natural disasters

• Cyclone Idai made landfall near Beira in Mozambique. Strong winds of up to 180 km/h and torrential rain of up to 600mm
• PRIMARY EFFECTS OF CYCLONE IDAI:

  • 1300 killed, mostly drowned or killed by flying debris
  • Over 3 million people affected
  • 90% of Beira destroyed
  • all 17 hospitals and health centres in Beira destroyed
  • flash flooding destroyed 100 houses in zimbabwe
• SECONDARY EFFECTS OF CYCLONE IDAI:

  • Several rivers overflowed in Mozambique and zimbabwe
  • 700000+ ha of crops destroyed
  • Mudslides, collapsed dams and HEP plants
  • April - cholera - 40000 cases in Beira
• IMMEDIATE RESPONSES TO CYCLONE IDAI:

  • Mozambique's National Disasters Management Institute used Boats and helicopters to rescue people
  • Mozambique - 140+ evacuation centres set up to cope with he 125000 displaced people
  • Uk government provided £18 million of aid to mozambique
  • World Health Organisation gave 900000 cholera vaccinations and anti-mosquito nets
• LONG-TERM RESPONSES TO CYCLONE IDAI:

  • In Beira, dutch engineers restored water supplies and WASH campaign(WAter, Sanitation, Hygiene) in rural areas to limit the spread of disease
  • Mozambique government adopted UN principle of Build Back Better, so all new buildings can withstand future disasters.
  • Improvements to early warning system
  • Catholic Agency for Overseas Development (CAFOD) spent over £2 million supporting families and communities
• The Somerset Levels happened in Somerset in 2014. It is an extensive area of low-lying wetlands/farmlands. 2014 saw the most severe flooding ever seen in the area
• WHY THE SOMERSET LEVELS FLOOD OF 2014 HAPPENED:

  • Wettest January since 1910.
  • 350mm rainfall above average
  • rivers had not been dredged in over 20 years
  • High tides + storm surges
• SOCIAL IMPACTS OF SOMERSET LEVELS:

  • over 600 houses flooded
  • 16 farms evacuated
  • villages cut off
• ECONOMIC IMPACTS OF SOMERSET LEVELS:

  • Cost approximately £147.5 million to repai
  • Over 14000 ha of agricultural land underwater for 3-4 weeks
  • Over 1000 livestock evacuated
  • Railway line closed at Bridgwater
• ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF SOMERSET LEVELS:

  • floodwaters were heavily contaminated with sewage, oil and chemicals
  • huge amount of debris had to be cleared
  • stagnant water had to be deoxygenated before being returned to the river
• IMMEDIATE RESPONSES TO SOMERSET LEVELS:

  • Villages cut off by floods used boats
  • Communities helped eachother
• LONG-TERM RESPONSES TO SOMERSET LEVELS:

  • The Somerset Levels Authority (SRA) launched in January 2015 to implement flood protection strateges
  • March 2014 - 8 km of the rivers Tone and Parrett were dredged at a cost of £ 6 million. Now they are dredged annually
  • Road levels have been raised
  • new flood alleviation schemes
  • The Environment Agency (EA) plans to construct a tidal barrier at Bridgwater by 2024 to reduce the risk of tidal flooding. estimated to cost £ 65-80 million. protect 11500 homes and 1500 local businesses. -> 1200 local housing units