant loss of property and sometimes human lives. Changes of hurricanes, cyclones and floods will be more which will damage the lagoons, estuaries and coral reefs. The short rainy season in southeastern ethiopia typically runs from october to january. Quick response flood events causing sudden flooding. Flooding in south africa has killed more than 100 people. Aug 06, 2018 floods are among the most common natural occurrences on the planet. The floods also destroyed crops, cut off transport, and killed three people, said the united nations. Fatal flash floods hit johannesburg news al jazeera.
South africa deadly flash floods in limpopo and mpumalanga. How to prepare for a flood western cape government. The non flood areas can serve as a temporary shelter for the settlements during floods. South africa was subject to some intense floods over the last couple of years mainly as the result of cloud breaks and very heavy precipitation in very short time periods which leads to flooding of most small streams and rivers, what then leads to the larger rivers to flood. The catastrophic flooding was caused by heavy rainfall that lasted for five weeks and made many homeless. Although climate change is a natural occurrence, human industrial and development activities over the past two centuries have caused changes in climate independent from natural changes. Kwazulunatal cogta storms and rain caused flooding, landslides and major damage in the durban area from 21 april 2019. No other kind of natural disaster in america has caused more death and destruction than floods. Biodiversity is important for south africa because of its importance in maintaining ecosystem function, the proven economic value of south africa s biodiversity resources, and its role in supporting subsistence lifestyles. Global warming due to climate change leads to heat waves because of the accumulation of atmospheric gases in the ozone. Disasters in africa the case for legal preparedness african communities have always been resourceful when adapting to their environment and todays threats are forcing them to become ever more resilient. Research on the impacts of and responses to flooding have been undertaken at national, provincial and city level and focused on the causes and impact of floods mudau 2001. While the rains caused destructive flooding, they may also have been beneficial.
Chemistry, faculty of pharmacy, rhodes university, grahamstown 6140, south africa, tel. Adopting sustainable measures for heavy precipitation can help in dealing with the flooding situation. The effect of development on flood hazards in sa 5 5. A suggestion is given of the key parameters that need to be taken into account, and a framework is given for models describing losses arising from floods, hail and tornadoes. By definition, a natural disaster is a natural event such as a flood, earthquake, tornado, hurricane, volcanic eruption, tsunamis, and other geological events that cause great damage or loss of life. People living in rural areas and resourcepoor farmers are often cited. A flood is caused by a combination of heavy rainfall causing river oceans to over flow their banks, and can. According to the latest reports, over 500,000 people have been affected with at least 40 fatalities reported. Lessons lost andor learnt from 1990 to 2005 wayne devlin austin a dissertation submitted to the faculty of science, university of the witwatersrand, johannesburg, in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of master of science. Flooding happens in many ways due to overflow of streams, rivers, lakes or oceans or as a result of excessive rain. Climate change is a slow, natural cycle that causes the earths temperature to rise and fall periodically over centuries. Almost half of the populations 220 million people in subsaharan africa live in poverty.
Johannesburg and ekurhuleni east rand in south africa were hit by a huge downpour of rain wednesday afternoon 09 november 2016, leaving almost 200 homes washed away in alexandra, motorists stranded, planes delayed at or tambo international airport and a boundary wall at joburg zoo washed away. Apr 04, 2019 floods are among earths most commonand most destructivenatural hazards. The frequency of climaterelated disasters such as floods is growing due to environmental and human factors. South african weather service had warned of a risk of flash floods in limpopo, mpumalanga and gauteng. South africa flood death toll rises as government declares 33 disaster zones this article is more than 9 years old.
