Natural disasters refer to forces or events of nature that culminate into catastrophic consequences. Examples include earthquakes, conflagrations, volcanic eruptions, hurricanes, and flooding. Flooding is a situation in which land that is normally dry is covered with water, and submerged completely, thereby inhibiting normal human activity on the land. Flooding can cause diverse environmental, social, and economic effects. Consequently, there is a need to adopt various mitigation strategies to minimize the effects of flooding on the environment, as well as on the economy and community at large.
Few (2003) described flooding as a term that can be used to refer to different events in which land is submerged by water. According to Few (2003), flooding can refer to events of varying magnitudes with different causes, attributed to overflow of rivers due to prolonged and excessive rainfalls. Additionally, melting of snow in mountainous regions, cracking of dams, inadequate drainage systems, accumulation of rainwater, and the interference of seawater onto land during cyclonic surges, are also forms of flooding.
Flooding is also a direct contributor to environmental degradation and change in social patterns. For example, floodwaters that occur on cultivated land, not only cause soil erosion, but also destroy crops, and prevent harvesting operations, leading to food shortages for both humans and animals. In areas affected by extreme phenomena of flooding, communities are forced to relocate to drier areas, leading to diverse social changes and community compositions (Few, 2003).
No matter the form of flooding, the event can cause diverse economic effects. According to Teixeira & Haddad (2014), flooding can cause physical destruction of property, land, farm produce, and other losses, leading to economic and financial setbacks. In Sao Paulo, for example, flooding caused inconveniences, such as the cessation of movement of goods and people between places thereby inhibiting commerce, which directly caused economic losses (Teixeira & Haddad, 2014). Moreover, floodwaters usually cause blockage of roads, destruction of bridges, sewerage systems, and power transmission, which interrupt trading activities, leading to economic losses.
Therefore, it is important to adopt various mitigation strategies to minimize the effects of flooding on the environment, economy, and societal composition. Few (2003) observed that in many areas, levees, reservoirs, bunds, weirs, and detention basins, have been used in the control and management of floodwaters to curb destructive effects. Additionally, dams are also a beneficial way of retaining floodwaters for future use, generation of electricity, and irrigation of land. Barriers constructed along rivers, as well as seawalls, can also help in reducing the effects of flooding by restricting water movement.
References
Few, R (2003). Flooding, Vulnerability and coping strategies: Local responses to a global threat. Progress in Development Studies, 3(1), 43–58.
Haddad, E.A. & Teixeira, A., (2014). Economic impacts of natural disasters in megacities: The case of floods in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Habitat International, 1-8.
