by Mehreen Quadri

From hurricanes and earthquakes in the west to torrential rains in the east, the last few weeks have been difficult for many around the world. In Niger, heavy rains have caused flooding, especially in Niamey, the city where it meets the upper Niger delta. Reports state that the flooding has destroyed thousands of homes and has caused the death of roughly 44 people. Many have taken shelter, but will have nowhere to return when conditions improve. Historically, flooding is not new to the Niger Delta. So, why has it become more severe in the past few decades?

According to an article in the Journal of Africa Earth Sciences, flooding has become increasingly problematic in the Niger Delta because of deterioration of the coast’s natural drainage system, which has been caused by industrialization and urbanization. Prior to development, the delta’s wetlands mitigated damage by absorbing water during rains and leaking them into nearby rivers (Abam, 1992). Another major factor for the flooding is blockage of the man-made drainage channels.

The same factors have contributed to increased destruction during recent monsoon seasons in India. Flooding over the past two months has caused the death of over 1,000 people in India and across the subcontinent. As a result, public transportation and schools have been brought to a standstill as people wait for the flooding to subside. As in Niger, India’s heavy rains are an annual event. Again, it is said that one major factor in all this is the blockage of drainage channels. The Mithi river in Mumbai is currently full of plastic waste that has been accumulating over the years due to the lack of maintenance and government regulation. Another interesting element in all of this is the mangrove, a shrub which is important for the absorption of water. The thousands of mangroves along the riverbanks used to help absorb flood waters during monsoon season. However, in the past few decades, mangroves have been removed as areas have been urbanized.

Another famous example of how the deterioration of natural barriers led to historic flooding was 2005’s Hurricane Katrina. In Louisiana, swamps that once acted as natural barriers against hurricanes and flooding had been developed, leaving cities like New Orleans vulnerable to hurricane flooding (Tibbetts, 2006).

These are only a few examples of major cities that have been weakened due to the destruction of natural barriers and the lack of maintenance of man-made levees and drainage channels. As climate change continues to increase the strength and frequency of hurricanes, monsoons, and other significant weather events, there will inevitably be more tales of entire communities that are completely decimated, and as is so often the case, it will be the poorest, most vulnerable people who will pay the price.

References
  1. https://blogs.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/cash-flow/mumbais-flooding-problems-are-often-man-made-this-can-be-changed/
  2. Abam, T.K.S. (1992). Geomorphic processes and the threat of increased flooding in the Niger delta. Journal of African Earth Sciences, 15(1), 59-63.
  3. http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2012217_2012252_2014247,00.html
  4. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/089953629290006X
  5. https://www.naij.com/1114394-flood-nigeria-latest-disaster-happen.html
  6. http://floodlist.com/africa/niger-floods-niamey-august-2017
  7. https://reliefweb.int/disaster/fl-2017-000078-ner
  8. http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/08/monsoon-rains-bring-mumbai-standstill-170829134146264.html
  9. https://blogs.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/toi-edit-page/truth-about-urban-flooding-cities-like-mumbai-get-inundated-regularly-due-to-administrative-apathy-not-climate-change/
  10. http://theconversation.com/mumbai-floods-what-happens-when-cities-sacrifice-ecology-for-development-83328
  11. Tibbetts, J.(2006). Louisiana’s Wetlands: A Lesson in Nature Appreciation. Environmental Health Perspective, 114(1), A40-A43.

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