This figure is projected to reach 400 million by the year 2017. Almost 300,000 african americans were forced to live in refugee camps for months. In simple terms, flood can be defined as an overflow of large quantities of water onto a normally dry land. Some of the causes of natural disasters in south africa include. Too much rain causes water to flow overland contributing to flooding. More than 700,000 people were left homeless, while 250 died from floods that covered 1 million acres with 30 feet of water in 10 days. This paper examines the impact of flooding and communities perceptions towards responses to flooding in the cases of maniini and tshilungwi villages in the thulamela municipality in the limpopo province of south africa. The causes and consequences of the informal settlements in zanzibar shaping the change xxiii fig congress munich, germany, october 8, 2006 land in zanzibar was under wakf1 fair 2001. The global warming situation tends to exacerbate the drought conditions. Times live reported that the government had issued flood warnings for areas along the orange, south africas longest river. Natural catastrophes in south africa university of pretoria. Pdf climate change poses a great risk to south africa which has a dual agricultural economy. Since then heavy rain has also affected areas of kwazulunatal province in south africa, in. Sinopsis eiendom versekering beskerm polishouers teen verliese veroorsaak deur.
The effect of floods on the quality of the water using the vaal dam reservoir forum vdrs. Unfortunately, sometimes they turn disastrous, killing people and destroying property, forcing humans to come up with countermeasures against flooding. This poverty has mainly been caused by poor economic growth, decreasing per capita income and low employment. Its effectiveness depends on the level of preparedness and correct response. Some of the causes of floods include the following.
A lack of precipitation is the most common definition of drought and is usually the type of drought referred to in news reports and the media. Best practices on flood prevention, protection and mitigation 3 flood forecasting and warning is a prerequisite for successful mitigation of flood damage. However, floods are not tsunamis, but tsunami causes floods. Heavy rain in south africa has caused flooding in parts of kwazulunatal and eastern cape provinces. Aspects of ecosystem health such as sustained primary production, soil retention, and water yield and water. There are many causes of floods, some are natural and some are humanmade. Parts of south africa experienced heavy rain from 05 january to 08 january, 2017. A framework for modelling losses arising from natural. At the time of the high melting of snow due to heavy precipitation and other factors, the situation of flooding arises. Here are eight of the most common causes of flooding, both natural and humaninduced.
Floods are usually caused by storms that bring heavy rain and can cause serious damage once the water accumulates on land and enters homes and other buildings. Limpopo floods dref operation n mdrza006 update n 1 report international federation of red cross and red crescent societies download pdf 212. Floods definition and different causes of floods toppr. The storm and flash floods caused significant damage to the township of alexandra, while the suburb of buccleuch was declared a disaster area. The above pdf means that should a tornado strike, only 0. Early summer storms in south africa have caused fatal flash floods in. The causes of flooding are varied, but the effects of most causes can be managed if not prevented. A case of the eastern cape and free state provinces of south africa. Hurricanes, clogged drainages, and rainfall are some of the conditions that have led to flooding in various regions across the globe. Lake malawis fish supply has declined by 90% in the last 20 years. Apr 15, 20 assignment geo 234 d sonnekus 2011042526 flooding in south africa a deeper insight to what happens around us pic photo. Poverty has been worsened by hivaids epidemic, political instability, cultural.
Therefore, we can conclude that cutting of trees will cause floods, which are about the. Heavy rains fell across southern africa in early 2011. The storm and flash floods caused significant damage to the township of alexandra, while the suburb of buccleuch was declared a disaster. In west africa, and indeed, south western nigeria will be rain water. Therefore, we can conclude that cutting of trees will cause floods, which are about the same effects of a tsunami. Rain is the leading contributor to most of the flooding cases witnessed across the world. Worst natural disasters in south africa briefly sa.
South africa have increased significantly, and the most common type of disaster is drought. South african flash flood guidance system saffg aws. The effect of floods and high rainfall on the water quality in. Construction of dams should be considered to trap the excess water. Few studies have been done at local level in the rural areas of south africa. It started in south africa when heavy rain falls traveled over to mozambique. Global warming may cause extinction of more than one million species of animals and plants by 2050 ad. Two occupants in the private vehicle were rescued by members of the south african national defence force, he said.
Major causes of poverty in africa and possible solutions. There are several human causes of flooding, including poorly designed infrastructure. State of water in south africa a researchers perspective. Some of the worst droughts witnessed in subsaharan africa have been associated with global warming and climate change. The region is prone to cycles of flood and drought.